《Aspect of Shadow》


 A walk through the woods

    Once upon a time there was a forest, it was not the deepest nor the darkest, it was not home to any witches, ogres, trolls, or goblins. The gangly trees were only slightly more alive than average, and no cults of dubious origin resided within the dimly lit reaches. It was simply a plain boring old forest that didn¡¯t have any distinguishing features one could name the region after.


    The most interesting thing presently within these uninteresting woods was a lonesome girl garbed in an old, hooded cloak, who wondered this way and that through the densely packed trees. Over hillocks and down hills, she meandered, following no path with not even a hint of a destination in mind. Her footsteps were uneven, and she gripped her furiously rumbling stomach trying to will away her extreme hunger. She distracted herself trying to imagine the types of animals that might live within the dull landscape such as lions, or tigers or bears. She liked the idea of a bear, even if she had never seen one, from the scant bits and pieces told to her she formed a mental image that was wildly incorrect and, in some ways, infinitely worse than the reality.


    As it would happen on her wayward travelling, she passed several dens belonging to bears, wolves, foxes and even a beaver¡¯s dam, all recently abandoned with the days well-earned meal still resting at the dining table. She once spotted the extended ears of what she believed was a rabbit, however, attempts to approach the creature were met with disappointment as the furry beast high tailed it before the girl could even make out the shape of its surprisingly tall horns.


    Recalling her failed encounter, the girl stopped her endless trudge granting her sore bare feet a chance to rest and soak the ground with a trickle of blood. The ¡°rabbit¡± had looked nothing like the fluffy bundle of joy she was told it to be. Everything she knew about rabbits contrasted with the creature as it was large, stood on its hind legs and had a pair of jagged horns that fit in quite nicely with the barren tree branches. Had the animal not perked its head up and stared at the girl she may have missed it. She thought it was a friendly greeting, an invitation to come closer and have a seat, perhaps enjoy some refreshments and hear tales of the creatures many wacky adventures. Instead, the rabbit looked at her, puffed the fur all along its body and hopped away with fervent enthusiasm. If the girl¡¯s Papa were here, he could have told her why the rabbit was running and why it looked so different just before he too ran for the hills away from the monster.


    The girl looked around taking in her scenery for the umpteenth time, the same backdrop for days on end without a landmark or eye-catching monument to spice up the journey. The lack of critters only added to the girls ruined walk, what she wouldn¡¯t give for a chance encounter with a fluffy beast. In all honesty the most haunting creature within those dim woods was the girl herself even if she had no idea as to why. A lack of food, water and proper care may have been the cause as the girl appeared skeletal and haggard, her face a hollow mask of the youth she possessed. Her tattered brown cloak stained black in places with old blood didn¡¯t help matters and the rags she wore underneath were barely holding themselves together with frayed pieces of string clinging on for dear life. The ensemble wasn¡¯t much good for keeping the girl warm the few times she tried to sleep but if nothing else she had been taught the necessity for modesty and presentation.


    The girl¡¯s face dropped recalling her Papa¡¯s lessons, she missed his voice and his company, after all he is¡­ was the only family she had ever known. Turning her head back the way she came, she looked forlornly into the distance. Could she turn back? Could she try and meet up with the others that escaped? No, there was no chance of that, she walked for days with no stop and wandered so aimlessly she wasn¡¯t even sure what direction her ¡°home¡± was anymore.


    Sighing to herself, the girl lifted shaky hands up to her face trying to rub away the physical and mental fatigue. Moping would do nothing and, no matter what, she was bound to find something, someone or somewhere of interest in this divine forsaken forest. She didn¡¯t know what awaited her along her journey, all she knew was she wouldn¡¯t die here in this place. She was unequivocally sure of that, and no whispering woods or absentee fauna would dissuade her. Plastering on a forced smile, the girl took another step on her endless trudge and promptly tripped on an exposed root slamming hard against the ground. She laid there unmoving against the relatively comfortable dirt and leaves, blood pooling from a fresh gash on her nose and let out a muffled groan. Forced optimism would only get her so far, she was tired, she was cold, hungry, bleeding from the soles of her feet and now face too. There was one thing worse than everything else however, something that the girl couldn¡¯t find an answer to. Worse than the loneliness, worse than the hunger, worse than the dignified and classy if repetitive voice that spoke in her head describing her environment and terrible circumstances. It was a curse no living creature should ever be forced to endure.


    ¡°I am so bored¡­¡±


    She muffled out to no one in particular in a voice that bordered on breaking from lack of proper sustenance. She tried drinking from a river once, unfortunately dipping her head directly into the flowing waters had gotten her a rock to the face. Since then, she wrote off all rivers as unsafe and cruel mistresses of this evil forest.


    ¡°Someone should burn it all, the rivers and the woods and the sky¡­¡±


    If she had the strength, she might have done it herself, but there was no chance she would be setting any fires in her current state. The girl remained prone on the soft and inviting dirt refusing to take another step until something interesting happened or the world was set ablaze, it didn¡¯t matter which happened first. Providence was on her side, it seemed, as the sound of something smacking repeatedly against wood reached her ear. The noise had in fact been repeatedly going on for some time, but the girl was unable to hear it over the beat of her heart and the groan of her stomach thumping in her ears.


    Finding newfound determination and growing tired of wallowing in the mud, the girl rose to her feet not bothering to wipe the muck off her cloak. She ventured forth to find the mysterious sound and hopefully unearth anything interesting in this dire set of woods.


    In a semi-large clearing, there sat a splintered and ragged stump that was marked with countless scratches, cuts and scuffs. The stump was once a mighty and powerful tree, so vast its roots ate up all the nutrients within a thirty-metre radius preventing its conifer brethren from drawing closer lest they two become food for the former tree. It was so old and rife with life it near enough developed a consciousness although even if it did have the power to think or articulate itself it wouldn¡¯t. Thoughts and emotions were for fleshy lower lifeforms that needed such a waste of resources to survive. That was until the neighbours moved in. Within a week of their arrival the tree had been brought low with the loss of more than two thirds its mass stolen away in the early morning to the wretched axeman. A little known secret but, plants and plant adjacent do not sleep, once again a fleshy disadvantage, thus the former tree was forced to witness the mutilation of its body with unrelenting awareness. Now the tree sat, a stump, old and slowly withering while its crumbling bark was chipped away by the axeman¡¯s accomplice. Although a tree had no need for thoughts or speech, if this stump possessed either it would use these powers to have words with the axeman, and he would be shamed like no other had ever been shamed. As a blade struck the stumps side and failed to stick the disrespected tree decided to add the axeman¡¯s underling to its shame list as well.Help support creative writers by finding and reading their stories on the original site.


    Spending her afternoon taking pot shots at a justifiably upset tree was a girl near enough a woman with a strong toned physique built upon years of hard work and dedication. She was garbed in mismatching and poorly made leather gear fastened tight without a single loose strap or exposed piece of skin bar her head. A belt circled her waist featuring a carefully maintained if rarely used hunting knife secured horizontally within its sheath. A shock of onyx black hair adorned the girls scalp tied back into a ponytail which her uncle and only kin disapproved of greatly. He argued any free-flowing strands were nothing but a hazard to be taken advantage of and would sooner see his niece bald. The girl however, rebelled against the notion, her hair being the only source of control she had and wouldn¡¯t give up a single lock without a fight. Any onlookers, especially of the gaunt cloaked variety, observing her would be met with the image of a woman on the cusp of maturity with an angelic warrior¡¯s appearance like a Valkyrie. This image would quickly be shattered when her usual scowl etched its way onto her face and a rough angry voiced escaped her lips.


    ¡°YOU SON OF A- I SWEAR TO ALL THAT IS DIVINE I WILL- ¡°


    Tossing a rock far into the distance, the warrior named Valerie cursed several more times at nothing and everything to vent out her frustrations. Grip, focus, release. Grip, focus, release. Grip, focus, release. Her uncle¡¯s instructions rang through her head adding to her unspent fury. Grip the handle, focus on the target, release at the apex of her throw. It was all that simple he would say.


    ¡°And yet I can¡¯t flipping reach the DIVINE BE DAMNED TREE!¡±


    She screamed at the broken stump who would have returned the verbal lashing with its own vitriol tenfold if it could. Attempt after attempt ended with her practice knives smacking uselessly against the bark. At five metres she landed most of her throws, ten metres was less ideal, but she was still sinking a respectable number of the blades into the tree. Fifteen metres on the other hand was somehow proving impossible. If her goal for today¡¯s training was to hit around the target, then she would be a virtuoso by now.


    Releasing a frustrated breath, Valerie trudged towards the stump and gathered up her training tools, giving the decaying wood a frankly unnecessary kick for good measure. Several of the knives were already showing signs of wear and would be useless to her. This only added to her boiling temper, she recalled watching her uncle land throws from more than forty metres and not even one was chipped. If she could just call on the power inside her, the task would be trivial, but her uncle forbade it. What was the use in training her core skills if she used an easy handicap? Ultimately, she agreed, this wasn¡¯t a chore, it was training and short cuts never helped anyone improve.


    Walking back to her starting position, Valerie dropped a bundle of knives gripping one between her thumb and index finger. She set her stance, focused on the target and took several deep breaths finding a sense of calm. She slowly reared her right hand back and, with considerable might, tossed the knife straight and true. The blade spun brilliantly through the air like a bird gliding amongst the clouds. Unfortunately, the bird was deaf, dumb and blind flying towards certain doom in a similar fashion to how Valerie¡¯s knife flew right over the stump landing far into the treeline. Exploding with curses yet again, Valerie spewed unladylike venom at the tree stump, her uncle and everything she could set her eyes on. The teenage girl let her anger fly like the dagger sent beyond the clearing¡¯s boundary almost missing her sole audience members raucous applause.


    Valerie¡¯s fit was cut short, snapping her gaze at the noisy bush where her knife landed, she tried to find the source of the sound. She reached behind her back and rested her right hand on the sheathed hunting knife, her eyes laser focused on the now silent shrubbery. Leaning down, she blindly gathered up the remaining throwing knives and listened intently for signs anything or anyone was trying to sneak up. An errant thought, a moments distraction, entered her mind and she grit her teeth in anger.


    ¡°Uncle if this is another of your ¡°tests¡± I swear to all that is divine I am not in the mood for it right now.¡±


    It would not be the first time he pulled such a stunt to test her awareness much to Valerie¡¯s annoyance. No sound or sudden reveal followed, not surprising, her uncle promised more than once that he would not pull such a prank anymore and then did it anyway. That man was as no nonsense as you could get yet had a sick sense of humour when it came to training. Something was off however, typically her uncle would have pounced by now, sprung a trap she never knew was there or create a new diversion causing Valerie to split her focus and be taken by surprise. Yet, nothing happened, it was eerily quiet. Swinging her left arm, Valerie casually threw one of her knives towards the bush. It was not meant to be a precise toss, but surprisingly she landed a blow all the same. From out of the silence an odd and crackly voice unmistakenly said ¡®ow¡¯.


    Valerie froze for a second, confused at the nature of her uncle¡¯s latest trick. The voice did not sound like him at all it was too meek, high pitched and feminine. Could he have paid off a bystander from some distant town or hamlet to be a distraction? Who in their right mind would travel this far for a few coins? Valerie shook her head and readied herself again, this is exactly the kind of ploy he would use to test her, nothing was off the table when it came to that lunatic. The stalemate with the talking bush lasted a few more seconds as Valerie waited for any follow up or big reveals. She would no doubt receive some reprimand for not accounting for every possibility, but she learned to tune out her uncles¡¯ lectures for the most part. Drawing a deep breath, Valerie spoke loud and clear to the intruder.


    ¡°I know you¡¯re there! You can come out now! I don¡¯t care what my uncle paid you or what you get out of this but the games over!¡±


    Nothing, no further movement or sounds followed her declaration. A chill slowly crawled up Valerie¡¯s spine as she realized just how unnaturally quiet it had become. Except for her own breathing, no sound entered or exited the clearing not even the distant sound of birds dared venture any closer. There was also something wrong with her vision, the area around the bush was strangely dark in the afternoon sun and her eyes kept slipping off or trying to shift away. Was this some new trap her uncle had concocted? Or maybe a spell? Deciding this farce was done she raised her voice once again demanding the intruder¡¯s full attention.


    ¡°ENOUGH! SHOW YOURSELF NOW OR I WILL DRAG YOU OUT!¡±


    A single heartbeat later, a figure in a tattered cloak shot up from the shrubbery shocking Valerie who unconsciously stepped back from the sudden appearance of the hooded stranger. It was difficult to tell specifics due to the distance, but the newcomer appeared smaller than Valerie by about a foot. Their hands were raised in a sign of surrender, the exposed palms appearing physically human although one was slick with blood from a fresh cut. A trickle of pride filled Valerie at not just hitting the person before her but managing to cut them too. The strangeness of the situation overtook all else, however. No matter how hard she tried, she couldn¡¯t make out the figures shape beneath their cloak or the hood obscuring their face which appeared to obscure more than she believed it rightly should. Something about the darkness around them seemed to cling to the cloak unsettling her further. Dragging the hunting knife out of its sheath, Valerie prepared against any assault from this strange person feeling the magic within her veins surge to life. The intruder didn¡¯t react, standing completely still with their hands raised high awaiting further orders. Valerie pointed her weapon at the invader and spoke up.


    ¡°Who or what are you?¡±


    Across the clearing the cloaked girl knew she was in trouble. She had just wanted to watch this person throw hunks of metal at the tree stump, it was not the highest form of entertainment, but it was something to pass the time. She spent a good twenty-minutes kneeling beyond the clearing, watching enraptured at the person throw knives at the stump, miss, yell out in frustration then repeat the process. It was almost funny, but she knew better than to laugh when someone was at work. The girl¡¯s quiet repose was cut short when a knife came hurtling towards her, missing by inches. She wasn¡¯t quite sure where the feeling came from but seeing the impressive throw caused the girl to clap in admiration, an action she sorely regretted. Realizing her mistake, the girl dropped to the ground and tried with all her will power to turn invisible. It didn¡¯t work.


    Laying against the dirt once again, the girl did her best unassuming rock impression, ignoring the other ones demands. Her home didn¡¯t have many other girls her age and certainly none as ferocious as that one. The girl hoped the angry knife thrower would give up and go back to the game, a hope that was dashed as another blade landed directly on her exposed hand eliciting a cry of pain.


    Now here she was caught red handed (literally) and at the mercy of her captor but perhaps she could turn the tide in her favour. The girl thought back to her Papa¡¯s stories of heroes and villains, the heroes would always make a grand announcement when asked just who they were. Having her own name demanded of her was somewhat similar and who was she to break tradition? Building her courage, the girl drudged up all the strength she had left for what could only be called the most stupendous introduction that had ever taken place in that forest. Lowering her hands, the girl sucked at the blood on her palm using the moisture to sooth her throat and painting her face redder in the process. As if the universe was encouraging her, a gust of wind blew through the clearing flipping the girls hood back to reveal a mess of golden hair adorning a pale bloodied face. Reaching deep within her gut the girl spoke as loud and proud as she could muster.


    ¡°My names Samantha!¡±


    The girl threw her cloak open and stretched her arms wide summoning a power she was still learning the ins and outs of. Tendrils of darkness snaked out of the gloom surrounding the girl and forming a protective legion of wriggling black tentacles.


    ¡°¡­ and I have the aspect of Shadow!¡±

 Knife to meet you

    In an uninteresting forest full of uninteresting trees and uninteresting creatures a wholly out of place interesting man was chopping wood. James, never Jimmy, was a tall if a bit lanky man with a short, well maintained, crop of greying brunette hair matching his expertly cut beard. He wore simple cloth trousers and an old tunic across his chest that doubled as a sweat rag most days. He busied his days tending to his simple homestead and ensuring her and his niece were well taken care of. It was late into the year and the cold season was due to blanket his home any day now, thus he was out chopping wood to keep his fair abode warm. It was a modest wooden cabin made from timber he himself had cut down in that very same forest including one abnormally large tree. There was a river of clean fresh water running alongside the cabin and enough clear open space to allow for quite the soiree or barbecue. Shamefully, no such party had ever occurred as the secluded cabin was intended to be his safe house, an escape from any unwanted attention or a retreat for important individuals. It was never meant to be a permanent accommodation, yet it had been for over for far too long.


    James dropped his axe cleanly splitting a log in two, the cleanly cut pieces added to a rapidly expanding pile. The simple task allowed his mind to wander and reflect on his life, a pastime he found himself doing more often as of late. It was a peaceful life he shared with his niece Valerie, a safe life, which was all he truly cared about. Some days he wished he could stay here chopping wood and play the quiet woodsman act forever, a serene and uneventful existence. Unfortunately, fate and the divine did not give people like him or his niece uneventful existences. That¡¯s why he trained her, taught her all the martial lessons he could and tried to instil a fair sense of right and wrong. He hoped it would be enough, every day she grew older, stronger, more infuriating and more desperate to leave. Once he caught her staring into the horizon, no destination or goal in sight, she simply wanted to leave, to escape their monotonous life and find her own path. It absolutely terrified him. Raising and dropping his axe, he failed to cut a misshapen log, his harried thoughts sapping at his concentration.


    Resting his tool against his shoulder, James stared towards the setting sun as it disappeared below the tree line and pondered a truth he battled with daily, one he failed to find any alternatives for. Whatever path his niece took she was bound to face people and events he could never prepare her for. Like any parent, direct or not, he believed, or rather he knew she was meant for something bigger than all of this, it was obvious the morning she was born and every day since. The thought crushed a little more of his soul each time it crept into his mind, what he wouldn¡¯t give to see his last remaining family kept safe from the horrors and expectations of the world. Shoving his worries to the back of his mind with a shake of his head, James hefted his axe once again set to split another log.


    A tumult from behind halted the man mid chop. Every muscle in his body tensed on instinct and he prepared to hurl his axe at the would-be attacker. Years of conditioning and honing his skills were almost put on full display for the first time in years until he heard shouts from his niece. Letting out a deep breath that did little to quell his nerves, he set his axe down and turned to greet Valerie.


    ¡°What¡¯s the ruckus? Run¡­ out of¡­ knives?¡±


    James was momentarily dumb struck upon seeing Valerie mid sprint hefting a large sack on her shoulder. It looked like a sack atleast, the blood dripping from one end was mildly concerning however. At his request, Valerie left at the crack of dawn to hunt rabbits or some other game for their supper, ofcourse he fully expected her to forgo the request and focus on her marksmanship. She found whatever avenue she could to defy his requests, no matter how petty it became. It was alright, James thought, after he finished chopping wood, he planned on surprising her training with another reaction test then they would both go hunting after she inevitably failed the test. Seeing her return of her own volition with a sack of something was surprising, maybe she was beginning to see her uncle¡¯s lectures were worth listening to and would follow his requests again? Such delusions would go unfulfilled with Valerie¡¯s hurried words as she ran past her kin.


    ¡°Emergency! We got to go!¡±


    James watched his niece race into the cabin, nearly breaking the door off its hinges in the process. Like a deer in headlights, he stood gobsmacked as his mind went into overdrive imagining all the world-shattering scenarios that could get his niece riled up. Dropping the axe, he chased after Valerie entering their home in time to watch everything on their dining table be tossed to the floor. She set down the sack revealing it was some old, tattered cloak with a bloodied unconscious girl inside. James¡¯s confusion grew as he scanned his niece¡¯s catch of the day. The girl was gaunt, shockingly pale, had dried blood flaking off her face, an open wound on her hand, shoulder and nose as well as a large bruise forming on her cheek. Leaning over James rested his hand against the girl feeling for warmth and faintly made out the sound of her ragged breathing. Despite their guests terrible condition, James could only concern himself with the fact someone other than himself and his niece walked these woods. He patrolled the forest more than anyone and knew there were no other homes or settlements nearby. The closest town would take two days of uninterrupted hiking to reach across uneven terrain, which is exactly why James built his cabin here. Questions he wouldn¡¯t like the answer to race through his mind until his niece¡¯s worried voice brought him back to reality.This narrative has been purloined without the author''s approval. Report any appearances on Amazon.


    ¡°JAMES PLEASE!¡±


    Glancing up, James only now realised how distraught his niece was, she never used his name unless it was truly serious. Yet another petulant show of defiance which he tolerated not letting her see how hurt it truly made him feel. The guilt ridden look on her own face however deeply troubled the man as he pieced together the clues. Clearly whatever happened to their guest was his niece¡¯s doing but what part she played he would need to learn later, and he would get the whole truth out of her no matter what. Leaving the table, James fished out a roll of clean cloth from a cabinet and tossed the bundle to his niece. She just barely caught the bandages, her thoughts scattered as her eyes darted between the girl, her uncle and her own shaky hands.


    ¡°Remove any clothes covering her wounds and apply pressure where you can. I¡¯m going to grab water to clean the cuts.¡±


    James rapidly announced, his tone briefly braking his niece out of whatever panic she suffered from. He grabbed a bucket from the cabinet and rushed back out of the house towards the river. After the filling the pail, James sped back into the cabin, without spilling a drop, to find his niece struggling with covering the girl¡¯s wounds. Mentally adding a refresher on first aid training to her daily chores, James took over caring for their patient. After several trips to the river and changing more than a few deep red bandages, the pair finally staunched the bleeding. James carefully carried the wounded girl into his room and set her on top of his bed, there was no point dirtying his nieces sheets for the time being. Not like it mattered as they were doubtless to be getting any sleep with today¡¯s events. After ensuring their guest was comfortable, James walked back into their kitchen/ dining room, finding Valerie still at the disgraced table twiddling with one of her throwing knives. He hadn¡¯t voiced his thoughts at the time but finding one of the blades embedded in the girl¡¯s thigh was the last thing he expected nor wanted to see. Sitting across from his niece, he snatched the blade from her hand and rested his arms on the table. Breathing deep he spoke like a general addressing his men.


    ¡°Answers. I want them now and without missing a single detail.¡±


    His niece tried to put on a confident face and speak of the afternoon¡¯s events objectively, but it was a poor the fa?ade. Despite all her bluster, Valerie was still a child and hadn¡¯t developed the emotional walls she needed in that moment. The afternoons events were relayed to the best of Valerie¡¯s recollection. She described how she had gone against her uncle¡¯s instructions to train her knife throwing skills again. The injured girl, Samantha, had shown up already in a terrible state, made her announcement and then rushed forward with her dark tendrils following closely behind their master. Due to their distance, Valerie was able to assess the situation and reacted swiftly, tossing her hand full of knives at the oncoming rush. She intended to cripple the speed of her assailant however, the black whips surged ahead of Samantha knocking away most of the blade¡¯s. Two did pass through the frenzy, one lodging into her leg and another bouncing off her cloak covered shoulder. James gave his niece a hard disapproving look after hearing the faint pride in her voice at landing two hits on a moving target. When Samantha was less than five meters away, Valerie too leaned into a sprint meeting the charge head on. She expected to fend off the protective tendrils but, when the two were a foot apart the black whips stopped dead unable to continue. Valerie recalled the whips extended from their origin in the tree line some distance, but there must have been a limit that her assailant was unaware of. Free of her protection, Samantha was caught unawares as Valerie¡¯s full force fist collided with the girl¡¯s face. With that single hit the fight was over, Samantha tumbled backwards falling helplessly on the ground completely knocked out. Valerie tried to argue that she didn¡¯t even hit her that hard which James was hearing none of, he knew his niece had a problem holding back. As the minutes dragged on and her opponent remained unmoving, she began to worry she accidentally killed someone which was when Valerie picked up the unconscious girl and raced home.


    James listened to the whole speech never interrupting, barring the occasional stern glare when his niece either purposely or unintentionally downplayed her actions. When the tale concluded, all James could do was slump in his chair and rub his forehead trying to shrink the oncoming migraine. It did not work. The chances anyone would stumble upon their home were slim but somehow Samantha had done it even avoiding all of James early warning traps no less. What rotten luck, James sighed internally. Maybe this was all a bad dream, and he was about to fall out of bed to find his home safe, secure and un-intruded upon. Unfortunately, there was no way he would be that fortuitous, it was like fate had walked up to their door and slapped James in the face. Rising from his seat, he spoke with in a tired voice.


    ¡°I am going to get us some dinner, as you were told to do. You are not to leave this house. Am. I. Clear?¡±


    Valerie did not protest, simply nodding her head, the shock of that afternoon still played havoc on her. A part of James wanted to comfort her, but he wasn¡¯t exactly sure how he could with his own thoughts and emotions out of order. Turning to walk out the door, James flexed his hands and realised he was still clutching onto the knife that had been stuck in Samantha earlier, the blade speckled with her blood. Exiting out of the house, he tossed the knife aside and glared up to the heavens above. He wanted to scream, to rage and shout out his frustrations. Why now? Why her? Why at all? Letting out a long breath, he did not utter a peep and forced his anger down. Rage would do little for him right now, what he needed to clear his head was some nice simple hunting, that always helped focus his thoughts. Returning to his axe, he snatched it off the ground and stalked off into the forest where some beasts were sure to meet a bitter end.


    They weren¡¯t alone however, as the man¡¯s simple life with his niece had come to an abrupt end all thanks to one little girl.

 The Great Escape

    Samantha was in pain, to be fair she had been in pain for most of her life but right now was definitely within the top ten most painful. Had she been conscious even a second longer during her ill-fated fight she may have concluded the unrestrained and unnecessarily harsh punch to the face mixed with her extreme hunger, thirst, sore feet, multiples cuts and finally a knifed jabbed into her leg was in fact the most painful event she had ever experienced. Fortunately sweet, sweet unconsciousness had taken her at the exact moment of impact.


    She was no doubt in absolute agony, yet the pain was strangely less than expected. Had she finally done the impossible? Had she found a way to turn off her nerves, ignore fatigue and become truly pain free? That would definitely have made her walk through the woods much more bearable. Shifting her head slightly proved her delusions wrong as a torturous agony tore through her entire body causing her to weakly cry out. Welp, concluded Samantha, this isn¡¯t fun, not one bit. At least the dirt she was sprawled upon was comfortable, softer than normal in fact, not to mention her cloak was several times thicker and warmer. If this was dying, then it was far more luxurious than she imagined. It was however an incredibly boring death, dying in the heat of battle, now that is where it¡¯s at. Charging into the knife throwing girl seemed like such an epic moment in her exhaustion addled brain. She imagined gracefully dodging or parrying each strike with her shadows before snatching victory with a powerful strike of some sort. Kicking was out of the question she couldn¡¯t lift her feet very high especially not after being stabbed. Punching was also a no go what with the cut on her hand. Perhaps a headbutt? People back home said she was dumb as a rock, so maybe her head had the properties of one. Samantha imagined numerous scenarios where she may have won her first real fight to the enamoured applause of no one until a sound to her side broke the illusion of death.


    For the first time since waking she realised, she wasn¡¯t laid out slowly dying on the hard earth as her final resting place. Instead, she was on some soft, cushioned and warm whatchamacallit. Her wounds were also in a lot better shape although they still throbbed and caused her head to hurt. Peaking her eyes open, she was first met with the sight of a wooden ceiling illuminated by flickering candlelight. She watched the lights dance along the beams above her with wonder while trying to piece together where she was. A slight cough to her right caused Samantha to twist her head, which only shot more arrows of pain throughout her body contributing to the torment she wilfully ignored. There was a man sitting in a chair, fiddling with some leather thing she couldn¡¯t make out. More importantly was the steaming bowl resting between them on a high table. Its aroma captured her, there was something so tantalizingly pungent and delectable about the bowls contents.


    Samantha¡¯s eyes flickered from the man to the bowl and back again while trying to judge if this was yet another cruel torture tactic. He reminded her of one of the guards back home, he was tall with a hard face and a wide torso that seemed to make any shirt he wore ill-fitting at best and borderline obscene at worst. The bowl of mystery goop however, was so close she could reach out and touch it if not for her exhausted barely functional arms. She felt moisture build in her mouth and let it slowly dribble into the soft thing beneath her head. What she wouldn¡¯t give to be some kind of long necked, yellow and brown spotted quadruped so she could reach over and have a taste. Samantha had to admit, she wasn¡¯t familiar with animals in general but even that mental image was quite frankly absurd and could never exist.


    ¡°It¡¯s hot, you¡¯ll have to wait a little bit longer.¡±


    The main said without looking at Samantha. She froze her distracted thoughts shattered and her full attention brought back to the broad man.


    ¡°My niece wanted to be here and watch over you, but it is my home, and you are my guest for the time being. I allowed her to give you something to drink while you slept. You very much needed it and nearly finished a whole buckets worth of water.¡±


    He said with a light chuckle, mirth tinging his voice, yet did not reach his eyes. He stared at her, trying to find something she couldn¡¯t begin to understand. Swallowing hard, Samantha chocked out the first thing she could think to say.


    ¡°Did¡­ did I win?¡±


    The man¡¯s jaw dropped; he blinked rapidly trying to understand the question until his eyes grew wide as the dots connected. He loudly slapped his knee and let out a hearty laugh that filled room. The jolly guffaw lasted a few seconds the man wiping a tear from his eye confusing Samantha. She wasn¡¯t quite sure, but assumed the answer was no she hadn¡¯t won. This time that is, there was always next time if she was alive to enact her revenge. Future plans aside, why would this man offer food, water, and a comfy thing if she lost against whoever this ¡®my niece¡¯ was? Could he be an idiot? A knock came from the door and the man¡¯s laughter slowly died down. He rose to exit the room, lingering in the door way to look over Samantha, his expression unreadable, before closing the door behind him. Samantha could barely make out muffled words coming from the other side but what they were discussing she couldn¡¯t begin to guess.


    It didn¡¯t really matter, this was her chance, her moment to escape, she did it once and could do it again. Summoning all her might she commanded her body to leap out of the confines of this soft prison and scurry out the nearest exit. On the count of three she would move.Stolen from its rightful author, this tale is not meant to be on Amazon; report any sightings.


    ¡°One. Two. Three!¡±


    With all the strength in her body Samantha successfully lifted a single finger before giving up, completely exhausted. Catching her breath, she counted down again and produced even better results, a whole foot twitched this time. The process continued several more times, each attempt bearing more fruitful results. By the eighth try, she had lifted her head off the all-encompassing softness and was able to keep it air borne for a good five seconds. The agonizingly long rest period that followed each successful escape attempt seemed to grow longer as well, however.


    Letting her head fall back while gasping for air, Samantha turned to gaze longingly at the bowl again. It wasn¡¯t steaming anymore but that tantalizing smell persisted. If only she could reach over and get a handful of gruel, then she could find the strength to wrestle out of her current predicament and perhaps even take on her captors. A thought sprang to mind seeing the flickering candlelight illuminate the bowl and a mysterious metal object set beside it. A wicked grin stretched across the girl¡¯s face; freedom would soon be hers.


    Valerie seated herself at the recently cleaned dining table with her uncle sat opposite her. Ever since returning from his hunt, he refused to look directly at her, not even a glance. It didn¡¯t make sense, she was the one who disobeyed her uncle¡¯s orders and brought trouble home, so why did he look like the guilty one? She scolded herself once again for her stupid actions, if she had just gone out hunting like he asked none of this would have happened. But then what would have happened to Samantha? She looked to be on deaths door, ready to fall over the threshold and Valerie may have accidentally pushed her over the edge. She wished with every fibre of her being that Samantha would be alright. She couldn¡¯t help but imagine all the worst possible scenarios the least of which would be being forced to bury they first person she had seen in, well, ever. What if she never met another living soul? What if her and her uncle moved somewhere else, even more remote and sealed away. What if she missed her chance to escape yet again? Before she could panic any further, her uncle turned to face her directly with a stone-cold expression.


    ¡°I¡¯ve made a decision about¡­ our guest.¡±


    The out of the blue statement ripped Valerie from her self-loathing however it only caused her heart to beat ever faster. She knew her uncle had secrets and wasn¡¯t just a simple woodsman, the training she underwent was obvious enough but the way he held himself and how his head always seemed to be on a swivel ready for anything told a story Valerie wasn¡¯t quite sure she was ready to hear. Her uncle¡¯s words hung in the air for a moment before Valerie nodded knowing there was nothing she could do if he decided to ¡®take care of¡¯ Samantha. Sucking in a tired breath James continued.


    ¡°We are going to look after that girl and watch over her until she is in better health. When she is fit and able to walk again, I am going to offer her¡­ a choice.¡±


    Valerie was dumbstruck, she was sure her uncle would take the easier permanent option. Everything they had done for Samantha so far was reactionary, just the simple instinct to help another person in need. Questions formed and fell on Valerie¡¯s tongue as she tried to understand, until finally finding the perhaps not right thing to say.


    ¡°I¡­ I don¡¯t get it, I thought you¡­ well, you would¡­ um, you know?¡±


    She regretted her words immediately as her uncle¡¯s face dropped slightly in shame. The thought did pass through his mind, but there was something he dared not share with his niece, afraid voicing it would only cause the worst to happen. This was possibly only the first of many hints from someone above that it¡¯s time his niece set her out on her own. Snuffing out this possibility would only mean something potentially far worse would come along instead and in the end his niece would be no better off. While he accepted the cards fate dealt him, James was unwilling to play them without fixing the game in his favour. Presenting a clearly fake smile, he attempted to mollify his niece¡¯s worries.


    ¡°I¡¯m not a monster, she¡¯s no older than you and I won¡¯t be the kind of person who didn¡¯t at least try to help someone else. I¡¯m going to make sure that girl can leave this house healthy and ready to get wherever she needs to be.¡±


    He was not going to voice his concerns about Valerie¡¯s place in this world, afraid once again it would simply force events into motion. Before his days hiding out at the cabin, he was a rare specimen amongst his peers; wholeheartedly believing fate played a bigger hand in people¡¯s lives than anyone truly knew. He was often mocked for thinking like a priest, utterly devoted to the divine who governed all aspects of their world. No doubt his niece would take after her mother and think less of him for it as well. Valerie rested her elbows on the table while cupping her chin, she thought about her uncle¡¯s words before voicing another question.


    ¡°What decision are you going to give her?¡±


    ¡°Not your concern.¡±


    James answered immediately, the sudden dismissive tone completely derailing Valerie. All the anxiety she felt up to this point was replaced with righteous teenage fury. Her face twisted back into her usual scowl, a welcome sight for James as it had been missing for most of the evening.


    ¡°What does that even mean? ¡®Not my concern¡¯. I brought her here I should be allowed to be involved!¡±


    Valerie demanded with indignation. Standing up straight, James towered over his niece and laid down the law.


    ¡°No, it doesn¡¯t. You brought this problem into our home, and you will help to fix it, but what I am going to offer that girl is for her alone to decide. If you knew you would only try to influence her decision, and I will NOT have that.¡±


    The two family members locked eyes, unwavering in their own ideas of what was right. James ultimately ended the feud, turning towards to his new guest room while talking back to his niece.


    ¡°This is final, if you want to help that girl then check on her, clean her wounds, replace her bandages and¡­¡±


    He swallowed a lump in his throat, his next statement may prove the most crucial or perhaps detrimental.


    ¡°¡­ be a friend. I¡¯m guessing that girl could use one.¡±


    Ofcourse the truth was his niece was the one in real need of a friend and they both knew it. Depending on Samantha¡¯s choice she could very well be a good influence on his niece and help to abate some of her wild tendencies. At that moment, a crash and a yelp rang out from the guest room causing both James and Valerie to rush in. What they found was Samantha face down on the hard wood flooring with spilled soup across the bed and a shadowy tendril gripping a spoon menacingly in their direction. Muffled by the floor Samantha spoke with the almighty fury of a psychiatric patient after being told they cannot eat the crayons.


    ¡°Stand back! I¡¯m armed!¡±


    James looked up to the ceiling and wondered who up there decided this was the best sign for his niece to leave the nest.

 Interview with an escapee

    Samantha found herself in the unenviable position of being confined to a ¡°bed¡± to recover. It had taken her captors a long time to explain the concept of a bed, but she eventually got it. It was like a sleeping sack but for the extremely wealthy. Her own cloak had once been a sleeping sack, well her own and her Papa¡¯s who had sown the two together for her to have a little more comfort during lights out. If he could see her now, what would he say? Would he come to her rescue or negotiate with her jailers? Samantha contemplated this question as she struggled against the straps and belts used to tie her down. After her fifth escape attempt, they decided to reduce the risk of injury and keep the girl contained at all times. In her weakened state her shadows weren¡¯t strong enough to break the straps or unfasten the buckles. That did not stop her however as she mentally commanded a shadow tendril wielding a spoon to grind away at her constraints. What fools her jailers were, they fed her the admittedly delicious gruel the first few days and then allowed her to feed herself for the remainder of her imprisonment. They had no idea she was stockpiling her strength for her biggest escape attempt yet. She could feel it, the strap was mere moments from breaking. Once that was done, she would have her freedom!


    James watched his house guest laugh maniacally to herself and command a whispy tentacle of darkness to rub the smooth edge of a spoon against one of his nicer belts. He wasn¡¯t quite sure what she hoped to accomplish having made no progress in the hour she had been sawing away or what she would do about the other five belts if she managed to break the first. It was interesting to watch at the very least, if someone described this scenario as an anecdote or drunken story, he would probably laugh at the absurdity, but sitting right next to Samantha as she was laser focused on her next escape only perplexed James further. He had so many questions for this girl and wasn¡¯t sure he would get a single answer that wasn¡¯t complete insanity. Valerie did previously attempt to interrogate the girl following her first escape and for most of the following day, yet a week later and Samantha hadn¡¯t said a single word to his niece only glaring when she entered the room. Valerie had all but given up communicating and instead helped take care of the girl¡¯s daily needs that her uncle couldn¡¯t or shouldn¡¯t assist with. Otherwise, she busied herself with gathering provisions and hunting game showing real care and responsibility perhaps as a way to atone for her recklessness. Focusing on the mark still bright and plain on his guest face, James hoped the two¡¯s contentious relationship wouldn¡¯t spell the end to a potential friendship before it even had a chance to blossom.


    Despite the fading bruises and deeps cut, Samantha was much improved compared to the ghost of a girl they had met a week ago. Likely in no small part thanks to her ¡°gift¡± and all the wondrous, terrible benefits it bestowed. Where once was a deathly pale complexion and sunken cheeks, a bit of colour and shape began to appear again. She was still a skeletal fright that was one bad gust away from crumpling into dust. All this could be improved over time yet, there was one thing about her that unsettled James that he doubted any level of care could correct. It didn¡¯t matter what time of day it was or if they held a candle up to her face no light seemed to reflect from her eyes. Whenever he managed to catch a glimpse a shudder would travel down his spine from the utterly devoid of life pitch black voids that were her iris and pupils. Although he wasn¡¯t an expert on magic, James guessed it was a product of her power but it would cause such a change he couldn¡¯t say. As if on cue, James was brought back to reality by that very same power dropping the spoon to rattle against the floor.


    James looked to the spoon then at Samantha who copied his motion. Staring into the pair of empty abysses surrounded by murky white sent goosebumps running up and down James arms. Breaking eye contact, Samantha reached for the spoon with her shadow tendril, the barely arms length wisp of magic unable to stretch far enough. The scene reminded James of when Valerie had been younger and tried to grab things off the dining table or a high shelf, always just out of beyond her grasp which infuriated his niece to no end. Smiling nostalgically, he knelt out of his seat and picked up the spoon before setting it back on the bed beside Samantha who immediately used her shadow to snatch it up and begin hacking away once again. Letting out a long sigh, James sat back in his seat and addressed the jailbird.


    ¡°Listen Samantha, as entertaining as this is, I don¡¯t think you¡¯re going to get anywhere. I¡¯ll make you a deal: I¡¯ll take off one of the belts if you promise to answer some of my questions.¡±A case of literary theft: this tale is not rightfully on Amazon; if you see it, report the violation.


    Samantha¡¯s botched escape halted as she glared at James before immediately resuming answering his offer in a quiet unsteady voice.


    ¡°You¡¯re just trying to trick me. I¡¯ll get out and when I do you and¡­ you will wish I hadn¡¯t!¡±


    James dragged his hand across his face and let out a groan. Both he and Valerie had told Samantha their names multiple times, yet she either refused to remember or was too gone with the fairies to recall anything beyond her own name. Changing tactics, James made a new proposal upon recalling the stack of empty bowls this girl made on the daily.


    ¡°Very well, then how about this? You answer my questions, and I¡¯ll bring you some more stew.¡±


    Samantha stopped once again staring hard at James. Squinting her eyes she took the bait.


    ¡°Two bowls.¡±


    ¡°Deal.¡±


    James answered without a second thought. Any chance to get the slightest bit of information out of this riddle was worth it. Ofcourse, answering a question did not stop his guest form continuing her doomed escape, the sound of her spoon scraping against the belt persisting and unwavering. Sitting forward, James began with what he believed the most prudent questions were.


    ¡°Apologies for my language but, who the bloody hell are you? Where did you come from? How did you get here?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m Samantha. I came from the mine. I walked. Okay, stew time.¡±


    James fell back against his seat again, annoyed with himself. Ofcourse she wouldn¡¯t elaborate or give meaningful answers. The part about the mine was new but not very informative. It was a start however and you had to follow a lead when it was presented to you.


    ¡°I¡¯ll get you your stew, but my questions aren¡¯t done. What is the mine? Where is the mine?¡±


    Samantha was about to state the obvious when she stopped. Bringing her spoon up to her chin, she scratched absent mindedly while looking off at nowhere in particular. What was the mine? She never really questioned it, just dug deep and transported some fancy rocks every now and then. As for where, what was she a cartographer? It was way over there in whoknowsville right by I-don¡¯t-know Valley. That likely wouldn¡¯t go over well with her warden, so might as well be honest.


    ¡°I dunno, a place? Why, have you never been?¡±


    Samantha suddenly looked at James differently, a thought entering her head.


    ¡°Were¡­ were you not in the mine? Were you one of the guards?!¡±


    She asked with curiosity and suspicion turning her spoon to point menacingly at James. The older man pondered this question before answering.


    ¡°No? I am not a guard for the mine, and I never have been. I have lived here with my niece for quite a few years.¡±


    Samantha¡¯s face relaxed and she turned back to her activity, content she heard no lies. James stewed on this odd revelation. There were no mines in the area as far as he was aware. The closest settlement was a farm stead and the one after that was tiny fishing hut. He could keep asking Samantha about this supposed mine and why it would need guards or why she looked so apprehensive at the idea he was one. Clearly though she was more interested in her task and further questions were pointless for the time being. A part of him wanted to ask if she had any family or people who were looking for her, but the state she was in painted a bleak picture. Rising to grab his promised reward, James stopped at the door and turned to asked Samantha one last question.


    ¡°Samantha, what do you want out of life?¡±


    It turned around in his mind relentlessly, if this person was here to influence his niece best to know she wasn¡¯t out to do anything outrageous like get revenge against the mine or something to that effect. Samantha slowly ceased her escape attempt to look at James and then past him towards the door to the outside world. Papa¡¯s words and wishes sprang forth and she spoke without a hint of weariness, suspicion, or malice.


    ¡°I want to see the world before I die.¡±


    Blinking rapidly James soaked in her words before nodding and exiting the room. Grabbing a pair of bowls and ladling out a hearty helping from the pot above the hearth, James smiled to himself. There was no escaping this girl would bring about a change in his niece and if it meant she too could see the world, well that was fine by him.


    Later that night, after everyone had gone to bed, James was struggling to sleep yet again. He built the chair he currently used as a makeshift bed and once had been proud of it. Now, however, after being relegated as his new sleeping area, he was finding all sorts of issues with it. Without much else to do he thought on Samantha¡¯s words and decided it would be worthwhile to venture out and try to find this mine. He might be gone for some time scouring the woods, but he was sure Valerie would be fine to take care of Samantha.


    The door to his former room opened as his trapped guest walked out yawning and headed for the hearth where that night¡¯s leftovers were left to simmer in a pot. She ladled out a helpful portion before sleepily returning to her room. A gobsmacked James watching from his seat as she scarfed down the food and then slid herself back into the series of belts restraining her and began lightly snoring. On second thought, maybe James would delay any departures until he figured out what exactly was going on with his house guest.

 Samanthas Choice

    After more than two weeks at their home, Samantha was much improved with a few of her shallower wounds already healed. With her restored health, James allowed Samantha to leave solitary confinement with the understanding if she fled or attempted to harm either him or his niece she would be returned to the bed with ever more constraints put in place. Where these bindings would come from he didn¡¯t say and didn¡¯t have a plan for, but thankfully the threat worked. Not that she saw it as much of a threat already well accustomed to being locked up for days on end, but the addition of a soft bed and regular delicious meals was too good a deal to pass up. She also didn¡¯t exactly have anywhere else to go and wandering that infuriatingly bleak forest was the last thing she wanted right now, at least not until she had bested its knife wielding guardian. There was still an uneasy tension between Samantha and Valerie, the two could eat at the same table without going for each others throats but any real friendship forming was far off much to James¡¯s dismay. There was however a dangling thread of a possible bond as Samantha enjoyed watching Valerie train or clean and prepare a fresh kill, the morbid curiosity she displayed conveniently ignored by her overseer. James would take whatever progress he could, which was why he decided now was the best time to put his plan into action.


    The three cohabitants sat at the dining table finishing up a decently prepared and filling rabbit stew. Samantha still sported a few bandages across her slight frame although the rags she arrived in had been replaced with some of Valerie¡¯s childhood clothes. She refused to part with her cloak however, wearing it at all times even while she bathed or slept. It was not the strangest sight to James as his niece regularly wore her training gear from dawn till dusk and had somehow napped in the less than comfortable attire on more than one occasion. Peering at the two inappropriately dressed girls, he couldn¡¯t help but think yet again that they had more in common than either would admit. Both were fundamentally orphans, had little to no social skills choosing violence as their first greeting and an absolutely voracious appetite, where they packed it all away who could say. Believing this calm atmosphere the best possible time to discuss important matters, James loudly coughed addressing the table.


    ¡°I believe it¡¯s time we discussed your situation, Samantha. Valerie you are excused to your training.¡±


    The look he gave his niece let her know it wasn¡¯t up for debate, and he didn¡¯t care what she did as long as she was out of the house for the time being. Staring daggers at her uncle, Valerie left the table and stormed off outside the cabin. She briefly lingering in the doorway, a complicated expression on her face, unseen by Samantha or James before she disappeared. The topic of discussion picked up none of the subtle and obvious undertones the two family members displayed, instead focusing on a remaining piece of her meal that refused to catch on her fork. Clearing his throat again Samantha¡¯s attention finally broke from the scraps, her unsettling gaze focusing on James. Although he rehearsed this speed many times, he couldn¡¯t help but fumble at the penetrating stare.


    ¡°Samantha, you have been with us for some time, and we have¡­ endured your company.¡±


    Smooth James, he thought reprimanding himself. She wasn¡¯t exactly bad company to have, confusing, befuddling, an enigma wrapped in a riddle with a pinch of puzzle perhaps but not a terrible house guest. In many respects, she reminded James of Valerie when she was a child, so innocent but infuriating to handle. It didn¡¯t help he eventually figured out she was indeed around the same age as his niece if possibly a year younger. Samantha had little to no clue what the date was let alone her own birthday, yet she knew unquestionably she was around fifteen years old. The knowledge was a remnant from her time in the mine and one of the last present gifted to her by her Papa alongside her cherished cloak. She didn¡¯t speak about much, but on occasion Samantha would bring up her father and all the things he taught her. From what little James had been able to eek out about the man he sounded very similar to himself; a lone guardian whose charge became his world. Yet another commonality that seemed far too convenient for his liking, almost like someone was trying to force these two girls together through shared experience. These thoughts weren¡¯t helping, it only made Samantha a more sympathetic and confusing girl, James needed to be objective here.Stolen from its rightful place, this narrative is not meant to be on Amazon; report any sightings.


    ¡°What I mean is, We¡­ I¡­ well¡­¡±


    Which was proving far harder than he thought it would. Thinking about taking charge of what fate had dealt him was one thing, actually doing it was another altogether. Breathing deep, James hurriedly announced his plan before his nerves got the better of him.


    ¡°I want to give you a choice, it¡¯s very important and I am afraid I cannot wait for an answer it has to be now.¡±


    Samantha blinked; no emotion evident on her face while the deep black of her eyes bore deeper James. What he wouldn¡¯t give to be anywhere else right now, fighting a monster was preferrable to this stressful situation. Shrugging her shoulders and then wincing at the lingering pain, Samantha nodded for James to continue.


    ¡°There is a town some distance from here. It¡¯s not the biggest and may not be the most welcoming to outsiders but it¡¯s a start. I can help direct you there and provide enough food and money for you to start again. Find your own path in life or see the world if you wanted to.¡±


    It was abdicating his responsibilities as her short-term caregiver, but at the end of the day his niece was his priority. He did not add that should Samantha attempt to search for the pair again or lead others to their hiding spot all they would find is an abandoned home and no tracks to pursue them. Fate had led this girl to them, but they didn¡¯t have to play into its hands and whatever came next they would endure. The alternative would likely seal both Samantha and Valerie¡¯s fate, even if they went their separate ways, James knew both girls lives would be inexplicably connected in some way.


    ¡°On the other hand¡­ you can stay. You would have a home, but your goal may be put on the back burner or perhaps never come to fruition. You will also be required to become essentially my pupil and learn to fight. I have trained my niece all her life so that she can protect herself should anything or anyone try to invade our home. If you remain you WILL be forced to undergo the same tutelage that is non-negotiable.¡±


    That was it, leave and never see them again or stay and become entangled in whatever future his niece would have. There was no doubt Valerie was already planning her exit, missing food, long unexplained absences and her mounting dissatisfaction were all the indicators James needed to figure out what his niece was up to. She was too young to foresee the dangers or trust James¡¯s warnings of the outside world. Samantha¡¯s face took on a contemplative expression and she thought over the proposal while cupping her chin. She looked James over, then towards the door Valarie had left through and finally set her sights back on the nearly finished meal before her.


    ¡°Hmmm¡­. Hmmmm? Hmm. Hm, hm, hm.¡±


    Making humming sounds, Samantha playing out an imaginary argument in her head going over the pros and cons, at least James hoped she was. After an agonizing minute, she finally piped up with an answer.


    ¡°Okay, I¡¯ll stay.¡±


    James¡¯s jaw dropped, he spent the better part of a week agonizing over this decision trying to justify every option presented and assuage any guilt he may feel over the options. To have his crucial and possibly life defining offer answered so flippantly reset everything in the man¡¯s mind to zero. Trying to understand Samantha¡¯s reasoning, he stuttered out a reply, enquiring if she was sure and if she understood the implication, the dangers, the back breaking and intense work she would be put under to even come close to Valerie. Samantha answered in a completely unexpected and on brand manner as she lazily rose atop her chair, stood at attention and saluted.


    ¡°Samantha reporting for duty captain. When does training begin?¡±


    James sat at the dining table long after Samantha left to find Valerie, no doubt his niece would end up in a similar position from the girls callous disregard for danger. He would have to restrain himself from making Samantha¡¯s training regimen too extreme, not that he believed she would buckle from the pressure but that he may become too invested in finding the girls breaking point. If she had one that is.

 Training Days

    Samantha¡¯s induction into the James School for Unfortunate Charity Cases began in earnest the moment she was completely healed. Day one started with a light warm up as she was woken up at the crack of dawn and forced to jog around the perimeter of the cabin alongside her teacher and fellow pupil. Two hours of continuous running later and the incredibly meek Samantha was left splayed out on the ground gasping for air while her running mates were raring to go for more. Without giving her a chance to recover, they moved onto their next activity: log curling. It could not be said it was impossible for one to find training weights in the wild woods, just very unlikely. Which is why they made do using large or thick logs for strength training. Valerie easily benched a three metre long and half as thick log while Samantha struggled with a bundle of sticks. James oversaw his pupils efforts while mentally noting their strengths and weaknesses, Samantha had many. As the days training proceeded each task was no different from the last: James and Valerie would excel, the former pacing himself while the latter pushed what she was capable of. Samantha meanwhile struggled time and again to keep up or even make a good show to the extent she might have done better if she called in sick. Just before noon they finally took a break, allowing Samantha the chance to topple over and catch her breath. They could have pushed further into the afternoon but it wasn¡¯t necessary, James had a good grasp on his pupils physical capabilities and could summarize them in three words.


    ¡°She¡¯s bloody awful.¡±


    He mumbled to himself watching his niece goad the borderline tortured girl in a push up contest. In summary, she wasn¡¯t very fast, had little to no stamina, couldn¡¯t lift more than her own body weight and was embarrassingly inept when it came to even the most basic physical exercises. Despite all this she did have her advantages, she was surprisingly resilient for one. After failing to keep a sizable log above her head for even a minute, she mistakenly dropped the substitute dumbbell which landed roughly on her head. Both James and Valerie honestly expected the impact to make a hollow bonk sound and were pleasantly disappointed. The empty headed girl unsurprisingly fell over, somehow ending up under the same log causing her to become pinned helplessly to the ground. When Valerie effortlessly removed the weight, Samantha stood right back up and dusted herself off like nothing had happened. James guessed whatever she endured in her old home either hardened her durability or dulled her sense of pain to an extreme degree. For anyone else it would be an enviable advantage, for the teenage girl it was a mark of the suffering she was put through. A suffering that Samantha seemingly did not care about or notice, even fondly reminiscing on her upbringing at times.


    The other advantage she had was her astounding tenacity when faced with failure after failure, she just did not stop for long and simply kept on going. Valerie started the day cocky and brash always coming out ahead during their many exercises, however as the day went on, she slowly tired while Samantha never stopped even if she was horrible at any given task or received more than a few bumps and bruises. Lastly, Samantha was shockingly good at maintaining her balance, unless physically tripped up she could nearly always stay on her feet. At one point James assigned both Valerie and Samantha to try and perform a handstand. His niece had no problem lifting her own weight but was like an elephant on stilts always teetering and eventually fell over. Samantha meanwhile could stay completely still like an upside-down statue that easily crumbled from her pathetic strength. With the days results, James was slowly starting to piece together an appropriate training regime tailored to his pupil, but there was one last task he needed to give her. A task he would not enjoy but his niece would immensely.


    ¡°Attention! Front and centre!¡±


    He announced sounding like his old drill sergeant. Valerie was up in a flash and standing before James, evidently having a training buddy around her age not only brought out her competitive nature but also a subconscious need for attention. James admonished himself for neglecting his niece for so long while they focused on Samantha¡¯s recovery, ultimately, she was still a child and needed equal treatment. His other pupil sidled up, tired beyond belief but unrelenting in her determination as she stood side by side with her classmate. With the trainees assembled, James laid out their afternoons mission.


    ¡°You¡¯ve both done very well today, but it¡¯s not enough to be physically fit. You have to be smarter and above all better than the competition no matter who or what they may be.¡±


    He ignored the visible tremors of excitement his niece displayed, this wasn¡¯t the first time he gave this speech and no doubt she was looking forward to the task ahead.


    ¡°Your mission, should you choose to accept it, is to hit me. One hit and your trainings done for the day.¡±


    Valerie¡¯s hand immediately shot up, nearly knocking Samantha over in the process, as she spoke without waiting for permission.


    ¡°What about our power? Can we use that?¡±


    James sighed, he specifically forbade his niece from tapping into her more magical abilities during training and also told Samantha off anytime she tried to use her shadows. Still, he wanted to see everything his students had to offer and limiting them wouldn¡¯t be very mentor-like.


    ¡°Very well, you can both come at me with everything you¡¯ve got. Just try not to leave any lasting damage this time, okay?¡±


    The day his niece achieved her power was a special and cherished memory for her, however it was not so for James. He still carried the scar from their scuffle and ever since outlawed the use of her power on other people, a rule she broke when attacking Samantha and would have been punished for had they not been preoccupied attending to their guest. Grinning like a mad dog, Valerie was about to run back to the cabin and grab her weapon when Samantha piped up.


    ¡°What do we get for winning?¡±


    Valerie stopped to stare at Samantha realizing she had a point, going all out was a treat in and of itself, but why not take her uncle for all he could give. Put on the spot, James felt the unapologetic and greedy gazes from his students bore into him.


    ¡°¡­You¡¯ll get the satisfaction of a proper fight?¡±


    The flat look both gave him made James feel like a child trying to convince his parents not to divorce using crayon drawings.


    ¡°Okay, okay. You can get¡­ uh¡­ an extra serving of dinner?¡±


    ¡°Deal!¡±


    Samantha agreed before Valerie could protest, she knew if either asked they would have gotten an extra helping anyway, but it was too late now. With their pact sealed the two pupils scurried back to the cabin for their affects. Valerie emerged wearing her belt and sheathed knife while Samantha raced back dawning her stained cloak. Convincing her to leave the dirty rag behind for their morning training turned out to be a greater undertaking than any would have expected. Obsession was the word of the day when it came to Samantha, and she never failed to exemplify the meaning. With both combatants fully prepared, they stood opposite unarmed opponent, one striking a fighting pose and wielding her weapon menacingly while the other flipped her hood up and appeared to fade into the obscuring confines.If you discover this narrative on Amazon, be aware that it has been stolen. Please report the violation.


    The bout started when Valerie rushed forward towards her uncle who stood casually loosening out his back. She attempted a slash at his chest, fully knowing he could dodge the strike which he did with practiced fluidity. Valerie¡¯s blade came within a hair¡¯s breadth of her uncle as he sidestepped the strike and grabbed her wrist, twisting the strike into an over the shoulder throw. She was slammed hard into the ground nearly losing her grip on her weapon and having all the air forced out of her lungs. James tutted at his niece¡¯s opening gambit, she always tried the same tactics and never succeeded. Turning his sights back to Samantha, he found she hadn¡¯t moved, her cloak wrapped tight covering her from head to toe. He couldn¡¯t make out her face underneath the hood yet felt an uncomfortable presence peering directly into his soul. The hairs on the back of his neck stood up and on instinct he ducked barely dodging a hefty log tossed in his general direction. He expected to find his niece stood back up and throwing things like a child, yet he only saw the tip of a black tendril disappear into a shadow near the far off log pile they used for strength training.


    ¡°Interesting¡­¡±


    The display of power got James analytical mind whirring as he assessed his young opponent. She could command shadows from a sizable distance and with some degree of strength it would seem. What was her limit and how much weight could she lift? James was torn from his speculation to sidestep yet another strike from his niece who attempted an upward swing from her kneeling position. Year after year his height advantage shrunk yet it still allowed him to lean out of the way of Valerie¡¯s knife and deliver a mean kick to her prone form sending her flying back. No one said he couldn¡¯t defend himself he simply chose not to go all out so as to give his students a fighting chance. Valerie skid along the ground a few metres before twisting herself into a roll and quickly recovered standing back up with fury in her eyes. So far, she tried to combat her uncle without the use of her power but if she wanted to show him and Samantha what she was really made of she needed to stop holding back.


    Taking a deep breath, she felt the power deep inside herself flare to life and course through her body. The mana within her veins flooded her with power extending from out her core into her arms and wrapping around her weapon. She possessed the Aspect of the Knife and, unlike a certain shadow user, couldn¡¯t conjure magical tendrils. Instead, whenever she held a knife, she was inundated with strength that allowed her to push far beyond the limits of someone her age. Crouching low, Valerie angled herself forward like a sprinter waiting for the starting pistol and focused her full attention on her uncle. This same move was the one she used to scar him during their first real sparring match and even if she argued, fought with and occasionally threatened the man she did care about him enough to not want him dead. Adjusting herself slightly, she aimed to just graze him and eek out victory. Her heart beat in her ears as she poured as much power as she could into her legs and right arm to the point they began to throb and ache. A distant bird tweeting signalled Valerie to push of and she surged forth in a single thrust, shattering the earth beneath her feet as she soared towards her uncle.


    ¡°HERE I COM-¡°


    ¡°Not good enough!¡±


    She tried to shout out a battle cry but was cut off as her uncle moved out of the way of the lunge at the last second, knocking his niece to the side with a well-placed fist to her abdomen. The momentum of her failed attack continued to push her forward until she collided with the ground skidding once again. James took no pleasure in hurting his family, but showing any kindness or holding back would do nothing for her but signal he still considered her a child unworthy of his training. He saw the attack coming a mile away, it didn¡¯t help she took a solid few seconds to prepare before rushing forward, a ridiculous and foolish waste of time that would have gotten her killed. Not only that she poured everything she had into single strikes and had no back up should she fail or miss. Barring the obvious opening anyone with a modicum of experience could capitalize on there was also her poor mana reserves. He was no expert when it came to magic or Aspects but he needed to find someway of helping his niece improve her internal mana control. Thankfully someone nearby had something of a talent when it came to magic.


    James threw his hand back, catching Samantha¡¯s leg as she tried a drop kick aimed directly for his head. How she achieved the height and speed for such a move was of no surprise as he noted a shadow tendril wrapped firmly around her waist. Using her power to propel herself forward was unforeseen but certainly not unwelcome in James¡¯s book. People expected magic casters to be weak and easy pickings but if she used her resilience and chaotic nature to her advantage, she could be quite the threat. Just not a big enough one for her mentor to worry about. Turning on his heel, James spun in a full circle dragging his student around with him before tossing her at the rising form of Valerie. The two collided and were sent tumbling to the ground once again.


    ¡°Girls, I have to say I expected more. You have to use your heads not just your power.¡±


    Valerie sat up and threw the dizzy form of Samantha off herself. She wanted to shout venom back at her uncle but couldn¡¯t disagree with his assessment, they weren¡¯t getting anywhere as they were. She roughly picked Samantha up off the ground and brought her close to discuss tactics.


    ¡°Samantha, come on you¡¯re dragging us down here.¡±


    That is if you considered insulting her fellow disciple a strategy meeting.


    ¡°Listen, I have an idea. Do you think you could-¡°


    She quickly whispered out a plan to Samantha who nodded and grinned mischievously. The two ended their huddle standing back up almost exactly where they started. Valerie lowered her stance and prepared to charge one more time as Samantha stood still, concentrating. James watched the display hoping giving them some time to hash out a plan of action would lead to some new developments, yet it looked like both would simply go back to their previous tactic of using the other as a distraction. Disappointed, he decided to end today¡¯s training by dismantling his pupils attacks one more time, he certainly didn¡¯t want to be called out for any unfair treatment.


    Valerie ran forward feeling the power of her aspect focused on her right hand and as she approached her uncle, she ground her heels into the dirt coming to a halt while rearing her arm back. The restraint surprised James until he realized what she was trying to do. Valerie fired her arm forward tossing her knife which spun through the air like a buzz saw towards its target. Shifting out of the way and catching the knife as it passed, almost nipping his ear, James felt a twinge of anger bubble up from his niece¡¯s ridiculous move.


    ¡°What exactly do you think you-¡°


    This time the teacher was cut off as his student tried to right hook his head from his shoulders. The wild haymaker missed as James fell back a step, the first time he had been on the back foot the entire fight. Valerie kept on her assault throwing punch after punch at her uncle who pivoted, dipped, and parried each blow while keeping her weapon just out of reach. He wondered what part Samantha would play as he caught a glimpse of her still standing completely still obscured by her cloak, or so her thought. The cloak suddenly dropped lifeless and empty as a metre long log was sent hurtling at mind boggling speeds towards the combatting family members. It flew straight and true like an arrow at James who was forced to kick away his niece and block the projectile with her weapon. There was a righteous boom that echoed out from the impact and forced the man back a step, his muscles straining from the force of the projectile. He managed to shift the tree trunk off course causing it to prematurely strike the ground and embed itself at his feet.


    With a brief reprieve, James caught sight of a thin black tether extending out from the end of the log. Following the line, he saw the wildly twisting form of Samantha come rocketing towards him with her legs extended out. Tossing a log and then using the missile to drag her through the air was an outrageous, dangerous, ludicrous and ingenious idea. It was just unfortunate that Samantha¡¯s aim was terrible, and she would miss her target by a head. Focused on the incoming human missile, James was unable to stop Valerie from coming up behind and wrapping her arms around his torso lifting him off the ground. The slight bump in height gave Samantha the target she needed, and her kick collided savagely against her teacher¡¯s noggin. Valerie immediately followed up dragging her uncle backwards as they both fell, her iron grip unyielding. She arched her back and planted her feet, smashing her uncle into the ground headfirst. In a single second James was struck in the cranium by a flying oddity before being unceremoniously suplex¡¯d into the earth by his beloved niece, the rapid attacks claiming victory and briefly causing the man the black out.


    Staring up at the sky overhead, James lay flat, flabbergasted and lightly concussed from what just happened. He played back the last few seconds as he tried and failed to get his bearings. How had they coordinated such a plan in the moments they huddled together? More importantly, how did they know the other would play their part well enough to complete the hastily completed plan? The answer was they didn¡¯t and simply guessed the other would fulfil their role, although neither could explain that right now. Squealing from nearby distracted James from his rattled mind and he peered up to find the most precious sight he had ever seen. His niece and Samantha were celebrating, clung to one another and jumping up and down. It was, he realized, the first time he had seen Samantha genuinely smile from sheer unfettered happiness. Victory was a reward everyone savoured and no matter her quirks, Samantha couldn¡¯t help but be overwhelmed by the feeling of success. Valerie too was swept up in the rush, it had been so long since she¡¯d beaten her uncle ofcourse she would be overjoyed. Neither cared about the injured form of their mentor as they celebrated which was alright in his opinion. While his head ached and upper body thrummed, in that moment James felt more content than he had in a long time.

 Whats Aspect with me? Whats Aspect with you?

    Following their successful fight, Samantha¡¯s training advanced with a tailor-made workout program designed to optimize her skills and combat effectiveness. She was never going to be the mountain throwing powerhouse Valerie aimed for, but she could be something much more sinister. James possessed many skills and was proficient in a number of hand-to-hand disciplines, magic however was something he never truly dabbled in. He didn¡¯t know the theories, underlining principles or even what it was, just that when some fancy pants wizards cast fireball things burned which was good enough for him. If Samantha possessed any other magical skills, he may have been at a disadvantage but the way her powers manifested seemed to be all physical from lifting, grappling and tethering, as well as a slew of passive advantages. To start, she could see in the dark with perfect clarity, no matter how pitch black her environment. There was also her, to put it plainly, creepy as all heck aura that flooded out from her at all times of the day. Neither James nor Valerie noticed it at first but over the weeks Samantha recovered a pervasive feeling of dread and uneasiness crept into their home with a singular source always at its centre. The cause of their unease meanwhile was none the wiser, she couldn¡¯t feel it nor actively control its effects, she simply exuded waves of discomforting fear. The prevailing theory was it most likely grew in accordance with her physical state and, like trying to halt ones hair from growing, couldn¡¯t be controlled only managed.


    Over the course of several weeks, they explored each and every detail of Samantha¡¯s gradually unravelled skillset. Unlike James and Valerie, she possessed a decent pool of mana throughout her body which allowed her to conjure her shadows continuously without tiring or succumbing to any ill effects. Like any physical attribute, a person¡¯s mana reserves could be exhausted if overused and would lead to severe damage not excluding agonizing mana-sickness or death. Mana naturally recovered overtime, absorbed from the surrounding environment or by consuming various alchemical concoctions and even food specifically prepared from the carcass of deceased monsters who themselves were writhe with magical energies. While a person¡¯s mana pool would grow over time as they aged you could also expand it through regular use, unfortunately physical brawlers like Valerie struggled as they did not have a regular outlet for their magic to flourish. Samantha meanwhile had her magical shadows to pull from as well as the passive effects that sapped at her mana near constantly meaning she was never quite topped up but also always steadily growing her stockpile of available magic.


    After one particularly tiring day of training, James arranged for Valerie to practice her mana control while Samantha was made to keep up her physical activities. His niece was ordered to constantly throw her knife into the air using as much mana as she could safely expend without going overboard. Samantha meanwhile was struggling to do pull ups from an exposed tree branch some ten feet off the ground. Although neither was in their element, they gave it their all pushing themselves further and further. The occasional side glances between his pupils were not lost on James, it was obvious they were watching the other and trying to surpass them. Taking down their mentor had become a turning point in the two¡¯s relationship and while they weren¡¯t exactly brothers in arms they did find a common ground. Shaky and loose as it might be, it was nevertheless a foundation they could build upon if given the proper motivation. As their teacher, it was James¡¯s responsibility to foster not just their physical, mystical or social abilities but their mental ones too. Admittedly his knowledge was limited to less than reputable topics, but he knew enough to wing a lesson plan. He wouldn¡¯t be a good teacher if he couldn¡¯t walk the walk and talk the talk.


    ¡°Valerie! Tell the class what exactly is an Aspect?¡±


    Best to start with the basics, it wasn¡¯t that James didn¡¯t know what else to teach them. Nope, not that at all and any claim to the contrary would result in a harsh detention. Valerie threw her knife as hard as she could, gritting her teeth from the strain in her arm.


    ¡°An aspect is power. It¡¯s what gives us strength!¡±


    She answered as she deftly caught her weapon before tossing it again.


    ¡°Close, but not right.¡±


    James reprimanded ignoring his niece¡¯s frustrated groan.


    ¡°An aspect is more than just power; anyone can find strength through training and studying the mystical arts. An aspect is exactly what it says, it¡¯s part of something greater.¡±


    Or so he had been taught as a boy by the local priesthood. While James never achieved an aspect, he had known several people with the divine born gifts and could attest to their might. An aspect, as James explained with poor understanding, was a particular talent or skill in a given principle. A mage with the aspect of fire could conjure flames without the need for spells or incantations at a fraction of the mana cost regular wizards required. Warriors with the aspect of a weapon, skillset, or mastery would gain strength or advanced techniques when wielding or practicing their given discipline respectively. While some aspects overlapped or could be used by both camps, they were, as far as James knew, divided into the two categories of physical and magical, his pupils the perfect example. Valerie held the aspect of the knife and was several leagues stronger when holding one while Samantha¡¯s magical shadows allowed her to make use of nearly all dark patches in a wide area. Compared to normal warriors those with an aspect were considerably stronger not just because of the skills their power gave but also because simply having an aspect made someone stronger, faster, more durable and with a wealth more mana to utilize. Despite being twice her senior, James and Valerie were nearly on par when it came to their physical attributes with the former coming out ahead purely on his years of combat training and wisdom.Love this story? Find the genuine version on the author''s preferred platform and support their work!


    Aspects were not a complete advantage however as they could be restrictive or even detrimental in some cases. While his niece did not suffer the drawback, James had known people with aspects who couldn¡¯t wield anything but their powered-up weapon or suffer a major disadvantage. Valerie was still strong without her knife and could utilize other tools but the difference in strength was noticeable with and without her preferred weapon. Samantha unfortunately did suffer a major drawback as she had to be very specific about what constituted a shadow. After much trial and error, they were able to determine she couldn¡¯t conjure tendrils from other living creature¡¯s shadows bar her own and it had to be a shadow not darkness. In essence her power could be broken down to requiring the obfuscation of light, not the absence. In total darkness or at night she couldn¡¯t conjure anything unless a separate light source was casting a shadow. It was a considerable pitfall that meant she was only effective for half the day, but it could potentially be relieved through the acquisition of another aspect. There was seemingly no limit to how many a person could possess, only that they were extremely difficult to acquire.


    ¡°Samantha, roughly how many people could have an aspect at any given time?¡±


    James enquired to the still struggling to pull herself up shadow user. She was red in the face and breathing rapidly as she dragged her head up and above the tree branch.


    ¡°O-o-one!¡±


    She announced dropping down to hang limply, content that she had achieved her pull up goal for the day.


    ¡°I¡¯m sorry?¡±


    James beckoned causing Samantha to remember she had been asked a question. She brought her hands to her face and attempted to recall the figure she was told. She tried snapping her fingers upon remembering but made no sound except for a surprised yelp as gravity too remembered to kick in and pull the free-floating girl roughly to the ground. Rising unaffected from her fall with twigs and leaves stuck in her blonde mess of a hairdo, Samantha answered.


    ¡°One in uh¡­ a million?¡±


    James nodded at the obvious guess of an answer. Aspects were exceedingly rare with only about one in a million able to achieve a single one let alone gain any more. There were exceptions or those who had lived long enough to acquire the coveted power, but they were even rarer cases or natural born prodigies. Aspects had no rhyme or reason for how they were handed out, the most popular theory was they were based on inspiration and dedication. Practicing your sword techniques or magic discipline for years might yield the power just as much as picking up a sword one day, declaring you would be the greatest warrior, and then immediately receiving the boon. There were other ways of gaining an aspect such as being passed down from a mentor or teacher however the means by which such a feat was achieved is a highly kept secret that only a handful are privy too. The infinitely easier and much more dangerous option would be to find an artifact or temple. Objects and places of power can, by means still yet unknown, soak up mana for centuries until a passerby happens upon them and acquires an aspect through dumb luck. This method is often considered a pipe dream by most and more often than not comes with some major drawback such as a suit of armour that grants the aspect of Armour but can never be taken off.


    ¡°Good to see you¡¯re both listening to my teachings. Samantha, back to the tree.¡±


    His pupil groaned but followed his orders using a shadow tendril from the trees canopy to hoist herself up like a sack of potatoes. Their theory lesson continued for another hour covering various topics and subjects with varying degrees of depth. Their teacher¡¯s knowledge could be accurately equated to a large pond: vast but very shallow. When the day¡¯s training finally concluded both Valerie and Samantha were exhausted, the former clutching at her sore arm and aching head while the latter was toiling face down and spread out in the dirt like she was trying to make a mud angel.


    ¡°Hmmmm, hmmmm hm hm?¡±


    Samantha muffled out with her mouth full of grass. Valerie turned a perplexed glare onto her classmate before asking politely.


    ¡°What did you just call me?!¡±


    Raising her head and spitting out a number of blades of grass, Samantha repeated her question.


    ¡°How did you get your aspect?¡±


    Neither asked once during their previous theory lessons but the question had sat at the back of Samantha¡¯s mind for some time. Puffing out her chest, Valerie confidently stated.


    ¡°I put in the work, dedication, effort and honed my craft is what I did.¡±


    For the briefest of moments Samantha looked on at Valerie with wonder and amazement which the boastful girl drank up until her uncle dispelled the blatant lie.


    ¡°She threw her knife at me after having a fit and got the aspect.¡±


    He announced while gathering up wood for the hearth and turning away to avoid Valerie¡¯s dismay. He was still her uncle, and it was his duty to be supportive and bit of a prankster when the moment arose, otherwise he did not deserve the title. Ofcourse, it was perhaps a grossly underwhelming description of the event in question. While yes Valerie was acting out in a fit of rage after having lost yet another sparring match against her uncle, she did do something she had never done before. She flipped her knife, gripping the blade between thumb and index finger, and launched the blade as hard as she could which resulted in the weapon flying through the air like a buzzsaw nearly slicing her uncles ear off. She had never tried throwing her blade in such a manner and it could be argued she was ¡°inspired¡± to do so in the loosest terms possible. No rhyme or reason indeed. At the time, both James and Valerie were shocked she obtained an aspect at all as the two could have gone their whole lives having never met another aspect holder. That is until Samantha strode into their lives.


    ¡°What about yourself?¡±


    James asked of the shadow user, trying to shift the topic of conversation so as to ease his niece¡¯s growing embarrassment. Valerie jumped at the lifeline also enquiring about Samantha¡¯s origin. The topic of conversation rose to a seated position and rested her head on her hands as she thought about how exactly to answer the question at hand. Both James and Valerie waited with baited-breath hopeful they would get a real, genuine and sensible answer from the perplexing girl. They were sorely disappointed.


    ¡°I had a vivid dream about my death.¡±


    Both of Samanatha¡¯s onlookers jaw dropped from the nonsensical and barely explanatory answer. They shared a look that conveyed all that needed to be said; that is so Samantha.

 Hunting Wabbits

    Over the course of weeks and months the makeshift bootcamp progressed with Samantha improving martially while Valerie developed socially. Having a companion her own age and just as eager to train relieved some of the latter¡¯s flighty ambitions although she would still occasionally gaze into the distance and feel an urge deep within telling her to escape and never look back. On one fine day just as summer was rolling through the boring woods, Valerie found herself once again looking to the horizon and wondering just what was out there, who was out there and how she fit it into. It was hard to imagine just what lay beyond her home especially as a repeated knock to her side kept distracting her. Sighing, Valerie looked down at her not very comfortable seat as it tried desperately to free itself from beneath her.


    ¡°Give up yet?¡±


    ¡°Never!¡±


    She asked Samanth, pinned beneath her rump, who responded with exaggerated fury. As well as regular training and theory lessons, James also permitted the girls to engage in no holds bar practice fights with the express stipulation no one is severely maimed, this rule lasted all of a day before even stricter rules had to be put in place. The thing about fights with aspect holders is they can take some outrageous punishment before they succumbed to their wounds and, even if they were incapacitated, they would be right back up and going not long after. Such was the case with Valerie and Samantha, the former had decent control of her strength until her adrenaline started pumping and the latter simply didn¡¯t acknowledge she had been hit and would keep going. James tried to intervene and act as their practice dummy, but his students formed something of a working partnership that would trump their teacher¡¯s years of experience through sheer overwhelming force. Thus, Valerie and Samantha were given the freedom to beat the ever-living snot out of one another with James at home ready to treat whoever was the worst off. This would almost always be Samantha as Valerie trumped her in nearly every bout they had. Trying to teach Samantha any form of martial arts or how to properly wield a weapon was like trying to build a house of cards during a thunderstorm and an earthquake and while on fire. The only difference being less people would be hurt during the collection of calamities. This unfortunately meant she was forced to create her own fighting style which primarily involved throwing herself around like a wrecking ball using her shadows.


    With her exceptional control of her aspect and a chaotic combat style, Samantha was able to keep Valerie on her toes and constantly adapting to the uncoordinated motions. Ultimately however, she would lose as was the case this day, slammed hard into the ground with the much heavier Valerie seated atop her. The sparring match would only end when one of them was unable to fight or willingly gave in. With Samantha valiantly, if pathetically, struggling while constantly jabbing at her opponent it was clear she wasn¡¯t done just yet.


    ¡°I-I-I almooooost haaaave yoooooou!¡±


    She yelled out making no further progress. All of a sudden however the weight on her back disappeared and Samantha was able to scamper back while doing a very impressive kick flip back to her feet. She summoned a series of shadow tendrils to surround herself and was about to charge into Valerie when she realized they had an intruder. Beyond the edge of the clearing, there was a figure hunched over with its head on a swivel. It laid its eyes on Valerie and then Samantha, after which it immediately rushed off like its life depended on it. Yet another instance of the shadow user¡¯s freaky aura causing critters to run away with reckless abandon. The reason to run herself dismissed her shadows and walked up beside Valerie who looked to be frozen stiff from the sight of the ghastly creature.


    ¡°¡­A Hackalope.¡±


    She muttered out to no one in particular.


    ¡°Whazzat?¡±


    Samantha enquired feeling a nagging sensation at the back of her head that she had seen that creature before. The beast in question was a tall rabbit like animal missing the majority of its hair which it compensated for with sharp claws, teeth and razor tipped horns it used to gut prey. Valerie had been taught on all the fauna in her neck of the woods but was awestricken to see a real bonafide-


    ¡°monster¡­¡±


    She whispered, the edges of her mouth curling up in a fiendish smile. Samantha was about to ask what was so special about the monster when Valerie interrupted her.


    ¡°Go home Samantha, I have something I need to do.¡±


    The sudden and slightly rude request would have taken most by surprise but Samantha just shrugged, walked away waving off the matter and Valerie both as she headed home. She walked for about ten minutes and eventually found her way back to the cabin, a surprising feat for her. The first few times she tried to make it back on her own she got lost and had to spend the night roughing it until James or Valerie found her the next morning. To combat her awful sense of direction a series of markers and arrows carved into trees were put in place to guide the wayward wanderer. She still somehow found a way to get all turned around or end up exactly where she started despite walking in a straight line much to everyone¡¯s confusion. Valerie once followed Samantha allowing her to guide the pair and nearly walked straight off a cliff she hadn¡¯t know was there, attempts to find the cliff again proved fruitless. Today however, the wayward girl made it back home safely and unaccosted where upon she found James sat outside whittling away at a piece of wood. Her mentor looked up to survey Samantha happy to find she wasn¡¯t in need of any medical aid however his expression darkened when he noticed his niece wasn¡¯t with her. Slowly but surely the two had been forming an inseparable bond, or so James hoped, and the appearance of one without the other was worrying to say the least. Samantha waved as she approached and made to enter the cabin for a quick afternoon nap but was stopped by her guardian.


    ¡°Samantha? It¡¯s good to see you¡¯re not hurt for once. Valerie wouldn¡¯t be far behind you I hope?¡±


    He asked trying to keep the worry from his voice, perhaps she was tied up with something or had stopped to check on a few of their snare traps.


    ¡°Don¡¯t think so, she was looking for a monster.¡±


    Samantha replied nonchalantly to which James shot up exclaiming.This story originates from Royal Road. Ensure the author gets the support they deserve by reading it there.


    ¡°She what?!¡±


    He bolted up and ran off towards the sparring ring his pupils used.


    ¡°I said she was going to¡­¡±


    Samantha tried to repeat but her words were quickly lost to the wind as James raced away. Arriving at the clearing in record time, he searched the area for signs of his niece or any tracks she may have left. Unfortunately, he trained her far too well and she was gone without a trace. His legs nearly gave out from under him as a despair he didn¡¯t expect scoured his soul and brought forth images of the kind of horrors his niece could face.


    ¡°VALERIE!¡±


    He yelled out to no response feeling the crushing weight of his ineptitude overtake all rational thought. He failed her, he failed to protect his niece, failed to honour her mothers last wishes, failed to uphold the promise he made his brother. Dropping to the rough earth James yelled out again and again for his niece.


    Valerie meanwhile thought she heard someone calling out to her but shrugged off the distraction focusing instead on her prey. She found the monster easily enough, Hackalope were quick beasts but reckless and not the most intelligent although they could be wily. Valerie tried to recall all she could from her uncle¡¯s lessons on monsters and how to avoid them at all costs. He described Hackalope¡¯s as ferocious monstrosities that could tear a fully armoured warrior to ribbons with a single swipe of their sharpened knife-like claws. The one she saw did not evoke that same nightmare inducing visage even if it did tower a foot or two above her. Watching it scurry away from her and Samantha emboldened Valerie to try and hunt the monster not because she had to for their safety but just because she wanted to. All the stories she was told, the many detailed descriptions from her uncle, cumulated in a deep-seated hatred for the abominations for the damage they had wrought to civilized life. Although her uncle never said it outright, Valerie got the sense it was because of monsters like the one she tracked that she was without her parents. It didn¡¯t necessarily affect her own hatred for monsters but didn¡¯t detract from it either. Thus, Valerie decided she would not just kill this monster, she was going to hunt it, tear it down to shreds and make an example out of it. A devilish idea that scratched at an itch she never knew she had and caused the would be hunter to froth from excitement.


    She tracked the Hackalope to a river ensuring she was out of sight, and it remained completely unaware it was being pursued. She desperately wanted to rush forward and lay into the beast but rather than confront it directly and risk an injury she opted to hunt the beast without suffering a single scratch. Although she would be the only one to witness it, completely and utterly humiliating the monster sounded likes oodles of fun. Valerie announced her presence by throwing several knives empowered by her aspect into the monster¡¯s side. The blades shot through the air like bolts from a crossbow, each striking home with unerring precision. Bellowing in anger, the Hackalope attempted to confront its attacker directly, but the sly girl evaded and appeared to flee. In reality, she hid close by while waiting for the beast to calm down which it was finding hard to do with the many knives buried into its flesh. Following at a distance, she watched the monster as it set off searching for its next meal while trying to fish the blades out to little success. It eventually found a critter, a rabbit of all things, that was quickly and unabashedly slaughtered ready for a feast. It was at this time Valerie appeared once again causing the creature to fly into a rage and charge leaving the fresh kill behind. She evaded the dumb animal once again and circled back to steal the monsters hard fought catch before disappearing from its sight. The Hackalope raged at the missing girl and meal, breaking out into a fit as it swept its claws at everything within its immediate vicinity. Valerie watched the display giddy at the monster¡¯s tantrum and she chewed on meat from the gamey rabbit her foe had so kindly prepared. This was going to be a long hunt, and she would need all the strength she could. Thankfully the display of the Hackalope accidentally forcing one of her knives deeper into its flank helped her ignore the disgusting taste.


    ¡°The days still young.¡±


    She silently cackled to herself, excited to see what else her prey will get up to. This back and forth continued for days, every time the creature found food or stopped for water and rest, she would be there to provoke it or drive it off. By the fourth day it had grown sluggish and less attentive to its surroundings which was when Valerie made a daring attack. Dropping from a tree branch, she used her hunting knife and the full power of her aspect to sever one of the monsters¡¯ horns and an ear in a single strike. Then she ran, giggling merry as a schoolgirl. The unfortunate creature however screamed and wailed in fury while making futile attempts to chase after its assailant. On the fifth day the creature fell, too tired to move, the lack of food, water, sleep and several open wounds that continuously bled finally sapped all the strength from its body. Had nature been allowed to take its course, the Hackalope would have perished a disgraced mess, unfortunately the huntress would not let it go quite so easily. She appeared for the last time before the creature who bore its eyes into her and tried to rise one only making it inches off the ground before slumping back down. Valerie circled the monster, examining her handy work thoroughly and ripping out her throwing knives agonizing the beast further. She met the monsters gaze and for the first time during her hunt felt the slightest pang of guilt. Had she gone too far? Had she been too cruel? This feeling quickly left as she stared at the creatures¡¯ bloody claws, sharp teeth and grotesque body.


    ¡°Boohoo for you.¡±


    She taunted the monster. It was a being born of curses and foul magic; it wasn¡¯t worth feeling pity for. With her conscience clear, she sunk her knife into the beast¡¯s neck and watched the light fade from its eyes. A sick, cruel smile spread across her face and she involuntarily licked at her lips. With her hunt officially complete Valerie stood tall, she felt powerful, she felt invincible, she felt a surge of something course through her body and flood her mind with indescribable elation. It was a sensation she felt once before and knew exactly what it meant. Staring at the bloody corpse at her feet, she threw her arms up out in victory and let out a vicious laugh.


    ¡°Neat.¡±


    ¡°Agh!¡±


    Which was interrupted by Samantha who appeared out of nowhere startling Valerie who nearly tripped at the spooky girl¡¯s sudden arrival. Without a word, the shadow user crouched before the dead Hackalope and poked it with a stick while Valerie tried to calm her nerves.


    ¡°How? What? Where did- What?!¡±


    She demanded in rapid succession uncomprehending what exactly was going on.


    ¡°James was looking for you, I tagged along and found you first I guess.¡±


    Samantha explained while continuing to disrespect the disgraced monster¡¯s corpse and giggling at the slimy sounds it made as she poked at it. James set out almost immediately after failing to find Valerie at the training yard only staying long enough to order Samantha stay behind. She did not, opting to follow her mentor from a distance so that her aura did not alert him. Had James been in any other mental state he might have noticed he was being tailed but he could only focus on tracking down his niece before the worst came to pass. Neither expected to be out for so long and James only grew more irritable as his ready made rations ran out. Samantha meanwhile simply ignored her groaning stomach already used to the sensation. By sheer coincidence she came upon Valerie first, watching her slow agonizing execution with rapt attention such that she nearly applauded when the final blow was dealt. James however was not so keen discovering both his pupils due to their loud interaction. Valerie stood stiff as a board as she met her uncles furious gaze and nearly ran for the hills as he stalked over to her. He roughly grabbed onto Valerie¡¯s shoulders, almost knocking Samantha over in the process. For the briefest of moments, the two family were locked in place, Valerie unsure what wrath her uncle would unleash and certainly not expecting the vice like hug she received instead.


    ¡°You¡­ you are in SO much trouble young lady.¡±


    He said refusing to let his niece go despite her clear apprehension and struggles to escape.


    ¡°What in all the divine where you thinking?!¡±


    James demanded after finally breaking their embrace but with his grip on her shoulders never loosening.


    ¡°I-I¡­¡±


    Valerie stammered, guilt and shame welled up inside her as she tried to find the words to explain herself. She glanced a look to Samantha who shot her two thumbs up clearly having a picked a side in the argument. Then her eyes wandered down to the dead beast at her feet, its blood pooling around her and coating her shoes. I did that, she thought letting the reality hit her again. Without her uncle¡¯s watchful eye or any other kind of safety net, she tracked, hunted and finally killed a monster all by herself. Emboldened, Valerie used the strength from her Aspect to shake off her uncle¡¯s grip and stood before him unyielding.


    ¡°I wanted to kill a monster¡­ and I was rewarded for it.¡±


    Both James and Samantha peered quizzically at Valerie which she revelled in. She wasn¡¯t much for story telling but, on the way home she regaled them with the tale of her inspiring hunt and her achievement. Obtaining power from the Aspect of the Knife had lit a fire under her urging Valerie to want more, to want freedom. Obtaining the Aspect of the Hunt only added fuel to the fire and no matter what she was determined to leave even if it meant coming to blows with her sole family.

 Now you see me

    Valerie lay in her bed staring up at the ceiling and carefully listened for the slightest echo of movement anywhere in the cabin or beyond. It was difficult with her roommate tossing and turning on the cot next to her. After choosing to stay and become James¡¯s pupil, Samantha, as was her norm, made the audacious claim she was happy to sleep on the floor using her cloak as a pillow. She claimed she was used the feeling of hard flat surfaces and in some ways found them comfortable. Valerie balked at the idea and instead set to make a proper bed for the girl. After many failed projects that bordered on torture devices her uncle stepped in having some carpentry experience, he had after all fashioned all their furniture. As a compromise Valerie instead insisted the newly made cot be placed in her room so that Samantha wouldn¡¯t be alone, a proposition the girl accepted without complaint. She casually mentioned she was used to a group sleeping area as if it was the most normal thing in the world. Once again, she failed to elaborate any further on the odd statement.


    Valerie occupied her bored mind with thoughts of her new house guest and of the last half a year they had spent training and forming something of a friendship. From one-time enemies to training partners and roommates, they were unconventional bed fellows yet that only seemed to bring them closer. Turning her head from the ceiling, she could vaguely make out in the darkness the sleeping form of Samantha, safely cocooned within her cloak. She could barely recognise her from the skeletal figure she had been all those months ago, not just in a physical sense but personality too. It took a long time, but Samantha slowly crawled out from her shell exposing who she really was, which was a bat crap insane girl who didn¡¯t seem to feel any pain, laughed at the most disturbing things and had developed a habit of grinning constantly no matter what. Valerie felt a twinge of shame, it was possible she may never see those odd quirks again after tonight.


    It had been a week since achieving her second aspect and her uncle finally stopped berating her excessively. Now he was down to a respectful amount of berating with a helpful smattering of reprimanding and a pinch of harsh lecturing. She endured it, even if the near constant verbal assault meant she had little to no time to practice with her new power. Yet it was already beginning to show its effects particularly: the call to hunt, to find ever bigger and more ferocious prey then to lay them low. She thought it may just be an after effect from the adrenaline inducing hunt on the Hackalope, but the sensation refused to abate. Valerie had been desperate to leave for some time, it was why she often snuck away from her uncle to practice, why she was so fervent to refine her skills and prove she was ready. The arrival of Samantha delayed any plans to flee her uncle¡¯s overprotective shadow but did not cancel them outright. She was a fantastic distraction and Valerie was truly better off for meeting her, without Samantha she may have gone crazy from isolation.


    Valerie silently groaned, there it was again, the guilt. Samantha is more than just a distraction, she all but saved the fledgling huntress from her own reckless behaviour. It was no small exaggeration to say that since she arrived Valerie had made leaps and bounds in her training as well as other less important skills like socializing. All that said however, she knew the time was right, there was no better moment to leave than now. Her uncle had left to check up on some of his traps leaving his pupils behind with a firm warning that neither was to leave. A warning he all but directed at Valerie herself before he set off. She ofcourse ignored the warning and decided tonight was the night, she was ready and needed to get out now otherwise she may never leave.


    Rising slowly rose from her bed; she knelt beside Samantha and rested a hand to the girl¡¯s cheek. She was so cold yet never shivered, it was just another oddity she exhibited that Valerie had grown accustomed to and may very well miss. Lingering for a moment, her resolve teetered until she finally drew her hand back and little by little crept out of the room refusing to look back. As she crossed the threshold of the only home she had ever known Valerie felt something well up inside her and couldn¡¯t help but speak up.


    ¡°Thank you¡­ goodbye.¡±


    She whispered to Samantha, to the cabin and to her uncle wherever he was. Finally exiting the house and closing the entrance agonizingly slow behind her, Valerie glanced around her home for the last time. It was nostalgic, she recalled the games she used to play with her uncle as a child. She fondly remembered the day he unfurled a leather roll containing an assortment of weapons big and small inviting Valerie to select any that caught her eye. She was so entranced by the display, examining each instrument of war carefully, testing their weight and how quickly she could swing them. In the end she picked the one tool that caught her eye immediately, she couldn¡¯t quite put her finger on why but holding onto her uncle¡¯s old hunting knife simply felt right. Letting out a long breath, she left the steps of her home racing into the tree line, if she stayed any longer her resolve would crumble entirely.


    Breaking into a sprint, Valerie felt her fear and anxiety gradually melt away to be replaced with exhilaration and euphoria. She thought about this day for weeks, months, maybe even years and nothing could stop her now not even herself. If her uncle were to appear right this second and catch her in the act, she wouldn¡¯t back down, she would fight tooth and nail. It was a foolish thought; she never beat her uncle in any of their one-on-one sparring matches but in that moment, she felt like she could topple a mountain. After running for what felt like miles, Valerie slowed her escape to a jog while searching for a collection of trees surrounding a large rock. It had taken some time and careful planning, but she managed to squirrel away a change of clothes into a bag and buried the contents beneath the stone some time ago. Locating the group of trees, she slid between two with practiced ease and fell to her knees before the stone. She ripped at the ground tossing away dirt and debris until striking gold.  She fished a filthy bag out into the open and double checked the contents: her new outfit as well as five throwing knives and an old belt with a sheath for her knife. She had formed a habit sleeping beside her knife every night and was able to abscond with it without raising any suspicions. As for any food or water she might need, she would take from the forest using all the skills and knowledge her uncle had passed onto her.


    A voice in the back of her mind kept insisting this was the point of no return as it had done at each step of her run. It was a small pitiful whisper compared to the chorus that demanded adventure, freedom and answers. She didn¡¯t need to know who she was, what she was doing out here or who her family had been. She just wanted to know where she was and where she could go, after that the sky was the limit. Discarding her pyjamas, Valerie dawned the stowed away clothes, a simple shirt, pair of trousers and boots. If she was ever to make it on her own, she needed to be able to carry her own weight which is why she elected not to take any of the gear handcrafted by her uncle. Satisfied with her ensemble, she stuffed the discarded clothes beneath the stone and reburied them. Dusting the dirt off herself and hefting the light backpack over her shoulder, Valerie scanned the surrounding area afraid her uncle would somehow appear or already be on her tail. She was alone for now with no company but her heavy breaths as well as the chirp of owls and other nocturnal animals filling the quiet night. A mischievous grin split across her face, and she was off again no goal or direction in mind just forward.


    After travelling for another half hour, Valerie stopped for a much-needed rest by a stream. Running at full speed mixed with her lack of sleep tired the girl more than she would like to admit. She dropped her bag and began cupping mouthfuls of water only stopping to catch her reflection illuminated in the pale moonlight. Her hair was a mess, whatever tie she used to keep it in place was long gone somewhere along the trail. There was sweat dripping from her forehead down to her chin and a wild glint never left her eyes. As she took in her dishevelled appearance Valerie was taken back to the moment, she killed the Hackalope, she was a dishevelled mess then too. All she was missing was a thick coating of blood, a dead monster and Samantha to appear out of nowhere to truly bring her back to that not-too-distant time. Chuckling to herself, she rose back up stretched her aching muscles and searched around for the bag lost somewhere in the darkness.


    ¡°Here you go.¡±This story is posted elsewhere by the author. Help them out by reading the authentic version.


    ¡°Thanks¡±


    She said to Samantha after receiving her bag. Jumping back in surprise yet again while dragging her knife from its sheath, Valerie almost lashed out at nothing in her path. Her eyes darted back and forth like a madman examining everything within her field of view.


    ¡°Just my imagination¡­ yeah.¡±


    She tried to convince herself, she was doubtlessly exhausted which was probably why her brain was conjuring up voices. How her bag was suddenly in her hand she refused to question any further. Calming down somewhat, she returned her knife to its sheath and turned back to the water only to be met with a familiar face obscured by a ragged cloak.


    ¡°So, where you off to tonight?¡±


    Samantha said as Valerie fell back from the water edge and into the muddy embankment while fumbling to grasp her weapon. The younger girl stood ankle deep in the flowing river, hands on her hips and a pearly white smile that could frighten a spectre.


    ¡°Oh come on! How?!¡±


    How? How did she find her? How did she keep up? The answer was quite simple, Samantha was no light sleeper but developed a stomach-ache from what she believed to be undercooked Hackalope meat. She tried to ignore the uncomfortable feeling, tossing and turning in bed unable to fall asleep. She spent her time admonishing herself for being so spoiled, back in the day she would go to bed hungry and like it. Living with the¡­ no-last-names¡¯s was doing her wonders but making her soft even if she spent nearly every day getting the stuffing kicked out of her. The unfortunate circumstance did at least allow her the chance to catch Valerie as she made her subtle exit, which to be frank wasn¡¯t all that stealthy stepping on every creaky floorboard and knocking over a plate in the process. Curious, Samantha decided to follow after, carefully watching Valerie¡¯s escape from a distance and putting a newfound taste for sneaking to the test. In all honesty, Samantha did believe this was indeed a test set up by her mentor with Valerie acting as the target. As she ran, Samantha had no trouble keeping line of sight with the ludicrously fast huntress. The stealthy girl explained none of this however and simply walked out of the freezing water to offer a hand to the toppled over Valerie.


    Looking her stalker up and down apprehensively, Valerie gripped onto the offered hand and was pulled to her feet. Wiping away any filth, she reorganized herself and stared daggers at her unwanted follower.


    ¡°Congrats you found me, now go home.¡±


    Valerie said venomously, a hint of fear stoked voices in her head whispering worries that Samantha would lead her uncle straight to them. Paranoia began to set in, and the runaway girl tightened the grip on her knife till her knuckles ached. Unaware of any imminent danger, Samantha Cupped a hand to her chin and looked over her compatriots dishevelled form while tapping her drenched socks against the ground. Unlike Valerie, she was not prepared for a nighttime getaway and was still adorned in her sleep wear including the ever-present cloak. Her mind wracked with questions and conundrums, or at the very least it would have for most, instead she just wondered why they were training so late. And then a moment, a single instance in time, everything suddenly made sense.


    It was a strange but well documented phenomenon that on very rare occasions a person could connect dots and come to conclusions they themselves didn¡¯t truly understand how they reached. Like a fish learning to climb it was not impossible just very unlikely. This strange phenomenon was also how a person would realise they had an Aspect, the name and presence suddenly a fundamental truth to their existence like the need to breath. Despite having no way of knowing the particulars or the deep-seated feelings that lead to the midnight jog, Samantha had what can only be called a eureka moment. Snapping her fingers, and failing to make a sound, she exclaimed a detective¡¯s ¡®aha!¡¯ making her deductions known.


    ¡°You¡¯re on the run!¡±


    Pointing an accusatory finger at the perpetrator, Samantha loudly proclaimed her deductions. Valerie stared in amazement clearly taken aback at the genius before her. In reality the guilty party was astounded that the deductive virtuoso finally come to any conclusion after standing and scratching her chin uninterrupted for over two minutes. The relatively long silence allowed Valerie a chance to think more rationally which prevented any wanton murder, this time at least. The next words out of Samantha¡¯s mouth did take the runaway by surprise, however.


    ¡°Ooooh I love an escape, where are we going?¡±


    Had she the opportunity, Valerie would have spit out her drink, dropped her jaw to the floor, jumped out of her skin, and had her socks knocked right off from the unexpected statement. Half formed sentences came and went as she tried to choke out a reply.


    ¡°We? You? I don¡¯t- What?!¡±


    Samantha waded back into the flowing stream and set her hand against her forehead acting like a pirate captain scanning the sea for booty to plunder.


    ¡°It¡¯s you and me Val, let¡¯s go out there and see the world!¡±


    Valerie¡¯s mind finally caught up with the situation and she was able to make her displeasure known.


    ¡°Nope, not happening. You march your sorry butt home; this is my escape and I am not baby sitting you.¡±


    Without turning back Samantha pleaded her case.


    ¡°Aw c¡¯mon! I swear I¡¯ll be on my best behaviour. Besides¡­¡±


    She twisted around to reveal a cat like grin.


    ¡°I don¡¯t know the way back home.¡±


    Valerie was about to launch into another round of refusals when it dawned on her Samantha was right. A chilling thought on its own but neither she nor Valerie could navigate themselves back to the cabin after the distance they travelled. They would probably be faster circling the whole world to make it back home than turning back now. Valerie fumed and tried to remain firm but something about the hope filling Samantha¡¯s horrifyingly dark eyes tugged at her heart strings. Maybe having a bit of company wouldn¡¯t be so bad? It would mean having to scrounge up food for two, but what kind of hunter would Valerie be if she couldn¡¯t provide a meal every now and then. As she weighed the pros and cons further, the huntress began to feel that guilt again. Why did she think of leaving Samantha out of the plan in the first place? She spent years with her uncle before escaping and wouldn¡¯t want anyone to suffer such a dull fate. Letting out a groan that peaked into a sigh, Valerie laid down the law.


    ¡°Fine, we can go together, but you HAVE to follow a couple rules.¡±


    ¡°Lay em on me travel buddy.¡±


    Samantha responded chipper that she got her way.


    ¡°Number one: *I* am in charge, what I say goes and you follow my orders. Got it?¡±


    A firm nod answered Valerie¡¯s demands.


    ¡°Number two: you say nothing about my uncle or where we lived. I don¡¯t know what we¡¯re doing out here but there¡¯s a reason for it that I don¡¯t want to find out about.¡±


    ¡°Understood, my lips are sealed.¡±


    Samantha made a show of zipping up her lips, throwing away the key and then faked suffocating for a few seconds. Valerie stared dryly at the display finally intervening when Samantha made to prat fall into the waters. Hoisting her travelling companion back up, Valerie looked towards the rising morning sun and felt a sudden sense of relief. Not only was she free, but she also wasn¡¯t alone either. No doubt things would be difficult, life threatening even but whatever happened it would be her choice, her destiny. She was on a journey, on an adventure and it didn¡¯t matter where she ended up, who she came across or what sights she saw, she would experience them all with her beaming travels buddy right beside her.


    As the morning sun rose on small clearing with a babbling brook running through it the air was choked by a smokestack rising high into the air. James sat by the husk that was once his home, twirling a chipped and once thought lost knife with blackened blood on the edge. He found it after the fire that consumed the cabin died down. It was odd how nostalgic he felt over the tool perhaps because it was a piece of both his pupils and a memento from their first meeting. He tossed the blade into the charred remains of his home, he couldn¡¯t leave even a single scrap of evidence he or anyone had lived here. A part of him would miss this place, the memories he shared with his niece and those from Samantha¡¯s brief stay. The days he spent training both, watching as they developed new skills and talents. Watching as they formed a connection they themselves didn¡¯t quite realise was being forged. They were gone now, and he needed to erase all traces they were ever here starting with setting fire to the cabin. He guessed correctly his niece would be angling to leave now that she had her second aspect and would just need the right opportunity. Rather than delay the inevitable, he chose to force fates hand and vacated their home giving his niece the perfect opportunity. He was wracked with worry for Valerie, but she was nearly an adult and he couldn¡¯t contain her any longer.


    Observing from a distance, James watched Valerie leave in the middle of the night with Samantha chasing behind. Come the next morning when neither returned, he finally left his hiding spot and entered the cabin again. They left behind so many things that would only be unnecessary weight on their journey, yet the sight brought about a feeling of melancholy within James. Even now he still fell it, the sadness of letting go of accepting his role as a guardian was over.


    Rising out of his stupor, James too gave one last glance at the grounds he had called home with his niece for so many years. He then turned his gaze to the sky and sun overhead, he wondered if his brother and Valerie¡¯s mother would be proud of their daughter or curse James for not protecting her till his dying breath. He would have to ask them when his time came. That would have to wait, right now however he had work to do. His niece was on a new journey with skills and a trusty companion to help her along the way. James meanwhile would set in motion events that should have begun a long time ago. Samantha marked the start of fates intervention, but he would not let his niece be beholden to the whims of gods whenever they please. He gave his all to train her and provide the tools to take control of her life, now he had take her freedom away. When all was said and done, James only hoped his niece would forgive him and understand he did his duty and would forever more.

 Turn back the Clock

    Beyond the boundaries of a particularly uninteresting forest lay the kingdom of Gentile on the continent of Natar. The kingdom was a lush and verdant land that could be considered a haven of life, prosperity and abundance. Unfortunately, that bounty was beset with monsters not all of them horrifying in appearance, some were dressed like politicians. Gentile could be aptly described in two words: disconnected and corrupt. The ruling class, nobles and high born were a stock that was as genuine and generous as they were large and scaly, so far none among could claim to be dragons even if they sat on a hoard of gold like one. These nefarious officials plied their trade through ruthless deals, cutthroat schemes, robbing the under privileged and the occasional backstabbing both literally and figuratively. As such the Gentile people were disillusioned, taken advantage of and beaten down, once again figuratively and literally. Bandits, marauders, and wild monsters terrorized the inhabitants, while the nobles did little to assist their charges. Only the likes of wanderers or contracted mercenaries and adventurers would assist though the latter rarely worked without a reward. Even monster slayers must eat, and charity did little to fill their bellies. For outside parties this would an untenable abuse of power and blatant disregard for innocent well beings. For the people of Gentile, it was Tuesday. Within one hamlet the broken populace faced even worse treatment due to being on the edge of the kingdom. They were more or less governed by a band of brigands turned overlords who had one simple rule: do what you are told or be sent to work in the mine.


    The mine had been unearthed following a series of localized quakes caused by magical emanations felt across the continent. The origins of which were being studied by mystical experts¡¯ miles from the affected hovel. Within the dark reaches a certain crystalline substance was discovered, it was known as Dragons¡¯ Teeth due to the yellow colouration and curved spike formations. The crystals were considered a highly marketable ingredient for one of the most illicit, addictive and ludicrously rare drugs out there. Single nodes were discovered in seemingly random locations across the country and beyond with no common factor found in their formation. Unfortunately for the town¡¯s inhabitants, below this forgettable little village was a treasure trove of teeth waiting to be harvested. Word spread and a caravan of ruffians seized the town and mine in one fell swoop. From then on, no traffic was allowed in or out of the area except for those hawking the crystals to wealthy buyers in the capital. The once peaceful villagers were turned into a manual work force and playthings for the invading outlaws. Many residents simply grinned and bared the abuse believing once the well ran dry they could return to a simple life while those opposing their oppressors didn¡¯t last long.


    After more than twenty years, the mine simply never ceased production, miles of tunnels snaking underground to yet more dragon¡¯s teeth veins. Very few of the towns¡¯ villagers remained above ground, the majority forced to reside in the mine¡¯s depths where they worked night and day for their captors. The dangerous conditions and rapid expansion sapped at the peoples moral while their numbers fell by the day. Hope never died though, hope for release, hope for escape and hope for the sun to beat down on the weary workers faces once again. A hope fostered by one man who refused to give in and would sooner throw himself into the depths than see his fellows lose heart. He was originally a travelling scholar, or so he claimed, who just happened to be staying in the town when the mine was discovered. Though confined to the depths like all the others, the traveller proved his worth entertaining the guards and workers alike with anecdotes, jokes and stories of enrapturing detail. He was a ray of sunshine in the dark reaches and fostered peaceful relations between the tortured workforce and guards creating an uneasy alliance. A happy work force was a docile work force after all, or atleast he could give the illusion of happiness. These people were so pitiable any simple kindness was seen as a gift from the heavens.


    Thus, the traveller became their spokesperson liaising with the guards, amicably ending disputes and giving the young someone to learn from. For years Siradum the Wise, or just Siradum, honoured his namesake passing his knowledge to those young and old who would listen always careful not to reveal too much lest his usefulness come to an end. While they were forced to work, he told stories from distant lands, when they rested, he would inspire the people to think and act on their own. He told jokes, he taught philosophy, he comforted men and women alike as they wept over the agonizing days and became their true confidant. For the children born of the mine he was their icon, a glimpse into the outside world and what they could make of themselves. No one was more enthralled than Siradum¡¯s own de facto daughter, an all-too-common orphan whom the man elected to look after. When asked why, he would always stare into some far-off corner and say she reminded him of someone long gone from this world. In his darkest moments he would look into his daughter¡¯s blue eyes and find his own resolve restored. He had no legacy to leave but within this small child he would be the best Papa he could.


    As the years rolled by, Siradum watched the girl grow and learn with such a fervour it inspired him to do better as well. She would always be there to listen, to learn, to wonder just what the outside could be. When he held ¡°class¡± she was at the front interrupting his lessons with questions from the profound to the obvious. What is the sky? Where do rivers come from? Where do they go? What is magic? Why are there bears? And many more, which did not make her popular amongst her peers, always consuming the lessons with her inane prattling.


    Her standing within the community only dropped further when Siradum mysteriously disappeared leaving behind not a trace, parting words or scrap of evidence for what happened to him. Rumours circulated that he cut another deal granting him leave from the deep dark depths or that he was a former guard who had finally earned back his rightful place. They were baseless lies and many of Siradum¡¯s most avid followers refused to hear a single insult to the man¡¯s name. All except the girl, who didn¡¯t take a side, didn¡¯t react, and didn¡¯t seem to care her only parent was gone. Instead, she simply decided she would ask Papa where he had gone after she left the mine, working tirelessly during the day and at night planning her grand escape.


    The schemes she concocted were as rudimentary as a child could manage but frequent enough the guards came to hate her. She¡¯d run while the guards¡¯ changed shifts, she hid below carts transporting Dragon¡¯s Teeth to the surface, she once tried to impersonate a guard using pieces of armour she had stolen over months. Each time she was caught, beaten and sent back to the mine. Yet the girl persisted, she would wait and watch knowing eventually her jailers would turn their back, grow bored or lose sight of her and then she would be off again.The tale has been taken without authorization; if you see it on Amazon, report the incident.


    In preparation for her most daring escape to date, she fashioned a makeshift shiv from an oddly durable rock. She chipped away the edge any chance she got until it was a finely sharp tool. While helping to transport a shipment of Dragon¡¯s teeth towards the surface under the bored eye of a fat old guard she struck. Jamming the knife into her captor¡¯s leg and pushing him to the ground, the girl snagged the keys to her shackles unlocking them with finesse. She watched the guards do the same actions numerous times and mimicked their movements whenever she could. The girl offered to free her fellow inmates, yet they refused fearing the punishment they would undoubtedly suffer. It was alright she could come back for them. Papa Siradum talked of heroes in his stories, and she would find some to liberate the mine. And if she couldn¡¯t find any, she would work to become a villain and rain disaster on this cave of torment.


    Leaving the wounded guard behind the girl ran, faster and free-er than ever before searching for the exit. What she found instead was the guard captain awaiting the latest shipment with a regiment of his men. In her haste to escape the girl had thrown caution to the wind and failed to account for her route out of the mine. One bloodied and battered face later the girl was shackled yet again, but the captain had grown tired of her antics and sought to be rid of the nuisance altogether. Roughly grabbing her hair and dragging her up from where she lay bruised on the floor the captain stared at the rebel. She smiled innocently and spat bloody phlegm into his face. He threw her roughly to the floor and wiped at the stain before uttering words that chilled his men to the bone.


    ¡°Send this wretch to confinement.¡±


    He ordered, hate and disdain filling his words. Confinement rooms were hollowed out crevices located near the top of the mine. When troublemakers first started to appear, the guards were unprepared and resorted to locking away the miscreants into pitch black dead ends then sealing them in with a boulder. Most emerged shaken but ultimately fine after just a day of confinement, those that were locked away for a week weren¡¯t so lucky. In a rare show of mercy, the guards chose to stop using confinement, it didn¡¯t help too many workers were becoming insane and prone to self-harm. Dragged along by two guards, the girl was brought to one such cell the pitch-black expanse darker than dark should be. Without a moments remorse, she was roughly thrown in with a single apple her only meal and sealed in place, not a crack or hole to let any light in.


    On the first day, the girl lay on the ground recovering from her wounds and planning a new escape, she moved the smallest bit closer to the exit and needed to capitalize on any and all opportunities. On the second day, she paced around the room feeling for gaps and protrusions while taking miniscule bites of her apple. She couldn¡¯t see anything so touch was the only sense she could rely on. From the third to the sixth day, she ranged from screaming at the walls, slamming her back against the stone seal and cackling madly, sometimes all three at once. On the seventh, the girl sat rocking back and forth while staring into the darkness she had come to know like a true friend. The apple was gone, core, stem and all consumed some time ago although her stomach refused to accept facts rumbling and aching in pain. It made such funny sounds she thought as her mind teetered on the brink of despair. Why had she ever tried to escape? Why had she bothered? What was the point of any of it? Why hadn¡¯t she cast herself into the deepest part of the cave or used the shiv on herself? Why did she need to be alive? Her heart rung out in agony as she cursed herself and the parents that birthed her. Then she thought of her Papa who raised her despite neither sharing a drop of blood, and a calm settled upon her. It was because he taught her to want more, to strive upward and onward, to be something more than her origins. That was why she was alive, in his honour and because she deserved the right just like everyone else. As a mixture of pain and heart ache consumed the girl she fell into a deep sleep and dreamed a most vivid dream.


    Within this world there was magic and wonder, demons and monsters, men, elves, dwarves and many more. Above all was the divine, a collection of deities who once reigned personally over their world until disappearing into the background. Their presence is still felt everywhere and the faithful hold true that they will return to guide their world once again. The clearest example of this was the gift of foresight. For those destined to enact change or save a people on the brink of destruction the divine will grant them a vision. It is never the same and none could prove if it truly happened yet stories were abound of heroes seeing the moment of a courageous fight and finding the resolve to persevere. Others claimed to taste electricity in the air and save a loved one from the stroke of thunder. One had only received the whisper of a name they never knew only to find their one true love bearing the same name. Unfortunately, the most common vision is that of demise, the moment a warrior loses their weapon slipping from their grasp at the pivotal moment. A paragons virtue and faith sacrificed by an impossible decision. The final clash that claims both hero and villain alike. A flame burns brightest when just about to go out and the divine are forced to witness each moment only granting the rarest of few a glimpse.


    In a cave that transcended darkness a lone girl, curled into a ball, slept and received just such a vision. Rather than the flash of something indescribable, she was gifted true foresight, a real glimpse of what was to come. Jolted from her sleep she was frightened beyond comprehension recalling the image as it played again and again in her mind. It was outstanding, it was terrible, it was beautiful, it was horrifying, it was her. It was a moment in time that would inevitably come to pass in the girl¡¯s life. She focused on the image trying to burn it into her mind¡¯s eye and preserve the clarity. For hours she sat with her knees against her chest staring at nothing while she imagined the vision and tried to gleam every detail she could. And then clarity, the vision forever set into her psyche.


    Her heart slowed its incessant beating becoming a calm rhythm. The pain throughout her body grew dull and insignificant. A devilish grin appeared on the girls face and she accepted the truth she had been given. Sometime in the future, in a town she did not recognise, she would stand atop a hill of destruction while orange and red light flickered around her. She would look towards the sky reach her hand out and then collapse. It was her last moment, her dying breath and the last thing she would ever do. Some who received these visions did all they could to avoid them ultimately playing right into fates hands and causing the events to occur regardless. The girl, however, saw only what she truly wanted, she was going to escape this hell. Maybe not now, but eventually she would. It gave her an assurance not many could attain. Not only that, but she also now knew her death was preordained sometime in the future so while she could be hurt, maimed, tortured or nearly killed nothing in this world could end her. If anyone had been present to watch over the girl they would notice the instant it happened. Her body stopped shaking, the colour in her eyes disappeared, a cold chill ran throughout her soul and all ability to feel fear left her as she attained the Aspect of Shadow. On the ninth day, the girl¡¯s imprisonment ended and Samantha was released unto a world that was not prepared for what she would bring about.

 Hey you, finally awake?

    Samantha¡¯s head banged against a wooden plank forcing her out of dreams of her origin story. Blinking drowsily, she tried to avoid the harsh sun¡¯s rays and turned away to resume her blissful dream until her head slammed against the same wood plank again forcing her back into reality. Stretching her arms out and feeling her bones pop, she rose from the soft hay letting out a silent yawn. Despite seating herself somewhere in the middle of the soft straw, she somehow shifted over to the edge of the wooden cart. Most likely it had run over some rough terrain and caused the girl to slide closer to the edge until finally striking wooden gold. Nodding at her deductive skills once again, she hopped into the middle, lay down and promptly fell back asleep.


    Valerie only caught the tail end of Samantha¡¯s escape into dream land not at all envious of the girls innate ability to fall asleep seemingly on command. Nope not at all, she was fine lying awake at night worrying for their safety. Loved it even, who wouldn¡¯t? It was better than listening to her travel buddies camp stories. As the two journeyed from her uncle¡¯s home, the nap enthusiast spoke of the thrilling, inspiring, utterly depressing story of her life. It disturbed Valerie how casually Samantha talked about the abhorrent treatment she lived through until meeting the huntress and her uncle. After all their failed efforts to get her to open up, it seemed good old fashion boredom had been the trick. She talked endlessly of the mine, her father, her vision of the future and everything that happened afterwards.


    Although she wasn¡¯t sure, Samantha believed someone had started a fire deep in the cave which quickly spread and forced the inhabitants higher. The ensuing stampede led to an impromptu revolt that quickly swept through the entire mine. News took time to travel in the expansive underground network and the confinement guard on duty, unaware he was soon to be out of a job, released Samantha on schedule. She described her ingenious plan tricking her jailer into the cell before slamming the stone seal in its place. It was easy to hide herself in the shadows from the influx of torch light and confuse the guard leading him to walk into the cell as she slipped out. She could have ran for it but a twisted part of her wanted to show her captors exactly what she went through. She would have never been able to move the boulder were it not for her newly acquired power to manipulate shadows manifesting to lock the unaware man in. Valerie shuddered recalling how Samantha smiled and giggled at the thought of leaving that guard to his fate like it was the most normal thing in the world. She didn¡¯t let it show on her face however, now that they were travel buddies, she needed to take charge and be a leader, be someone Samantha could look up to.


    The tale concluded with Samantha¡¯s emergence from the mine at the back of hundreds of her fellow inmates as they stormed out of the cave with numbers on their side and took back control of the town driving off their torturers with righteous fury. It took less than an hour for the efficient operation to be undone due to a combination of growing resentment, negligent management and one mans tireless efforts to inspire change. When all was said and done, the towns folk left that depressing hovel, the place simply had too many bad memories and they couldn¡¯t remain. Samantha opted to go in the opposite direction as the man taking charge of the coup had been particularly rude to her Papa long before and especially after he vanished. Valerie rubbed at her temples going over the sad story again and contemplated, not for the first time, if she would be better off travelling alone after all.


    ¡°Ya¡¯ll alright there?¡±


    The sudden thick accented question brought the huntress back to the present and she sat up before answering.


    ¡°I¡¯m fine, just a little bit tired.¡±


    Beside her leading the horse drawn cart was a portly individual with a wrinkled face and thin white hair that looked to have fallen from his head and settled onto his chin. He was jolly, friendly and approachable fellow that prided himself on being the right man in any situation. If a would-be hero were to walk into his village, he would be the first to greet them and provide much needed context or exposition on local monster layers, corrupt governments officials or simply that a maiden needed rescuing. The travelling pair happened upon the kind old man while trekking down a dirt road that cut through the old forest. It had been a few days since running away and the cart driver, Dale, was the first person either came across. It was unnerving for the huntress given Dale was only the third person she had ever met and wasn¡¯t quite sure how to socialize with him. Understanding his thick accent had been a challenge all on its own as she shared her uncle¡¯s diction and Samantha¡¯s picked up her peculiar slang from her Papa. It genuinely took a second to process his words when he next spoke.


    ¡°Y¡¯should get some more rest, like yer friend over there. We¡¯s still a way¡¯s away from home and aint no reason to hurry. Not like the road gonna shrink or nothin¡¯.¡±


    While difficult to understand, Dale¡¯s sentiment was genuine as he wanted his passengers to relax given the long ride ahead of them. Especially the muscled-up frown of a girl who watched the woods like a hawk rather than make meaningful conversation. In all of Dale¡¯s life he had never seen a monster or heard of any around his neck of the woods, and he voiced this fact many times along the journey not knowing what else to say. He raised his sons right and spoiled his grandkids rotten, however talking with a pair of girls a fraction of his age was challenging to say the least. He was more likely to get along with the filly dragging them, a fact he also voiced chuckling to himself merrily. He could at least look at the black haired one without feeling his skin crawl, the blonde on the other hand, there was something off about her. When she spoke it was with such childlike wonder and excitement yet if he focused on her or caught a glimpse of her peepers a chill would run down his spine and touch the fringe of his soul. Even his horse felt it when the girl tried to pet her mane nearly kicking off her harness before Dale was able to calm the mare down. A part of him should have taken it as a sign and just kept to his business but when he saw two lonesome and tired girls walking down the road, he couldn¡¯t help himself. His mama raised him better than to abandon a person in need. So, he picked them up and while the scarier of the two slept like a babe in the back he sat beside Valerie answering her oddly uninformed questions about the surrounding area.


    ¡°So¡­ these woods, what are they called?¡±


    Valerie enquired, she never thought about them before but if she wanted to keep a mental map of the area best to know what to call them. The portly man thought on it and scratched at his scruffy beard.Stolen content warning: this content belongs on Royal Road. Report any occurrences.


    ¡°Don¡¯t rightly know, if¡¯n I¡¯m being honest. My grandpappy told me stories about the mountains to the¡­west? Them over there, the big, tall ones, apparently they¡¯s got a name but I couldn¡¯t for the life o¡¯ me recall. Sorry.¡±


    He¡­ said is too kind of a word, uttered in such a way you would need to not only slow his speech to a crawl but also have him transcribe exactly what he said to understand. The distant string of mountains had always loomed like the boundary to a cage in Valerie¡¯s mind but if she had her way, she would trek up each one just say she mastered them. Mountain climbing aside, her questions continued asking if anyone knew of a cabin within the unnamed woods and just where in the world they actually were. It helped to pass the time and distract their driver from his fraying nerves. She understood why he was so on edge, Samantha¡¯s eery aura was in full effect no matter if she was awake or asleep and covered a sizable area around her. Taking the lifeline, Dale offered his exceptionally lacking knowledge, explaining how they were seated near the outer regions of the Gentile Kingdom as well as many other tidbits and factoids that could be safely stored away in the interesting if pointless folder. He was unaware of any cabin in the woods and thankfully didn¡¯t pry into the particulars of why she wanted to know. He was also ignorant of the uglier side of the capital having lived in his own little village all his life amongst his family and about fifty to a hundred other people. They were farmers, traders, and occasionally ferry men. Dale laughed that he was getting just a smidge too old to work the fields so did his share taking travellers to and from connecting villages at little to no charge. He rambled on about his village, his wife Sue, his sons Daniel, Tucker and Dale Junior as well as their pretty wives capping off with his excitement at becoming a grandfather yet again. Valerie listened and absently nodded along to the extended family lineage seminar knowing before they reached the village she would have forgotten every last name.


    By the time Dale was recounting a story about his cousins¡¯ sons¡¯ wives brothers pet pig also named Dale the trio had reached the outer edge of the village. Choosing now to rise from slumber, Samantha poked her head above the pair of riders before pointing into the distance and exclaimed loudly.


    ¡°Ooooh, oh, oh what kind of monster is that?¡±


    A startled Dale followed the girls¡¯ directions and caught sight of his pride and joy grazing peacefully in the fields.


    ¡°Th-thats my number one girl: Betsy¡­ she¡¯s a cow.¡±


    The shook man stammered out after realizing the girl was completely unaware what the farm animal was. He shook his head and wondered how sheltered this girl was to not even recognise the most beautiful bovine this side of the river. As the cart neared its destination Betsy glanced up from her afternoon meal and froze half chewed grass tumbling out of her mouth. Her dark eyes met the even darker gaze of the shadow user as she waved happily at the cow. In the next instant, Betsy dashed away with all the power her hooves could muster. Samantha wasn¡¯t quite sure where the cow was going but waved after it nonetheless, it clearly was late for something otherwise it wouldn¡¯t be in such a hurry. Valerie watched the animal disappear rapidly around a barn, unsurprised at the creature¡¯s adverse reaction and Dale felt a kinship to Betsy he hadn¡¯t experienced in years.


    Finally stopping just outside his humble farmhouse, Dale dropped down to the ground and offered a hand to his passengers. Valerie leapt down herself and Samantha just seemed to appear standing right beside her, hay dotting her tattered cloak and caught in her hair. It flabbergasted the man, he hadn¡¯t heard her climb down or even felt the cart shift, she was just already there, bare feet sinking into the mud and dirt like she was rooted in place. He briefly felt thankful the pair would only be making a short pit-stop and then chastised himself for the disrespectful thought. Shaking off his worries, Dale invited the two inside his home for some much-needed vittles¡¯ and cleaning up. He also needed to see if he could find a pair of decent shoes and a new set of clothes for the scary girl. Valerie¡¯s travel wear had seen better days but was in mint condition compared to Samantha still dressed in her pyjamas and cloak. Dale walked through the door and called for his wife only to be met with silence. Trying again with little success, he had a sudden feeling something was off; his wife was always home to welcome him no matter what. A commotion from outside drew the worried husband¡¯s attention and he caught his first born angrily shouting at his house guests.


    ¡°What¡¯d you think your doin here? Where is my pa?!¡±


    Daniel McDale, first of his name, was the polar opposite of his father; tall, lean and distrustful of anyone outside the village. He confronted the two intruders yelling at the top of his lungs after noticing his father¡¯s cart but not the man himself. Valerie met the man coming up a foot smaller but none the less imposing, the two getting in each other¡¯s faces as if waiting for a starting pistol to go off.


    ¡°Back off. Or I will make you back off.¡±


    She promised resting her hand on her sheathed knife, the slightly taller man eyeing her warily. Before any scuffle could erupt, Dale rushed from the house trying to rapidly ease the situation. Samantha meanwhile leaned against a fence picking strands of hay from her cloak seemingly unaware a fight almost occurred.


    ¡°Wait, wait, wait, hold it! Danny these are our guests!¡±


    Forcing his son to back off, Dale managed to defuse the situation before any one starting hacking away at the other. Positioning himself between his son and Valerie, he enquired about his missing wife. The anxious look in Daniel¡¯s eyes caused his father¡¯s heart to thump in his chest, a growing pit forming in his stomach.


    ¡°It¡¯s¡­ it¡¯s Tucker Pa, he got hurt.¡±


    The jolly grandfather went pale and nearly stumbled back but was caught by his son in time. Tucker McDale, first of his name, had been attacked by a beast while out herding the animals. He was currently being treated at the local healer¡¯s house but from Daniel¡¯s description it wasn¡¯t looking good. The two men raced into the village proper bursting into the healers home. In the living room Dale found his middle son laid up on a table, bandages adorning his upper body and arms, barely alive and in terrible condition. Whatever attacked the poor boy ripped flesh from his bones and claimed a whole arm up to the elbow. The old healer had knowledge and magic on her side that saved Tucker but couldn¡¯t restore the lost limb. Dale rushed to his boy¡¯s side and collapsed by the table clutching onto his son¡¯s one remaining hand. His wife as well as Dale Junior and each of his sons wives were all huddled in the corner consoling the McDale matriarch until her husband arrived. The healer sat on the other side of the injured McDale her hands above his worst injuries letting off a faint glow as magic poured out of her and into him. Sweat dripped off her brow at the effort, she hadn¡¯t needed to exert this much power in years.


    ¡°Verjungen¡±


    She whispered casting another rejuvenation spell to force her patients own mana to work at repairing the damage. She had already exhausted her own reserves to a dangerous degree as she tried desperately to heal Tucker. Given the damage he sustained it would be a miracle if he survived the night but that wouldn¡¯t stop her as she did all she could. If he could have, Dale would offer every drop of blood and mana in his own veins but unfortunately the restoration could only be accomplished between the healer and the afflicted.


    ¡°Oh, my boy¡­¡±


    The distraught father whispered as tears welled in his eyes. Finally realizing her husband had come home, Sue leapt from her seat and barrelled into the old man holding him for dear life as they both wept at their boy¡¯s side. The eldest McDale could only stand in the doorway a look of pure anger creasing his face. He had been the one to find his brother and brought him straight to the clinic before gathering his family. Now however, he was without a purpose, he couldn¡¯t help his brother or do a damn thing except get revenge.


    ¡°I¡¯m gonna kill that rotten beast!¡±


    The eldest McDale son announced as he turned to leave the house. His fathers booming voice echoed throughout the home startling all bar the healer lost in her work.


    ¡°DON¡¯T YOU DARE DANNY! I AM NOT HAVING ANOTHER OF MY SONS GETTING HURT!¡±


    Daniel tried to argue with his father to no avail, the patriarch of the McDale household wouldn¡¯t have his family put in danger again. The two men went back and forth several times until a firm cough interrupted the debate. Stepping into view, Valerie made her presence known while Samantha backed her up. They looked over the depressing scene and saw an opportunity. Smiling internally, the young warrior proposed another option.


    ¡°If it¡¯s a beast you¡¯re looking to kill then what you need is a hunter.¡±

 The Big Bad Wolf

    In a shockingly identical set of uninteresting woods a hunter stepped over roots and fallen leaves careful not to make a sound as she searched for her quarry. It was surprisingly easy to convince the McDale¡¯s to leave the hunt to her, none of them were warriors after all or had the expertise to track animals like she did. She felt the ground, listened to the wind, tried to smell and taste the air for any signs of her prey taking in all she could. Nothing, not a hint of the beast so far but Daniel was sure he¡¯d seen it rush back into the woods after attacking his brother. Valerie sympathized with the man¡¯s boiling rage; she wasn¡¯t quite sure what she would do if her uncle were in such a state. She shook her head, idle thoughts did nothing but distract her from tracking the beast, she needed absolute calm and focus. Suddenly from out of a tree a dark figure dropped in front of the huntress and yelled into her face. This resulted in a swift and merciless punch to the surprise attackers face causing them to fall back and clutch at their nose while rolling on the ground. Valerie looked down at Samantha deciding maybe she would keep her worries to just direct family.


    The self-named ¡°stealth expert¡± elected to remain in the trees canopy and watch for any signs of the monster, clearly however that task wasn¡¯t as exciting as she imagined. Stepping over the prone girl, Valerie shook her head again and continued the hunt hoping the disturbance wouldn¡¯t alert the Duvolf. Though he had only caught a glimpse of the beast, Daniel described his brother¡¯s attacker as a large dog with multiple heads. A strange thought entered the back of Valerie¡¯s mind from the description and her mind flared with a burst of information. A Duvolf was like a wolf but double the size, double the mean and double headed. It had tough fur that could block sword strikes and a vicious maw strong enough rend a full-grown tree out of the ground per head. Given the wounds on Tucker and the fact he was still alive, it was most likely not fully grown, Valerie theorized from the details popping into her head. She kept the description to herself however as she wasn¡¯t quite sure where the information had come from and didn¡¯t want to rile up the McDale¡¯s anymore than they already were. While they suffered possibly the worst day of their lives, Valerie was feeling quite elated that her Aspect of the Hunt finally showed its true colours giving her basic backgrounds on monsters she had yet to encounter. It was quite handy although she realised a glaring fault, knowing what a monster was wasn¡¯t the same as knowing how to beat it nor did it confer any physical benefits. She also had to question the validity of the information after all fur stopping sword strikes was ludicrous. How could hair block a warrior¡¯s weapon? A dragons scales made sense; they were like lots of little interlocking shields, but loose fibres just didn¡¯t seem likely to stop a sword.


    Walking cautiously and planning out her strategy, the huntress heard a rustle from something large not too far off and caught sight of the swish of a pair of long furry tails. She turned to warn Samantha off, but shadow user was already gone, a shift from the trees above the only indicator she had returned to her post. Perhaps stopping abruptly and ripping her knife from its sheath was all the warning Samantha needed. Valerie didn¡¯t realise she had done it until finding her blade already gripped tightly in her right hand. Shrugging, she slowly edged her way forward finally locating the beast in all its vicious glory. It was the size of a horse covered in shaggy brown fur with white patches dotted across the pelt as well as a set of ravenous teeth and gleaming sharp claws to match. It was currently hunched over a fresh kill, its dual heads biting and tearing at a deer carcass while occasionally snapping at one another for a larger portion.


    Crouching low, Valerie eased up to within spitting distance of the canine watching for any signs it would detect her. Reaching into her pocket she fished out a single throwing knife and swapped it into her right hand. Breathing deep, she let the power within guide her as she reared back then threw with all her might. A heartbeat and a yelp later, a knife was jammed into one of the Duvolf¡¯s eyes on its left head. The creature howled in pain and threw itself onto the ground trying to tear the projectile free using a blood-soaked claw. Ecstasy filled Valerie watching the dumb animal roll around completely blind to its surroundings. With adrenaline drowning her reasoning, she leapt from her hiding spot and rushed towards the beast. Had her uncle been present he surely would have scolded her savagely for the idiotic move. Raising her hunting knife high, Valerie sought the beasts¡¯ heart to end the fight before it even began. Unfortunately, the unharmed head caught sight of its assailant and rolled back onto its paws while the other head shook violently still trying to free itself of the embedded blade. Missing her opportunity, the huntress was left exposed and forced to take up a fighting position while the two headed monster snarled in anger at her. The combatants circled each other, one assessing their opponent¡¯s capability while the other focused solely onto a throat they wanted to tear open.


    In a flash, the raging beast lunged for Valerie fangs bared and claws extended ready to rend flesh from bone. Using the beasts new blind spot to her advantage, she dodged out of the way while slashing with her knife. The attack come up short as the beast shifted its weight and circled back to attempt another lunge. Ready for the pounce, Valerie reached into her pocket again grabbing a handful of knives and immediately tossing them with the full power of her aspect. The Duvolf turned its heads away and allowed the knives to strike harmlessly against its side. She knew the monsters pelt would be tough but to stop her aspect empowered knives that easily shocked the huntress. Unlike her first throw they hadn¡¯t been as precise or powerful but still not leaving a single scratch was outrageous. The creature didn¡¯t wait for a follow up and ran around the huntress seeking an opening while nipping at her side causing the girl to play keep away. In a dangerous gambit, the Duvolf dipped low to try and cripple its afternoon meal, but she jumped just out of harm¡¯s way ending up on the beats flank. Flipping her knife backhanded, Valerie raised herself up and thrust the blade into the creature¡¯s side.


    A dull thwack rung out as the attack struck but to her horror did not penetrate past the fur surrounding the beast. While a monster¡¯s endurance was already considerably higher than regular people or animals, she had forgotten the one true wrench in every would-be slayer¡¯s plan: magic. Everything had it and this particular monster instinctually used it to reinforce the fur around its body turning the many fibres into a steel wall that was not so easily penetrated. Valerie reflected on this fact as she was frozen solid due to the shock, her mind racing for a reason for the failed attack. This lapse in judgement gave the monster all the time it needed to twist itself around and open its jaws wide for a killing blow. The huntress stared into the open maws, her short life flashing before her eyes. Had it really been that boring?A case of literary theft: this tale is not rightfully on Amazon; if you see it, report the violation.


    Before the beast could chomp down it was interrupted by a rock crashing into the animal¡¯s already injured head, the blow driving the throwing knife further into its eye socket. Seeing the beast struck forced Valerie to her senses and she backed off from the monster while it frantically searched the perimeter for the second morsel on its plate. Another rock came hurtling out from the side and glanced the beasts front right paw. The end of a whispy dark tendril snaking back into the shadows was all the evidence Valerie needed to confirm Samantha finally decided to join the fight. Howling in fury, the Duvolf charged at Valerie once again focusing on one enemy at a time. The huntress prepared to meet the rush head on when a familiar cloaked figure decided to interrupt the flow of the fight for the second time. Swinging in on a shadow tendril, Samantha looked poised to kick the beasts¡¯ side but instead she swung over and past the monster while reaching her hand out to grab at the knife still lodged in the left head. With her momentum carrying her, she soared out of reach of the Duvolf ripping the blade free along the way and tearing a gouge in the animal. Wracked with a new rush of pain the monster thrashed around violently biting at the air and searching for Samantha.


    Within the flailing movement Valerie caught sight of something, a tuft of hair between the monsters two necks that was different than the rest. That same odd sensation filled her head again and she knew that spot was weaker than the rest of its fur. If a Duvolf ever developed the mental capacity to control their mana and put all of it into their fur they would find themselves turned into a statue unable to move a muscle due to the rigid strands of hair. For this reason, Duvolf¡¯s naturally reinforced the less flexible and larger areas of their bodies while neglecting the joints. This lack of armour was most prevalent in the base of their necks between the two heads an area few could reach unless they could restrain the dual maws simultaneously. Flipping her knife forward, Valerie ran towards the raging beast and shouted out to her comrade.


    ¡°SAMANTHA! PIN IT DOWN AND SEPARATE THEM!¡±


    Broken from its rage, the monsters three good eyes focused on Valerie as it prepared to leap at her once again, however its feet simply refused to move. Shadow tentacles from all around gripped and tugged at the canines¡¯ paws, even holding down its tails. Struggling violently the Duvolf ripped free from its bindings only to find more tendrils waiting to capture the beast again. When Valerie was only a foot from the monster, both heads focused their hatred upon her and reared back to strike. The huntress matched the creature, setting both hands on her knife and bringing it down to her stomach ready to thrust up. Time seemed to freeze, danger and death surrounded her on both sides, yet she felt excitement like she had never experienced before. She forced almost all the mana in her body into the weapon causing it to glow a brilliant light. Letting out a guttural roar, Valerie thrust up between the Duvolf¡¯s split heads as they descended upon her. At the last second another flurry of shadow tendrils whipped out of the darkness and ensnared the beast¡¯s jaws forcing the heads further apart and opening the way to its weak point. The blade struck true piercing the monster and sinking deep into it flesh. Both heads let out a pain filled roar of their own pushing them to break from their bindings and try to bite down on the huntress again. Before either could sink into flesh, Valerie leapt over the monster her right hand still clinging onto the knife embedded into her target. Straddled atop the Duvolf, she placed a foot on both heads and yanked her knife free from the monster¡¯s neck. Its reprieve lasted barely a breath before she sunk her weapon back into the weak point before tearing it free again. She stabbed into the flesh over and over and over while the monster cried out in pain unable to free itself of the torment.


    It struggled valiantly but the combination of shadow tendrils binding its legs and the madly cackling girl repeatedly stabbing at its neck was simply too much for the beast to bear. Valerie continued to plunge her knife into the Duvolf even after it finally collapsed. Again and again and again and again went her blade as it dug a hole in the monsters flesh. She finally stopped when Samantha casually walked up to the dead monster kicking one of its heads to check if it was dead. Breathing hard, the huntress stared down at her red hands the ecstatic feeling still coursing through her veins. A sickening thought flew threw her mind to give the monsters blood a taste which finally tore her from her stupor. Stepping off the beast, Valerie only now noticed the numerous shadow tendrils that kept her tied to the Duvolf ensuring she didn¡¯t topple off.


    ¡°Thanks for¡­ thank you Samantha.¡±


    ¡°No probs Val.¡±


    Looking at their handy work, the huntress marvelled at the sight but knew if she tried to fight this monster alone, aspect or not, she probably would have died. She would need to work on her reckless ideas if the two were to keep travelling this monster infested world. They would also need to start working on some playbook for how best to take down these creatures, that fight was far too haphazard and couldn¡¯t be repeated. That would have to be for later though as neither could take their eyes off the dead creature. It was their first real accomplishment since starting their journey and it felt right, felt like exactly what they were put here to do. Or in another more accurate sense, both couldn¡¯t help but silently agree it was fun executing this monstrosity, the thrill above all was intoxicating. Samantha grinned and raised her hand up for a high five waiting patiently for the huntress to reciprocate. A voice at the back of Valerie¡¯s head that sounded oddly like her uncles cautioned this feeling and to not feed into it. The only problem was, she didn¡¯t have to listen to her uncle or that voice anymore. Laughing, she met the high five and both locked hands, a vicious and mischievous smile adorning their faces respectively. As they were about to head back, a wicked thought entered Valerie¡¯s mind.


    ¡°Hey Samantha, you mind helping me lift this thing? I have an idea.¡±


    Valerie stepped around the beast, tearing her knife from its back in the process. Although it was already dead and wouldn¡¯t be learning to reinforce itself any time soon, the pelt of a Duvolf was still quite handy to have. Monsters had an unfortunate downside in that their flesh, bones, horns, teeth and so on retained whatever mana they put into them. Unfortunate for the monsters that is as it made them not only a necessary nuisance but also a valuable commodity and she couldn¡¯t call herself a proper hunter if she didn¡¯t have any furs to trade.

 Temple of Whom?

    A pair of newly minted monster hunters walked down a dirt road, the taller of the two absentmindedly tugged and adjusted her new set of furry vambraces that covered her forearm and the back of her hands. The smaller than average one on the other hand jumped, leapt, twisted and flipped around showing off every stich and sinew of her new spiffy travelling outfit gratefully donated by the McDale¡¯s. The fledgling monster hunters had returned to the McDale household, the Duvolf hung over Valerie¡¯s shoulder and dripping viscera all the way home. Dale¡¯s wife Sue greeted the pair with the tightest, warmest and most motherly of embraces either had ever experienced. Which was also sadly their first motherly embrace but it did set quite the bar. While Dale was a short, reserved man his wife was anything but, the very definition of a mama bear sans fur and talons. She exuded a mother¡¯s love and considered the two new arrivals as members of the family showering them with frankly an obscene amount of doting and attention. The newest McDale ¡°Daughters¡± were understandably uncomfortable but thankful for the treatment, hearty meals and warm bed. The luxurious accommodations might have led to the two in to staying permanently as the towns defenders, but they were forced to disappoint. They had a long journey to nowhere in particular and couldn¡¯t trade one dead end home for another.


    They tried to get away as soon as possible claiming they needed to find a tanner who could work the Duvolf pelt into something both could use. Coincidentally, Dale Junior was such a tanner and readily offered his services free of charge to the women that avenged his brother. Miraculously, Tucker was alive but unresponsive, he had lost too much blood and would need time to recover his strength. The McDale¡¯s were simply thankful their boy was alive and no one else would suffer the beast¡¯s hunger. After being coerced into spending more than a few nights lodging at the McDale residence, the pair made their goodbyes and set off. Dale tried to offer his services to cart the young ladies where they needed to get to but they themselves didn¡¯t know what the road ahead entailed and wanted to try their hand at being independent whenever they could. Setting down the opposite road they came in from Samantha and Valerie waved goodbye to the village they forgot to learn the name of and looked to new horizons.


    ¡°Swish, swish.¡±


    Which brings us back to the long march along the dirt road Samantha used as her own runway strutting this way and that. Dale Junior was an artist among farm hands and when given the sizable task of treating the Duvolf pelt he truly showed his skill. For Samantha he re-sowed many of the loosely stitched cloth fragments that made up her cloak while replacing some with scraps he had on hand. The revitalized cloak was then made even more ragged with excess monster furs draped on top. It didn¡¯t matter if you were the greatest artist in the world if your tools weren¡¯t up for the task and dividing the Duvolf pelt was no easy feat.


    ¡°Why didn¡¯t you just get a new one? A cloak I mean.¡±


    Valerie asked the jolly shadow user. Junior did originally offer to replace the cloak outright but Samantha was too attached to the garment to give it up.


    ¡°I like mine, Papa made it and now Junior added to it, so it¡¯s got history. It¡¯s like a memento of our journey. Maybe I can keep adding to it? Could I make it outrageously long?¡±


    Barring the dreams of a mile long cape, Samantha¡¯s statement was the most insightful thing Valerie ever heard her say and probably the only insightful statement she would ever make. Apart from the touch ups to her cloak, she was also gifted a new outfit that originally belonged to Tucker¡¯s wife when she was a girl. It was an altogether garish cream dress with bright yellow sunflowers dotted across it. Junior worked his magic and turned the flowing garment into a pant suit cut and stitched to Samantha¡¯s proportions. Daniel also contributed passing on old work boots from when he was a boy that fit Samantha like a dream. The combination of a child¡¯s dress, man¡¯s boots, raggedy cloak and the fur mantle made her quite the fashion disaster but more importantly it was comfortable and warm.


    Looking at the shower of gifts and rewards Samantha received you would think she dealt the final blow to the monster. Valerie didn¡¯t mind however as she requested quality over quantity receiving a pair of fur coated arm, leg and chest armour from the monsters hide. Due to the pelts tough skin, Junior could only work a small part into usable armour although what he did make was still far better than the nothing the huntress had before. Being able to use a Duvolf¡¯s sturdy pelt for ready defence would prove lifesaving. If she¡¯d been kitted out like this during the fight she might have been able to occupy one head and focus attacks on the other or discover its weakness sooner. Valerie couldn¡¯t help but play the fight back time and again analysing each and every error she made.


    ¡°I should have been better.¡±


    She abruptly stated reprimanding herself. She imagined all the ways it could have turned out for the better and how it could have gone horribly wrong. The sticking point was always Samantha, if she hadn¡¯t gotten involved and left it up to Valerie or if she had intervened earlier then one or both of them might be dead. The beast was stronger than Valerie gave it credit for especially when she ignored what her own aspect told her about the monster¡¯s advantages. If Samantha joined in at the same time, the beast may have wizened up to their slapdash tactics and decided to run forcing the two to chase it down and turn the fight to its favour. Though they communicated little and fought on instinct, the pair ultimately won but it was anything but a clean fight and came down to luck. Valerie let out a groan imagining her uncle and the field day he would have lecturing the two on all of their many faults. Hubris, a lack of foresight, no coordination to name just a few of their glaring mistakes.


    ¡°There¡¯s always next time.¡±


    Samantha cut into Valerie¡¯s brooding and brought her back to reality. The huntress glanced up from the road to look at Samantha still twirling around like the prettiest princess at the ball. She was right, dwelling on what might have happened wasn¡¯t helping, planning for the future however would.


    ¡°From now on we need to be better. We can¡¯t just wing everything and hope we get lucky. We¡¯re going to start running drills and forming combat strategies that we can easily call out. Okay?¡±


    Samantha stopped in the middle of the road set her posture as straight as an arrow and saluted.


    ¡°Aye Aye captain.¡±


    She said cockily and with a goofy grin on her face. Valerie rolled her eyes and kept walking, try as she might that girl was always a few cards short of a deck. The two marched on for most of the day, taking occasional breaks and chewing on provisions gifted by the thankful McDale family. While resting they talked about plans and code phrases each could recognise with the huntress offering helpful suggestions and Samantha was there too. During one such break Valerie sat against a tree with her eyes closed trying to formulate strategies or formations that would make best use of both their talents. Her comrade in arms meanwhile practiced her acrobatics, leaping from tree branch to tree branch without losing her balance or relying on shadows to steady herself. The rhythmic sound of creaking bark slowly lulled the group strategist and she soon fell asleep her head leaning on the rugged tree. She wasn¡¯t sure how long she slept only that a few hours passed until she was roused from slumber by Samantha calling out from the distance.


    ¡°Val! Val! Val! Val! Val! Val! Val! Val! Val! Val! Val! Val! I found something neat!¡±


    Valerie groggily opened her eyes to stare at the fast-talking alarm hung upside down from a tree branch. Forcing herself back to her feet, she speed walked towards Samantha if only to stop her from shouting out their position.


    ¡°What?! What is it?! What did you find?


    Valerie rudely demanded her annoyance at being awoken evident to anyone but Samantha.


    ¡°It¡¯s a big thing, it¡¯s white all over and it has this place that¡¯s making this sound, and I think I heard a whisper saying something, but it was really quiet, and I wanted to find you because it¡¯s *really* weird.¡±This tale has been unlawfully obtained from Royal Road. If you discover it on Amazon, kindly report it.


    The excited girl replied in a hurry before sucking in a deep exhausted breath. The fight against the Duvolf was the most fun thing they had done so far but Samantha felt she barely did anything except restrain the hound. This thing however, while she couldn¡¯t put her finger on it, she had a feeling it was oodles of fun. Valerie meanwhile tried her utmost to care but, like a Pomeranian in a tallest dog contest, came up short. Pinching the bridge of her nose she waved for Samantha to take them back to the white thing.


    ¡°Oh you¡¯re going to love this!¡±


    She flipped back onto the branch and raced ahead, leaping from tree to tree constantly beckoning Valerie who followed at a resigned pace. They trekked some distance from the road until finally coming upon the white thing Samantha found. In the midst of the lush green forest a perfectly round patch of bone white grass swayed in the afternoons gentle breeze. It was like a spot on a canvas the artist forgot to colour. The branches and leaves that hung over the blank patch lost all colour too while the tree they were connected to remained unaffected just outside the area of effect. In the centre of the white circle was a marble arch that extended out of the earth at a steep angle, the effect making it appear like the entrance to a mausoleum buried into the ground or sunk into a bog. Valerie¡¯s mouth hung upon when she caught sight of a butterfly flitter into the circle, turn completely white and then fall limply to the earth.


    ¡°It can¡¯t be. Is that¡­ a temple?¡±


    She was not a particular religious person; she believed in the Divine and would never denigrate them but also wouldn¡¯t sit and pray daily to them either. Her uncle however was faithful and knew his fair share about holy sites and magical locations, although his lessons were always how best to avoid them. Temples were, by his definition, shortcuts, places that held power or objects that could turn a farm hand to an all-powerful dictator. He cautioned against approaching them whenever possible, the price for entering such a domain was never worth the trouble. It could be exacted immediately or months and years down the line, but a price must be paid, nevertheless. Samantha had also been taught this same lesson, but knowing to avoid a temple and realizing you found one were two different things.


    ¡°Check me out! Ooooooh¡±


    She said jumping between the white patch and the rest of the forest, turning stark white then back to normal in the process. Valerie wondered idly how Samantha wasn¡¯t aware they stood a stones throw away from a temple.


    ¡°Wait¡­ how do I know?¡±


    She had never seen a temple before and her uncle said they could take on any number of forms, so how did Valerie know this was actually a temple? Curious, she tentatively reached her hand towards the domain and watched in awe as all the colour drained from her fingers stopping just at the elbow. Yanking her hand back caused the colour to quickly return as did her mana. She didn¡¯t realise it was being drained away; the effect was so gradual she could have walked around the temple completely oblivious until she fell over dead. Samantha didn¡¯t seem to notice, crab walking in and out of the domain still playing around with the colourless effect.


    ¡°Typical caster types.¡±


    Compared to Valerie, Samantha had a wealth of mana at her beck and call meaning she could probably live in the temples domain and never notice a difference. If the huntress wanted to step into this place proper, she would have maybe an hour to raid its depths for whatever power, weapons or other riches it had to offer. It wasn¡¯t a long time but, if she found whatever artifact lay at the bottom of the holy sight the draining effect would probably end. Or she might become stronger than the temple and resist its mana sapping qualities out right. Who knows, maybe she was already able to fight off the feeling and could freely explore the temple for as long as she wants. Finding and taking the gift this place brought would be a simple matter at that point, perhaps even finding more treasures inside. Who ever said their had to be one benefit to these temples? She might find a hoard of armaments and armour that would serve her well on her journey, each one making her leagues stronger than before. Taking down a Duvolf by herself would be child''s play at that point, she could be unstoppable. She could be so much more than she already was. She could-


    ¡°Pretty neat right? This thing¡¯s making so much noise like¡­¡±


    Valerie painfully twisted her gaze away from the temple to look at Samantha failing to imitate the sounds the holy place made. What did she think she was doing? Didn¡¯t she see how close Valerie was to her deserved prize? The rage and bitterness filling the huntress evaporated and was replaced by horror upon realizing she was half way into the temples domain. The illustrious alabaster arch was only a few paces away, so close, so tantalizingly near. Just one more step couldn¡¯t hurt right?


    ¡°AAAGH! Get out of my head!¡±


    Valerie screamed out clutching at her scalp. This was bad, very bad, she needed to get out of here before she got any closer to that thing. That wonderful, beautiful-


    ¡°Shut up, shut up, shut up shut up, shut up!¡±


    It crawled through her mind enticing her forward with all sorts of promises, whispering sweet nothings into her ear.


    ¡°S-Samantha! You need to-¡°


    Valerie stopped, she tried to yell for help or to get Samantha to run away, but her voice and words were not her own anymore. She wanted to curse out Samantha, sending her away so she could claim the power all for herself. She wanted to scream at her to leave and never come back, that she was useless and a waste of space. That she should have never shown up at her uncle doorstep and died in the mine with her parents. Valerie was filled with regret for words she never said nor thought of but now ran rampant in her mind. Her body too screamed at her to just walk those short few steps closer, to descend into the temple proper and accept what she was owed. Only the faintest flicker of doubt kept her from moving forward or speaking another word but it was slowly withering from the onslaught of sensations demanding she walk forward. With her last remaining will power, she extended a shaking hand to her pocket and fished out a throwing knife. Gripping the blade tight, Valerie clenched her teeth and stabbed herself in the leg. The sudden rush of pain broke her from the temples grasp and she fled as fast as she could crossing the domains boundary and continuing on as far as her legs could take her.


    Samantha ceased making the loud obnoxious noises that bordered on obscene and watched her travel buddy sprint away. Was she that bad? Maybe Valerie just really had to ¡®go¡¯ and couldn¡¯t hold it any longer. Shrugging of the concern Samantha looked back to the glimmering archway that whispered and beckoned her closer. She wasn¡¯t exactly gung-ho to enter another pit after spending the majority of her life in the mine. That being said, she was absolutely sure she would escape to fulfil her vision so why not experience something new? Stepping casually onto the marble stone, she descended a sleek and inviting set of stairs while a pair of double doors silently closed behind her.


    She walked through a long and tall white corridor that tilted at an incline forcing her to keep one hand leaned against the wall lest she fall over. The hallway extended on for seemingly forever with no end in sight nor a beginning as the stairs disappeared the second they left the shadow users sight. Without a worry in the world, she shrugged and simply kept walking knowing she must surely come to an exit eventually. She walked for what felt like hours but was really minutes with nary a change in direction nor to her surroundings.


    ¡°I wish Val was here.¡±


    She sighed to herself. She should have waited for Valerie to come back and the two could have gone in together, travelling with a buddy was always more entertaining than travelling with whispery voices in a bleak, featureless and boring hallway. At least there was light, the walls strangely illuminated allowing her to see every single corner of the hall. Oddly the only shadow around was her own that, despite whatever direction she faced, was always behind her. After trekking for what felt like days on end, that once again was actually minutes, Samantha came to a wide-open expanse. It was a circular room that shared the same alabaster walls and floor as the hallway. The ceiling however looked to be made of unmoving clouds that let little rays of sunlight in to brighten up the room. Where the sun came from who could say, she was most definitely still underground. Crossing the boundary into the room she heard a whoosh sound and turned to see the hallway was gone replaced with the same walls that now encircled her.


    With no way out the only thing to do was explore. She dragged her hand against the stone feeling its warm and comfortably smooth texture while circling the rooms perimeter. After reaching halfway along the wall she found a brass plaque of some kind embedded into the stone. It featured many lines and squiggles that would have enraptured Samantha due to their uniformity and form if it wasn¡¯t so alien to behold. Tearing her gaze from the plaque, she noticed a slight change to the room. Where once had been barren and empty nothingness there was now a series of chains that dangled from the ceiling. Upon closer inspection she realized the chains actually extended from the ground, little slots or holes dotted across the floor from which the many links rose up into the distant ceiling above. There were around ten to twenty chains in total, for some reason, Samantha couldn¡¯t make heads or tails on the exact number as it changed every time she tried to count them.


    Approaching one such chain brought on a sense of nostalgia as it reminded her of one of the bindings they used in the mine given its old and rusty appearance. Other chains appeared to be new, perhaps recently forged or made for designer purposes with glittering gold and perfectly shiny silver. One looked to be a series of hooks welded together in a long line. Another appeared to be the claws of a crab each pinching onto the arm of another to create a network of links. One chain was forged from many wires looping and interconnecting creating a solid single piece with no obvious beginning or end. There was glass, wood, ceramic, and even a chain made from intestines. There was also a rope, not gnarled or knotted just a simple rope, pretty boring all things considered. None of the chains swayed or rattled in place, pulled taut they looked like they held the sky and the earth together.


    Samantha looked up trying to find what they were attached to, but the clouds were too thick to make anything out. She grabbed onto the first chain deciding to just go up and have a look herself. Gripping both hands onto the line she began to climb and then promptly fell smacking against the smooth marble floor. Rising back to her feet, Samantha delivered a quick kick to the chain before moving on searching for one with bigger links she could use as a footholds. She lightly grazed a different chain as she walked stopping dead when a sudden and violent rumble shook the room. A metallic screech forced Samantha to cover her ears yet the sound pierced through to her soul. After a few seconds the screech subsided however the room had grown substantially darker which was not a problem for this shadow user or so she though. Glancing up to the ceiling revealed the clouds had all cleared away exposing a wriggling mass of chains that undulated and coiled around one another. Before she could react, loops of the chains descended from above and captured Samantha dragging her up towards the roof. Slamming hard against the many strings of metal she was encircled on all sides, binding every appendage as well as wrapping tightly around her head and neck. She tried to break free only to feel the tethers grow tighter and choke some of the air out of her lungs. Against all her instincts, she forced herself to become completely still as she dangled helplessly with nothing she could do but stare down at the ground.


    ¡°Whoops¡±


    The girl muffled out from under her prison of chains.

 Chained Together

    Samantha was running along a river embankment with miniscule Hackalope¡¯s and Duvolf¡¯s nipping at her heels yet never able to catch up. She dived into the river falling below the water¡¯s surface before emerging once again a humongous version of herself. Mega Samantha stomped around the vile and uninteresting forest crushing all boring trees beneath her gargantuan feet. She laughed maniacally while fires erupted from nowhere casting the sky in red and orange lights. All of a sudden, a glimmering figure appeared in the distance to oppose the gargantuan girl although they were too small for her to identify. The figure reared back a single hand and tossed something high into the air. The giant tried to follow the objects trajectory as it reached the heavens then fell towards her. Just before impact, the world collapsed, and she fell into its dark depths.


    Samantha was cruelly ripped from dreamland by a loud screech forcing her awake amongst the series of chains that no longer choking the life out of her. She attempted to free herself from the precarious position but found she was still securely entangled. After struggling for some time she ceased her futile resistance, dangling helplessly from the ceiling again. A short time later a gentle snoring began to fill the room until the chains dropped the girl halfway to the floor startling her for the second time. Samantha attempted another fruitless escape until a voice resounded within her mind.


    ¡°Why do you rest?¡±


    It was eloquent if airy and sounded like it could be carried away on the wind. Samantha tried looking around for the source but could find no one. Attempting the best shrug she could manage, she loudly answered hoping the voice could hear her.


    ¡°I was bored.¡±


    Being forced against the ceiling wasn¡¯t as thrilling as it sounded. Samantha hung there for what felt like hours waiting for something to happen. Her poor sense of timing struck again as she had barely been on the roof for sixty seconds before falling asleep. When at a complete rest and nothing else to do she fell back to the tried-and-true past time of her days in the mine: dozing. After no time at all she found her precarious position was a little comfortable compared to the many other places she catnapped. Not plush bed comfy, more twigs and dirt comfortable which after a long day of walking might as well have been like sleeping on the clouds themselves. She didn¡¯t even feel the chains writhing against her back or the barbed one digging into her leg after a while. The voice remained silent for a second soaking in the reply before addressing the helpless girl again.


    ¡°Why do you not attempt the trial?¡±


    ¡°Trial? What trial? What am I on trial for?!¡±


    Samantha shot back at the accusatory question. Silence descended yet again as the voice likely sat back and rubbed at its temple, if it had any that is. Rather than answer her, Samantha was lowered like a puppet on strings until her head became level with the brass plaque. She stared at the metal poster looking at the lines and squiggles again trying to determine if there was some picture showing what she had to do or an indent she needed to place a mystical artifact into. On second thought, no it likely wasn¡¯t that second option as no indent was visible and more importantly where would she find a mystical artifact at this time of day? With more freedom she was able to swing herself forward tapping onto the plaque and unleashing a triumphant ¡®aha¡¯ in the process. She waited for something to happen while slowly moving back and forth like the world¡¯s worst pendulum. When no change occurred from her genius actions the voice spoke again, more agitated than it rightly ought to be.


    ¡°You must READ the plaque, not tap it.¡±


    If you discover this narrative on Amazon, be aware that it has been stolen. Please report the violation.


    Samantha let out an ¡®ooooh¡¯ finally understanding the trial and focused back on the plaque until she remembered an important fact.


    ¡°Wait, I don¡¯t know how to read.¡±


    As a mentor James was many things, astute, knowledgeable, considerate, patient to a fault, however well educated in the arts of reading and writing he was not. That cabin had a number of weapons, training gear and medical supplies but not a single book from which anyone could learn from. Were Samantha a philosopher or a boring conversationalist she may have commented on how this reflected society at large. There was a painfully awkward minute of silence that followed Samantha¡¯s revelation in which she believed the voice may have simply left. She listened carefully for any distant door slams and the distinct sound of a carriage taking off. Neither occurred and the girl was violently dragged back to the ceiling while a booming a voice shook the entire room.


    ¡°LET THE TETHERS THAT BIND BE NOT A SINGLE LINK BUT A SERIES OF UNBREAKABLE CONNECTIONS WRAPPED AROUND THY SOUL. LET THE FETTERS THAT EXTEND OUT BE ALL ENCOMPASSING AND ETHEREAL. LET THE SHACKLES THAT SINGS TO YOUR CORE BECOME THE START IN AN ALL-ENCIRCLING CHAIN OF EVENTS.¡±


    Samantha marvelled at the theatrics of her captor; she tried to clap but her hands were still seperated so could only whoop in excitement. That was all she did creating yet another awkward silence until the voice spoke again sounding defeated.


    ¡°You must pick the correct chain.¡±


    Finally understanding the trial Samantha glanced around the room. First to the chains still jutting up from the floor, then to those wriggling around her and back again. Following an agonizingly long five minutes of debate she declared her answer.


    ¡°uh¡­ It¡¯s this one.¡±


    She was unable to make any move to point at her final decision which frustrated the voice yet again.


    ¡°Which one?¡±


    The chains around Samantha¡¯s arms slackened and she was able to free them to point at the chain of her choice. Instead, she gripped two distinctly different ones around her waist and explained her answer.


    ¡°It¡¯s this one. It¡¯s the same chain so it doesn¡¯t matter which one I pick because they¡¯re all connected right?¡±


    The writhing chains froze following her answer until slowly loosening their grip dropping the captive girl to the ground. A doorway that hadn¡¯t existed earlier appeared where the plaque once stood, a rush of wind pulling at her cloak and hair inviting her in. With nowhere else to go Samantha walked through the door expecting the room behind her to disappear yet it remained open, the chains on the ground moving as if drawn towards the girl. Another boring and long corridor extended out but thankfully this time she had a buddy to converse with.


    ¡°How did you figure it out?¡±


    The voice asked with genuine curiosity. The secret of the trial was that there was no end nor beginning to the chains. They all looped around one another and either disappeared into the mass overhead or the holes dotted across the floor. A careful observer would have noticed that shifting one chain would cause another to grow tighter. The cloud cover above was simply a means to help obfuscate this fact and make the numerous chains appear distinct from one another. Samantha did not know any of this however and simply answered in typical Samantha fashion.


    ¡°I dunno, I guessed.¡±


    The voice said nothing in quiet dismay. Eventually Samantha reached an altar whereupon a length of rusted chains sat coiled around itself like an old metal ball. A plaque rested below the altar and rather than read out the fancy wording the voice unenthusiastically summarized the details.


    ¡°You have passed the trial and have earned the right to wield your chosen chain. Know that accepting this boon will come with a cost. When you are on the brink of death all the personal bonds you have made along your journey will be severed and none shall mourn your passing.¡±


    Samantha cupped her chin and stared at the chains trying to figure out the voice¡¯s toned down but still colourfully delivered words. First, could she refuse the chain? She had no reason to refuse but, it was a chain, what could she do with a chain? Could she of all people use chains as a weapon? Would she be able to learn how? What was that part about morning too? What did the time of day have to do with her death? She did not wonder or worry if this was just another trap, the last one didn¡¯t really work out for the voice and she believed it was just as keen for her to leave as she was. Not to mention there was still the matter of her death appointment, even if she stayed here for a hundred years it wouldn¡¯t matter, she was absolutely certain she would leave to fulfil her role, whatever it was. When in doubt death will see you out, that was Samantha motto not that anyone had ever asked. Thinking about her prophecy again brought her back to the image of her death, so many details were unclear like how, when, where it occurred. There was also the matter of those black squiggles that circled around like a bunch of-


    ¡°Oh!¡±


    Clarity suddenly came to her and she unhesitantly took the chain into her hands feeling new power flood her body. While it wasn¡¯t clear if her death was in the morning, she foresaw the moment of her passing with all new insight. Alongside the vague destruction, fires and mayhem she saw a new feature sharpen revealing its nature. A series of dark chains erupting from every shadow tore at debris and whipped around in a flurry adding to the chaos. She may not know how to use chains now, but she could learn and adapt as she moved ever closer to her fateful day of reckoning.

 The Ties That Bind Us

    Beyond the temples influence, Valerie knelt and watched the glowing arch like a hawk waiting for the slightest hint of movement. After running a mile from the temple, she collapsed against a tree and tended to her bleeding leg tearing scraps from her clothes to bandage the wound. She would need to fetch proper supplies from the backpack left by the side of the road to properly treat it later. After staunching the flow of blood and calming down enough for the rush of adrenaline to wear off she realised she was alone. She expected Samantha to follow after her but there was not a hint of the shadow user in sight. Before the ache in her leg subsided she was already trudging back to the temple wishing above all else the shadow user didn¡¯t descend into that alluring pit.


    ¡°I should have made sure she got out of there. I should dragged her away. I¡­ dammit.¡±


    She admonished herself, slamming her fist against a tree causing it to shake and startling a squirrel. Upon returning to the sight of the temple with no sign of her travel buddy she made to approach the sunken building, but her legs refused to move an inch further. Not that it mattered as a pair of double doors locked her out from the temple and it secrets. Regardless, she stilled feared drawing near would tempt the divine be damned building into opening its maw to another victim. All she could do was sit just outside the temples domain and stare down the building that swallowed her Samantha. As the minutes dragged on, the huntress swore she would make it her personal mission to bury that accursed place under an avalanche of dirt if it was the last thing she did. She would add a new mountain to the scenery if that¡¯s what it took. Despite her fury, she couldn¡¯t force herself to get closer lest she be enraptured yet again. She wondered idly how Samantha avoided the enticing feeling this place gave off. It wasn¡¯t like the shadow user was immune to bribery or rewards, her uncle often used extra servings at meal time to motivate her. It was pretty funny, Valerie had to admit, how quickly she would jump at the chance for more food that was always freely given. It was just another quirk of the shadow user that made her who she was and led her and the huntress to being¡­ something. Her uncle often said that both of them needed a friend but was that what they were?


    While the huntress worried over her relationship with her travel companion a change finally occurred in the temple. The glowing white marble suddenly dimmed, its exterior showing cracks and morphing into average stone. The white grass and foliage froze in place before crumbling into sand around the temple. Before Valerie could ponder the cause of the change, the doors locking the temple exploded open throwing up dust and debris into the air. Samantha casually walked out coughing on the billowing cloud of dust and waving it out of her face. Without a second thought, the huntress shot out of her hiding place and barrelled towards the dormant temple ignoring the pain in her leg and throwing caution to the wind. Skidding to a stop, she searched the shadow user up and down trying to sus out any changes. The jailbird however was nonplussed and greeted her compatriot accordingly.


    ¡°Sup.¡±


    Her worried compatriot was too flabbergasted to hear her as she caught her breath and calmly asked for details.


    ¡°What in the bloody divine happened to you!?¡±


    Rather than explain exactly what took place immediately, Samantha stepped back, grinning from ear-to-ear, and spread her arms wide.


    ¡°Check it out.¡±


    Her bottled excitement was finally unleashed as she dramatically clapped her hands together. From all the dark patches around the pair ethereal black chains erupted rising high into the air at over five metres in length. There was an absurd number of dark links standing at attention all around the duo in a wide circumference that extended some ways into the tree line. Then unceremoniously they all collapsed to the ground. Looking around in confusion, Samantha let out a huff of exasperation and waved away all the slack chains forcing them to evaporate into nothingness. Pointing at her own shadow yet another chain shot straight into the air holding steady for a second then also fell limp against the earth. The failed showboat put her hands against her hips and looked down at the wet noodle of a chain with disappointment.


    ¡°Rats.¡±


    Was all she could say at the poor display. Accepting the mystical chain granted Samantha a new aspect, unsurprisingly, of the chain variety. She felt her original aspect react to the addition and both interconnected, still two distinct powers but now linked in how they manifested. Unfortunately, there was no such thing as a free lunch and it would seem she lost the ability to directly command shadows after giving them shape. She would need to experiment with her power to understand its new limits and bonuses if any existed. She tried to explain her assumptions as well as her experience within the temple to Valerie as the two walked back to their discarded backpack.


    ¡°And then I was strung up and couldn¡¯t do anything so I decided to take a nap cause I was kinda tired anyway and then this voice spoke and it said ¡®you shall not pass¡¯ or something I wasn¡¯t really listening and then¡­¡±


    She rambled on while Valerie nodded her head, repeating the last word of Samantha¡¯s sentences as a question to appear interested. She was not really into the conversation; her mind was elsewhere still pondering her earlier conundrum.


    ¡°Samantha, shut up for a second I have to ask you something important.¡±


    Valerie cut in while refusing to look at the rapidly talking girl who made a show of locking her lips prompting the huntress to continue.


    ¡°Are we friends?¡±


    She hastily enquired afraid of the possible outcomes. Failing to stop Samantha from getting sucked into that temple forced Valerie to take a long hard look at their relationship so far. She was so willing and ready to abandon the creepy girl during her initial escape from her uncle but in hindsight she knew she would miss Samantha, miss her odd quirks, miss her peculiar personality, just miss her company. Selfishly running away without the shadow user forced her to question if she had been a good friend until now or if she even was a friend at all. She expected Samantha to also think over their relationship and maybe even need some time to come up with an answer. That wasn¡¯t her style however and internal debates were not something she had time for. Taking a second to mime unzipping her mouth she answered bluntly.


    ¡°I guess so. Why, are we not?¡±


    Taken aback by the response, Valerie halted in place forcing Samantha to stop alongside her. Was it that easy? Just a few words and that was it? Then again who said it had to be complicated, they could be their own unique brand of friends. Maybe comrades in arms? Calling themselves blood sisters might be a bit far off, but the idea was certainly appealing to the huntress. They were definitely a strong team of two and would undoubtedly have each other¡¯s backs along their journey and would be there to defend one another. Today Valerie failed but tomorrow she would be there to get Samantha out of danger and had full confidence her friend would do the same. A slight weight suddenly lifted off the huntress, it felt nice to have a friend someone she could truly depend upon.


    ¡°Yeah¡­ yeah! I suppose we are.¡±


    Valerie agreed while extending her hand which Samantha readily took, the two sealing their pact with a shake.


    ¡°Thanks, so what were you saying about the temple?¡±


    ¡°Oh this is the best part, apparently when I die everyone¡¯s going to forget about me.¡±


    Well, that quickly ruined the moment, Valerie would need to get used to that with this girl as her friend. After the two located their missing backpack still sat by the side of the road, they set off on their journey again. Samantha practiced with her new aspect whenever she could using all the techniques and tricks James taught her to little success. Her shadows were tougher now capable of resisting considerable damage unlike the flimsy tentacles she used before. They weren¡¯t indestructible though, with enough force or empowered by her aspect the huntress could sever them easily enough. They could also be fired out from the darkness at a rapid pace, far faster than before, which made for some excellent reaction training for one of them. The summoner however was less successful in finding a use. She missed the freedom of movement her original power possessed essentially giving her a never-ending series of limbs to use as she saw fit. Now they were basically blunt, quick and sturdy spears, useful for distraction but without enough power to really deal damage. She needed to adapt to her new shadow chains and find their true strength if she was to ever overtake Valerie. The huntress was already two up when it came to monster killing and Samantha was determined to close that gap by any means necessary.


    The answer came when the two were camping under the stars on a cloudless night. Samantha tried to sleep yet couldn¡¯t as her mind raced over her two aspects and how best to use them. Staring up at the dark expanse between tree branches, she caught sight of a tiny spider weaving a web out of its thread. The arachnid worked tirelessly to form an interwoven net of incredibly thin and sturdy string that would help it catch prey. Watching just such a prey get caught and then coated in layer upon layer of thread sparked an idea in the shadow user. The following morning, she practiced her new technique with Valerie¡¯s assistance and while it was clumsy in the beginning she slowly adapted and formed a new fighting style. A style she was quickly able to put to the test.The narrative has been taken without authorization; if you see it on Amazon, report the incident.


    Along the two¡¯s journey they encountered a number of juvenile monsters but rather than attack head on they would watch and assess the enemy before deciding whether to ambush. Valerie would take the vanguard position focusing the monster¡¯s attention and drawing them into a trap. Without any direct kill moves or efficient method to take down a beast Samantha was relegated to the unenviable support position. Her role was to corner the monster with her creepy aura or lock of its escape whenever possible. She didn¡¯t get a lot of action however as the pitiful creatures were quickly and efficiently slaughtered by the huntress. Unlike the Duvolf, they did not possess a sturdy frame or other magical boosts to their anatomy. That was until they encountered a new monster: a Coldra. An ice blue snake nearing twenty metres in length and over two in diameter. It was, as the name and appearance showcased, an ice attuned monster, the first elemental creature either had come across. While out hunting, the Coldra would attempt to wrap around any prey it came across and either suffocate or freeze their meal solid. When threatened it would unhinge its jaw to let out a chilling breath strong enough to flash freeze anything in a ten-metre cone. Upon learning these details from her aspect, Valerie originally vetoed taking on the beast as neither had any defence to the magical chill the creature let off, Samantha on the other hand saw an opportunity to show what she was truly capable of. After a round of pleading and puppy dog eyes, the huntress gave in with the express stipulation that if things got out of hand both would run for the hills no matter what.


    The hunt began with Valerie creeping out of sight alongside the snake as it prowled its usual feeding grounds. With its attention elsewhere she struck, volleying over the snakes back and dragging her knife along the icy scales. Her blade barely nicked the Coldra¡¯s frosted outer layer for fear that if she tried to truly stab the beast she wouldn¡¯t be able to rip her knife out in time. Despite the negligible damage, the monster raged all the same hissing at its assailant and attempted to bite her head off. Valerie used the snakes¡¯ own body to kick off and out of harms way before booking it. With fury and hunger blinding its reasoning, the bitter snake slithered after its meal on wheels while knocking over trees and shrubbery along its path leaving a frozen trail in its wake. Normally the huntress would have tossed a knife to grab its attention but all the ones she brought with her were either chipped, broken or lost leaving her with just her main weapon to rely upon. Not wanting to be disarmed, she ran like her life depended on it, aiming for a spot the two had designated as the kill zone. She broke through the tree line just before the snake caught up arriving at a river with a gently flowing stream passing by. The presence of Coldra began to freeze the nearby creek and cause the huntress¡¯s breath to become visible. The giant snake¡¯s head rose up towering over Valerie as it slowed to a crawl before its next meal. Feeling victorious, the reptile made to snap at its afternoon snack but was stopped by a pair of horizontal shadow chains flying in from the side to bar its path. Grabbing the snake¡¯s attention, it turned just in time to receive a flying kick to the snout. Though she herself wasn¡¯t physically strong, when forcibly yanked across the sky by a pair of ethereal chains, Samantha could become quite the wrecking ball.


    When practicing with her chains the shadow user discovered their ability to retract was just as if not faster than their initial summoning. If she didn¡¯t dismiss them, she could conjure a shadow chain from under her cloak, have it snag on a tree branch and use it to drag herself rapidly into the air. Crazy, dangerous and completely unpredictable it was exactly what she needed in her arsenal. If she couldn¡¯t be the most lethal, she could at least be faster than her opponent or equally much more annoying to pin down. She practiced endlessly for a day straight, launching herself up, landing hard against the ground and quickly rising again for another round. With the loss of her ability to directly control a shadows shape and movement she could only fire her chains in straight lines although at whatever angle she chose. It was like having a never-ending supply of lassos or harpoons to tether herself onto nearly anything within sight. Yet again the downside was their relative weak power and tendency to crumple into a pile if her angle or timing was off. She also still couldn¡¯t summon them from a person¡¯s or living creatures shadow, they just shifted too much for her to utilize. Thus, Samantha herself was forced to become the flail at the end of her own chain as the Coldra was now learning.


    After striking the snake dead-on, she retracted the chains still attached to her and was dragged into the tree canopy away from the raging python. Indignant at the abuse it suffered, the Coldra shook off the disorientation and searched the clearing for its prey only to find no one in sight. Both the huntress and flying squirrel were gone from sight. Cautiously, the reptile slowly slithered forward its head still raised high listening for movement as well as feeling for any vibrations using its lower body. Given its elemental nature, the Coldra had an acute thermal sense that could pick out the slightest variation in temperature which it was using to try and narrow down the two gnats from the thicket of trees. What it ended up sensing was the complete lack of heat as a shadowy chain flew across the clearing again, its end disappearing into the shrubbery on the other side. Stopping just shy of the thin chain, the snake prepared for a flying girl to come hurtling out of the woods. When another chain appeared behind it, the snake grew confused which only grew as yet more chains surrounded the frosty monster. If the Coldra had any eyebrows one certainly would have been raised at the frankly absurd number of chains encircling it. Slowly edging itself forward, the snake barely touched a single link when all at once they snapped shut, wrapping around the monster like a mummy. It tried to wriggle free from the bindings but only caused them to grow tighter and pull the beast towards the ground.


    It was at this moment Samantha re-emerged running across a chain with expert balance and coordination. This impressive display lasted a single second before she slipped falling onto another chain below the first and continued her tight rope sprint. Yet another thing to add to the ever-growing list of skills to master. Reaching the Coldra, she climbed up its back to stand atop the head, her hands and feet chilling at the touch of its icy scales. The snake tried to shake off its assailant, but Samantha held on tight focusing on the area around the creature as well as the many shadows at her disposal. Their location had not been the only fore planning the monster hunters accounted for, the time of day needed to be just right as well. They waited for a moment when the sun was in the perfect position to force the surroundings to cast large deep and dark shadows. A chain fired out from the left side of the snake looping over it before descending into the black depths on its right. The same happened twice more until three hoops formed over the snake their ends safely tucked into the shadows below. With the loops complete Samantha mentally commanded the chains to retract on both sides slamming the Coldra against the ground. The monster struck the earth with considerable force denting the dirt and causing it to briefly grow dizzy. The bindings were slackened just enough to allow the monster a chance to rise up only slightly before immediately being slammed back against the ground. This process continued for another few rounds of up and down until finally the snake stopped rising, its head a whirl of concussions.


    Samantha waited for any sign of movement while stood atop her foe, frost forming on her shoes yet she paid it no mind. After just a few seconds she unanimously declared the hunt complete and that the snake wasn¡¯t getting back up. It was quite the catch and took careful planning, but they had done it, she had done it. She set a trap, lured the beast in and secured it beyond reproach just like the spider. She may have lost deft control but with positioning and planning she could become a trapper and stealth expert like no one else. Unfortunately, being able to land a killing blow was still outside her wheelhouse, that she would require outside help for, but doing the majority of the work was still a win to her. Leaping down from the Coldra, Samantha stood next to the snakes head giving it a friendly pat that turned her fingers a troubling blue.


    ¡°Hey Val! You¡¯re turn!¡±


    She shouted while frantically and excitedly waving her friend over to end the poor beast¡¯s misery. Misery that the snake sought righteous vengeance for. A snap echoed out from beside Samantha and a single black chain landed beside her, the final link broken and gradually fading away. Then another snap and another as the chains locking down the snake began to break in a cacophony of broken links. She met eyes with the Coldra¡¯s hate filled gaze and offered a shy wave before the beast tore through all its bindings rising back to its full majesty and letting out a triumphant and furious hiss.


    Valerie charged out from behind the tree she used for cover. In her humble opinion this was very bad, terrible even, perhaps the worst possible outcome, a catastrophe of monumental proportions. Well maybe not that bad but still pretty unfortunate. The Coldra was loose, throwing its upper body around in a rage fuelled fit while Samantha was nowhere in sight. The huntress kept her distance while she searched the area but found nothing until a faint and excited scream reached her ears from above. Both she and the Coldra looked up to see the missing party was soaring high in the sky. Valerie guessed the thrill seeker grabbed onto a chain still connected to the snake at the last second and was thrown skyward as a result. While she was thankful her friend was safe, the snake on the other hand was anything but. A blue glow shone out from its belly and crept up its throat much to Valerie¡¯s dismay. It was going to unleash its icy breath at the falling girl and she had no way to dodge the attack.


    ¡°Oi! Blue balls! Over here!¡±


    The huntress tried to grab the monsters attention with name calling and a few thrown rocks that smacked harmlessly against the furious snake. Her efforts were in vain as the Coldra was dead set on eliminating the one who disrespected it. It didn¡¯t stop her however as she desperately sought a solution. Staring up at the beast her mind buzzed as her Aspect of the Hunt came through once again. She was suddenly aware the underbelly of a Coldra was less protected as was the sensitive area just under its lower jaw to allow it to feel for vibrations in the ground and stretch its gargantuan maw wide. Seeing no other option, she drew her knife flipped it so her thumb and fore finger gripped the blade and aimed.


    ¡°Come on, come on, come on.¡±


    She said through gritted teeth, waiting for the perfect opportunity to strike. She just got a friend and there was no chance this overgrown worm was going to take her. When the blue light was at the end of the monster¡¯s throat and it opened its mouth wide, she struck. She flooded her blade with nearly all her available mana while using the Aspect of the Knife to guide her, adjusting her arm and the angle of her throw to hit dead on. The shimmering blade was sent hurtling forth, the force of the throw forcing her back a step. She watched as her weapon soared through the air like a buzzsaw before colliding with the Coldra¡¯s lower jaw. The impact forced the mouth shut and sent its head tumbling back almost touching the tip of its tail. Having its maw snapped closed just at the point of eruption caused a violent backfire on the snake freezing its mouth in place and causing both eyes to turn to icicles before shattering. There was no such thing as immunity to the elements just resistance and the Coldra was a perfect match for itself.


    Samantha caught glimpses of the exchange below while tumbling towards the ground and saw an opportunity to finish the snake off for good. Forcing herself into a dive, she wrapped a shadow chain around her arm with a single loop extended to flap around wildly. The snakes head rolled back until it was nearly vertical once again. As she rocketed towards the ground, Samantha extended the loop out catching onto the embedded knife and arresting her momentum causing her to smack against the snake¡¯s underside in the process. The gambit worked however as Valerie¡¯s knife was forced down sliding through the Coldra¡¯s exposed throat and belly. Reaching the ground with a thud, Samantha had only a moments breath to roll out of the collapsing snake¡¯s way before it crushed her. With a mighty crash the Coldra¡¯s upper body landed against the ground its head breaking into many pieces from the impact. Samantha stared at the monster¡¯s corpse as Valerie walked up beside her both breathing heavy from due to the exertion. Grinning like a madman, the shadow user extended her hand for yet another victorious high five only to receive a smack to the side of her head.


    ¡°That¡¯s for the stupid stunt and for not making sure it was properly secured. You could have died out there.¡±


    Valerie reprimanded before stalking off to try and fish her knife out from under the dead monster. Although her words were harsh, she was trying desperately to keep her composure and mask the terror that still sat in the pit of her stomach. Samantha sulked and walked up to the beast with an exaggerated pout. Examining her first official monster kill she couldn¡¯t help but feel inspired.


    ¡°It was pretty cool though right?¡±


    She yelled back at her storming mad friend. There was a moment she could almost hear the screech as Valerie skid to a stop and turned on her heel. Needing no other sign, Samantha bolted away knowing she was about to receive another well-deserved smack to the head.

 The Monkey Chain, The Monkey Fist and...

    The two monster hunters continued on their journey, following the dirt road as it meandered and twisted like a river. They occupied themselves taking on beasts and refining their skills along the way. To what end who could say but the thrill of executing a monster while perfecting their own unique fighting styles was enough to keep both moving forward. Unlike the Duvolf and Coldra, none of the beasts they hunted were of much note as they were either too weak or miniscule to truly grow from. That was at least until they encountered the monkey. Neither the knife nor shadow wielder could attest to being true ecologists, however they were still surprised to find a simian looking monster within their neck of the woods.


    A Battleboon, as Valerie¡¯s aspect informed her it was called, was not indigenous to the Gentile Kingdom and its presence was perplexing to say the least. The average Battleboon was four feet tall with crimson red fur and an elongated highly dexterous tail they typically kept wrapped around their waste when not in combat. The creatures were fascinated with conflict and would combat each other one on one to determine the strongest Battleboon within a given tribe. When encountering a warrior, they would make a show of challenging the individual to single combat and, if refused, hound their adversary until finally getting their way. It was noted that Battleboon¡¯s were ultimately a passive monster species who would enter into a fight only seeking to improve their own prowess leaving their opponent alive if banged up. This made them a perfect sparring partner for up-and-coming warriors or adventurers who sought out the peace adjacent monsters. The Battleboon was also the symbol of the hot and dry Maroch Empire to the south, a holdover from their once rapid and ruthless conquest of the neighbouring lands.


    Valerie¡¯s head spun from the flurry of information suddenly injected into her psyche. The Aspect of the Hunt varied in how much detail it offered sometimes providing ample background information or only surface level. When the two encountered a poisonous snail, her aspect only told her it was a snail and that it was poisonous much to the their chagrin. Coming across a Battleboon left the huntress sat on the ground clutching her head and waiting for the world to stop spinning. The sudden migraine prevented either girl from approaching the creature at the moment, however like any good explorer they would nevertheless enact a thorough field survey. They were going to kill it and probably eat it.


    Their future meal sat crossed legged upon a protruding rock with a flat top, both hands balled into fists with the knuckles interlocked in front of its chest. Valerie and Samantha observed the creature from a hidden vantage point waiting for it to make a move. For over an hour they watched the unmoving beast, the huntress¡¯s headache subsiding only to be replaced with losing feeling in both her legs. Samantha nearly joined her friend¡¯s lower half, dozing off several times and receiving a deserved knock to the head every time. It wasn¡¯t clear if the beast was aware of their presence yet but better to not give it any clues with someone¡¯s loud snoring.


    After the second hour of yet more nothing, Valerie¡¯s growing frustration was reaching a boiling point at the statuesque creature. Even when a bird landed on the Battleboon, did its business, and was off the primate still did not move. She tried to gleam all she could from her aspect and ascertain what it was up to, yet everything circled back to their insatiable desire for combat. The creature before them seemed to oppose that very idea and forced the huntress to question the validity of her aspect once again. Tired of waiting, she rose from her hiding spot shaking off the weariness and marched over to the monster with her knife drawn and waiting. The offending creature finally moved, opening one eye to look over its challenger which it deemed unworthy scoffing and returning to meditation. A fury like no other burned inside Valerie¡¯s soul. This thing appeared out of nowhere, gave her the worst headache of her life, made them sit around for nothing and then turned its nose up at her. Admittedly the primate did not deliberately contribute to anything but the last point, but it didn¡¯t matter to the huntress, the monkey had to go. Pointing her weapon at the nonchalant animal she voiced her displeasure.


    ¡°And just WHO in all the divines name do YOU think you are?!¡±


    Looking down at Valerie, the Battleboon analysed her once again taking in her stance as well as her physique with scrutiny and intelligence she didn¡¯t think was possible in a monster. The monkey scratched its head, let out a dissatisfied tut and tried to wave the girl off. Samantha watched the exchange from afar sucking in a breath and feeling the faintest flicker of sympathy for the monster.


    ¡°Oh no, that¡¯s not good. That monkey has no idea what it just did.¡±


    She imagined steam would shoot out of Valerie¡¯s ears from the blatant disrespect. The offended party did not retaliate immediately however, rather than attack the Battleboon directly the huntress turned away from the monster flipped her knife and prepared a special throw. Before she got the chance however a voice shouted out in her direction.


    ¡°Say the thing!¡±


    With a defeated sigh, she said the thing.


    ¡°Turnabout Slash.¡±


    The primate looked at the unwanted guest with curiosity and then befuddlement as the girl made her statement with clear resignation. She launched her weapon past the monster who watching it fly somewhere far into the distance. A shiver down its spine alerted the monkey to danger and in a flash it leapt from the rock just as a knife, spinning like a buzzsaw, came hurtling passed. Valerie caught her weapon with practiced ease and glanced back at the monkey now perched on a trees branch. The pairs eyes met and a dangerous gleam entered their collective gaze.


    Following the Coldra hunt, Valerie had begun to practice throwing with her main weapon more often. Having a powerful projectile was a great opener or finisher during their hunts and if she got it just right she could have it be both. With her aspect assisting her she managed to figure out a special move Samantha dubbed: Turnabout Slash. It was a seemingly impossible move that any sane person would dissuade her from attempting, however the huntress was not surrounded by the sane, her travelling companion encouraging the outlandish manoeuvre. After a series of missed shots and more than a few mornings spent searching for her lost weapon, Valerie was eventually able to perfect ¡®Turnabout Slash¡¯. By carefully angling her throw and infusing her aspect of the knife she was able to force the blade into a spin that would travel a short distance before returning back to its master. This move had inevitably caused the huntress to gain a few new scars along her palms, but the payoff was worth it. Unfortunately, she struggled to use the move effectively while in motion and could only pull it off at a complete stop with ample time to prepare. She also had to announce her skill before using it, mainly for her companions sake, although saying it felt right like when a wizard chants a spell. She ofcourse didn¡¯t believe the makeshift magic would kill the primate so easily but still wanted to show the monster she was more than its initial assessment. Given the hungry look in the Battleboon¡¯s eyes as well as exposing its teeth she had more than proved herself worth its attention.This content has been unlawfully taken from Royal Road; report any instances of this story if found elsewhere.


    The monster in question disappeared from sight as it circled the tree tops leaping from branch to branch testing their weight and smacking the bark. Eventually the monkey found one it liked standing atop the tree limb and letting out an excited howl. Valerie watched in shocked amazement as the simian took a martial artist stance and delivered a powerful chop severing the branch from its parent with just a bare hand. As both limb and monster fell, the beast smashed the branch against the tree ridding it of twigs and leaves alike. Landing with a roll the Battleboon arose wielding a two-metre-long crude staff that it flourished with a twirl. Snickering in delight the monkey beckoned its opponent with a casual wave. The call to arms was answered instantly as Valerie rushed forward, her knife aimed straight at the monsters throat. Just before reaching her target, huntress¡¯s world was suddenly flipped upside down as she was flung over the beast, her back landing hard against the earth. Laughing raucously the monkey taunted its fallen foe even smacking its behind for added effect. Valerie never hated anyone in her life, she despised monsters but that was natural, encouraged even. She fought with her uncle but they were family, it came with the job. She got annoyed at Samantha but relied on her just as much if not more for challenging her patience. This monkey however, she hadn¡¯t known it existed until a few hours ago and already she could think of nothing more than making it her life¡¯s mission to eradicate its entire species. Rising back to her feet, she towered over the diminutive monkey yet this only seemed to goad the creature further. The Battleboon jabbed the butt of its makeshift staff into the ground before climbing the length to overtake Valerie blowing raspberries and making rude sounds at the infuriated huntress. Something snapped in her at that moment.


    ¡°SAMANTHA! This thing is mine! Make sure it doesn¡¯t escape.¡±


    She loudly announced, her words echoing out and causing a flock of birds to flee.


    ¡°Encircle?¡±


    ¡°and Entrap.¡±


    The code name was one of several manoeuvre¡¯s the travelling pair came up with on the road. Well Valerie came up with and Samantha nicknamed. It was intended to be a purely defensive manoeuvre meant to, as the name would imply, keep threat contained. The other far more frequent use was to keep the huntress¡¯s prey from running. The none-the-wiser primate was unbothered, lazily picking at its nose until it froze at the sight of a series of black chains appearing all around the combatants. The chains fed out from the surrounding tree shadows, interlocking and wrapping around one another to create an inescapable ring of dark ominous links. It was not a perfect dome and if the entrapped party possessed the ability to fly they could easily escape although they would quickly find themselves being mercilessly hunted down.


    For the first time, Valerie saw fear in the creature, yet she knew it wasn¡¯t from her or even being locked into their arena. It was the chains themselves, every time an animal noticed Samantha or her shadows an instinctual terror overtook them. Only the truly brave or truly stupid were immune to its effects. Letting out a mad laugh, she struck while the primate searched for an exit. Her uncle always stressed a fight against a monster was one were only the victor survives, and sportsmanship was for people who didn¡¯t want to live. Leaping at the fear-stricken monkey Valerie¡¯s knife grazed its temple, the beast barely dodging out of the way. Flipping backwards, the Battleboon reset its stance and pointed a slightly shaking staff at the grinning warrior before it. Even if the fear wasn¡¯t directed at her, she would revel in the dumb creatures uncertainty. Its cocky attitude was long gone yet Valerie had only just begun.


    ¡°What¡¯s wrong? Scared?¡±


    She asked enjoying the animals wavering bravado. Re-entering melee, Valerie quickly found herself in a game of tug of war with the beast despite its frightened state. Every advancement was met with ardent resistance, every strike encountering a near impenetrable defence. The staff was only simple wood yet the monkey pivoted and parried with such immense skill the huntress found herself unable to cut either the weapon or its wielder. She however was taking bash after bash from the staff, it never seemed to stay in one place and moved like lightning striking her joints or any exposed flesh the monkey could see. While its attacks were plentiful their strength was lacking and Valerie was able to power through or block the hits. Training with Samantha¡¯s chains improved her reflexes when it came to quick or sudden attacks and she could almost predict where the monkey would strike next. The two combatant¡¯s bout ultimately came down to a battle of attrition, one side lythe and quick while the other was tough and unrelenting. A true contest of offense against defence with neither side gaining real ground.


    Samantha watched her friend battle the monkey for over three hours with neither one backing down. She sat atop of hammock of chains trying her best not to fall asleep, if she did the ring surrounding them would dissipate and the battle would expand outwards. She was not completely bored as there had been thrilling moments such as when Valerie¡¯s knife was knocked from her hand clattering to the ground. The Battleboon tried to capitalize on the momentary disarmament only to be forced to block a wild haymaker from slugging the creatures face. Forced back, the primate was incapable of stopping Valerie from collecting her knife and continuing the fight as if nothing had changed. Something was changing however, bruises were forming along the huntress¡¯s arms and face while the monkey grew tired and clumsy. The extensive and uninterrupted beat down was coming to an end and the two fighters were nearing their breaking points. The match concluded when Valerie unleashed a rage filled and painful sounding roar headbutting her opponent in the process. The first clean hit the Battleboon had received since the fight began, it looked like it would shrug of the blow until one leg stumbled then another and finally the simian rocked back and fell with a pathetic thud. The staff it held rolled away its ends splintered and broken from the many strikes received and blocked. Breathing heavily, uncontested winner screamed up at the heavens, victory igniting her soul. Then she immediately fell back as well letting the cool and soft earth embrace her tired frame. Neither combatant could see the other yet they both wore triumphant smiles. One at experiencing a fight like never before and the other for teaching the dumb monkey a lesson.


    Samantha rubbed her eyes glancing at both fallen combatants unsure what happened as she looked away for a split second. She wanted to call no fair and demand the two go again so she could watch properly then quickly dismissed the idea. Any longer and they would be duking it out in the moonlight and her shadows would of no use. Speaking of, she dismissed her chains breaking the arena down to a simple wooded area again. Descending upon the pair she looked down at her friend.


    ¡°Val? You dead?¡±


    A coughing whoop was all she got in reply. Possibly not dead, the shadow user surmised. Turning to the Battleboon next, Samantha could see it was soundly asleep, a content smile still wrinkling its face. Shrugging she picked up her friends knife from her limp hand and walked over to the monkey intending to finish the hunt. Before she could, a hurried voice interrupted the easy kill.


    ¡°Miss, if you would kindly wait just a second before doing anything too hasty.¡±


    Turning slowly, Samantha found a tall chiselled man standing not far off with his hands held up innocently. The intruder took in the whole scene before him and spoke again his confident tone masking his worries.


    ¡°How much will it cost for you not to kill my mentor?¡±

 The Little Prince

    A top a mountain of monster corpses, a lone huntress held the line fending off waves of vicious and terrifying beasts. Every swipe of her blade severed torsos from waists, bisected creatures in two and decapitated an incalculable number of heads from their bodies. Valerie laughed heartily as she was showered in a rain of blood, her slick wet hands gripped tightly around her weapon as it cut down monster after monster. As she made to topple a humungous dragon her feet slipped out from under her, and she fell into the crimson pool almost sinking below the waves. She barely managed to rise back to the surface clinging desperately to the blood rivers edge. On the scarlet stained shores, she saw the culprit responsible for her fall: a single banana peel. Another fruit skin landed directly onto her head leading Valerie to gaze up at the sight of her uncle, Samantha and that damn monkey all munching on Bananas. The mischievous smirk plastered on the simian¡¯s face boiled the huntress¡¯s blood such that the pool she was half sunk into began to bubble.


    ¡°I¡¯ll get you; you damn dirty ape!¡±


    She yelled out bolting upright from her once pleasant dream. Her mad eyes searched the area, finding the passed-out monkey laid out right next to her. Still in a semi-unconscious state, Valerie raised her right hand up and tried to stab down into the Battleboon¡¯s heart. Fortunately, all she succeeded in doing was slamming her fist into the monkey¡¯s chest, forcing it awake as it retaliated with a justified tail slap to her face. Knocked onto her back again, Valerie eyed the monster and made to jump onto and strangle the life out of the simian while spitting vitriol.


    ¡°You dirty fu-¡°


    Thankfully a series of shadow chains came to the rescue erupting between the pair and forcing both to retreat. The huntress back pedalled coming to a stop beside Samantha whom she glared at, betrayal written on her face.


    ¡°What are you doing? Let me kill that thing!¡±


    Holding up her hands in surrender, the shadow user tried to plead her case.


    ¡°Hold on, I promised we¡¯d talk it out first.¡±


    ¡°Promised?! Promised who?¡±


    The furious huntress demanded only now realizing they were not alone. Across from the rookie hunters was a six-foot tall dark-skinned man with a well maintained and thoroughly shampooed head of flowing red locks that reached past his shoulders. His muscled physique was on full display as he seemed allergic to shirts which allowed his many intricate tattoos to draw one¡¯s attention. Or they would were he not presently cradling the battered and bruised Battleboon like a baby in his arms.


    ¡°She promised me, my good lady.¡±


    The man proclaimed in a regal and noble voice. Although she had never seen or met one before, Valerie had the distinct impression this shirtless maniac was some kind of royalty or at least came from very old money, she was ultimately unimpressed. Her eyes locked onto the monster he held so delicately, disgust spreading across her face from the display.


    ¡°And just WHO are you supposed to be?¡±


    The peculiar man beamed, excited to introduce himself to an all-new audience. Setting the Battleboon down and giving it a gentle friendly pat on the head, he bowed deeply while giving his full name and title.


    ¡°My name is Sikandar Reynaldo of the house Reynaldo! I am one hundred and sixtieth in line to the throne of the Maroch Empire as such I have been called prince, your highness, your most esteemed royal highness, or your lordship. You, my fine beauties, may call me Sikandar.¡±


    The prince concluded his introduction with a wink Valerie was disgusted by and Samantha was indifferent to. The inappropriate gesture was directed more to the huntress not because she was his type, or because he felt any particular attraction but because his eyes refused to wander over to the fear inducing girl wrapped in a cloaked. Reaching an agreement with her had been a challenge of world-shattering proportions but the well-travelled prince was up for any challenge. Except a duel to the death, anything involving manual labour, or competitions organized during his beauty sleep. Stepping to the side, Sikandar then presented the individual who would fulfil such challenges.


    ¡°And you have already met my faithful companion, my most trusted advisor, my lifelong friend and mentor: Maji.¡±


    The monster in question stood at attention resting its hands on its hip while tilting its head slightly up. The regal stance may have landed better were all in attendance not forced to look down upon the monkey. Even Samantha¡¯s less than ideal height meant she towered over the beast. With their own introductions out of the way, Sikandar beckoned for Valerie and Samantha¡¯s side to reciprocate.


    ¡°Hi, I¡¯m Samantha. I have the aspect of the shadow and Mmmmmph!¡±


    The shadow user¡¯s opener was cut short as Valerie forcibly shut her mouth.Stolen content alert: this content belongs on Royal Road. Report any occurrences.


    ¡°It doesn¡¯t matter who we are. What matter is you¡¯ve a damn monster right next to you and if you¡¯re too much of a chicken to do what needs to be done then I will.¡±


    Although she talked a big game, Valerie was in no position to be getting into another scrape. Without her weapon and numerous darkening wounds across her flesh, she was one stiff breeze was toppling over. Adrenaline and anger were the only things propping her up and those supports were crumbling fast. Sikandar laughed to try and ease the tension, which he failed miserably.


    ¡°I do believe you my intimidating friend, but I would beseech you please do not take my mentors appearance as all that he is. Monster he may be, but poet, artist and gentle soul are also his true nature.¡±


    The poet decided to pipe up and offer an eloquent and inspiring poem in the form a long and spittle filled raspberry directed right at Valerie. It took an awe-inspiring force of will not to charge over and stomp both the mentor and his student into paste.


    ¡°Give me one reason! One reason I shouldn¡¯t slice that little blight into ribbons!¡±


    The wandering prince smiled from ear to ear exposing his teeth and the gem encrusted into one of his pearly whites.


    ¡°I can offer more than just one, I can offer many reasons in fact. Wealth beyond your wildest dreams, influence within the highest courts of the Maroch Empire, favours with individuals you would be remiss to not have in your corner. Whatever you could possibly desire is within my power to grant should you simply refrain from harming my dear comrade in arms.¡±


    The sales pitch fell on deaf ears as neither Valerie nor Samantha had even the slightest idea of the value of money. They also did not require political favours as while it could be argued they were not right in the head neither was despicable enough to associate themselves with government officials. Thus, Sikandar was forced to rely on a travellers true currency: information and supplies.


    ¡°Ah but perhaps I can offer another option?¡±


    With a wave of his hand a bottle of crimson soflty glowing liquid appeared out of thin air. It was not really magic just simple slight of hand that the prince had picked up from of his many tutors back home. The girls failed to react to the appearance of the alchemical liquid prompting yet another desperate plea.


    ¡°What I hold in my hand is liquid gold to some. A potent and highly effective potion of rejuvenation that can turn those unsightly bruises into a distant dream in mere moments. I gift this one to you both free of charge and as a show of my good faith.¡±


    The bottle was tossed high into the air descending for Valerie to deftly catch though she was wary of drinking random fluids from a man who cavorted with monsters.


    ¡°I have many more where that came from and other treasures you may find interesting such as¡­ this!¡±


    With a grand gesture, the prince produced a rolled-up sheet which he unfurled to reveal details and description of the surrounding lands all beautifully illustrated for any to follow. While Valerie had never seen a map before she could tell at a glance it was exactly what the prince held in his well-manicured hands. A map was exactly what the travelling duo were missing, they could fight monsters to their hearts content, live of the land forever if they needed to but actually getting out to find civilization that was another matter entirely. They desperately needed that map and unfortunately also needed someone who could read the colourful drawing.


    ¡°Give us a minute.¡±


    The huntress huffed out before turning away from the prince and the monster inviting Samantha in to huddle and discuss the matter at hand.


    ¡°So¡­ are we killing them?¡±


    The shadow user enquired getting right to the heart of the matter.


    ¡°No, not right now at least.¡±


    Valerie answered disappointedly, casual murder was not exactly on her bucket list but desperate times and all that. Though she was loathe to admit it, they were lost, the road they followed ended some ways back and they had been wandering aimlessly for days before coming upon the monkey monster. Without assistance they could end up walking these woods for the rest of their lives which she knew would annoy Samantha more than anything, she still had a death appointment to make after all. It left a bad taste in her mouth but, Valerie ultimately accepted they needed help and a guide to get them the heck out of there. That did not mean they needed to be all buddy buddy with the other side, however. The two monster hunters discussed plans and code words if things ended up going south or they needed a quick exit. Should it come to it, they would rob them blind and try to figure out how to read a map along the way but for the moment it was easier to accept the help. A plan of action prepared; Samantha finally handed back Valerie¡¯s weapon. She did not intend to deprive the huntress of her sole means of defence, but she knew what her friend was like and they wouldn¡¯t be discussing things right now if she had given it up earlier. The return of her knife brought much needed strength to Valerie allowing her to forgo drinking the mysterious if tantalizing potion for now. Breaking from their huddle, they addressed the two newcomers who waited patiently nearby.


    ¡°Alright, you have a deal. We won¡¯t hurt your pet IF you promise to guide us out of this divine forsaken forest.¡±


    The ever so slight and simultaneous eyebrow twitch from both the prince and his monkey at being called a pet disturbed the huntress. Just how enmeshed was this lunatic with his monster sidekick?


    ¡°Wonderful! Isn¡¯t Maji? To think we would run into such noble and¡­ well-travelled individuals.¡±


    The subtle barb at their poor appearance and the foul smell radiating off their clothes was intended to ruffle some feathers however neither monster hunter noticed nor cared for the insult. Valerie had been covered head to toe in monster guts several times within the last few weeks without batting an eye lid. Samantha on the other hand was used to not bathing for extended periods and had little to no idea under the grime, dirt, ragged cloak and terrifying aura she was by all accounts as cute as a button. Any comment on their appearances may as well be wasted breath lost to the wind for all the good it would do offending them.


    And so, they formed perhaps the most contentious band of misfits and ruffians to have ever grouped together. Well probably not that bad, at least each could contribute their individual strengths to serve the party¡¯s main goal. Valerie could hunt their meals including killing, skinning, and preparing any suitably edible creatures they came across. Samantha would ensure the group remained ambush free at night through her ever present eery aura, only the very hungry, very stupid, or very angry likely to try their hand. Any monsters that did would be challenged by the Battleboon who showed far greater prowess when it came to single handedly combatting larger than life creatures. Lastly there was Sikandar who fulfilled perhaps the most essential role any travelling band would be remiss not to have. He was the entertainment.


    ¡°Ah! I shall tell the tale of my great grandmother and the time she was mistaken for a rampaging ogre!¡±


    The prince laughed long and hard beginning yet another tale from near bottomless well of anecdotes and fanciful stories. He could barely contain his enthusiasm as they walked regaling them with the finest of his many, many, many unfunny jokes.


    ¡°And so I said, ¡®that¡¯s not my uncle, that my Nona Jaliyah!¡¯¡±


    He concluded the story with a real zinger of a punchline so good all in ear shot forgot how to laugh. Not the least bit dismayed, Sikandar guffawed merrily at his own joke for a solid minute.


    ¡°Ah, you should have been there, Maji my friend you were there you recall, yes?¡±


    He asked his companion upon finally calming down. The monkey in question nodded hesitantly as he lazed atop a tree branch waiting for the rest of the party to catch up. He had heard this story several times and it was only really funny the first time. Samantha didn¡¯t quite get it, and Valerie refused to listen to anyone who threw their lot in with monsters, especially the very aggravating kind. She got the feeling this was going to be a long journey to¡­ wherever it was they were going. She mentally added fore planning to her ever-growing list of skills to learn.


    ¡°Oh that reminds me of another story you will love!¡±


    Patience too, she definitely needed to learn patience if their party of four was going to remain a quartet.

 Mr Woldwide

    A monster hating huntress, a walking nightmare, a wayward prince and a monkey might be a bad start to a joke, but it was reality for Valerie at the moment. They had been travelling for several days now, the scenery barely shifting bar the painfully slow uptick in monsters. The huntress was thankful to any and all gods above whenever they encountered a new beast that needed gutting. Dancing with death was preferable to listening to the prince¡¯s stories especially when he started repeating them. The Battleboon also continued to get on her nerves, playing pranks, mocking her in its gibberish tongue and worst of all stealing her well-deserved kills just to spite her. The only thing standing in the way of Valerie and an all-out rematch was a begrudging acceptance their group needed one another and sometimes Samantha quite literally standing between them. The shadow user didn¡¯t exactly mind if the monkey got what¡¯s coming to him but absolutely refused to let their titanic clash go on for another three hours or longer. Once was more than enough for her. Sikandar was completely oblivious to his attendant¡¯s contentious relationship; he was far too busy talking about everything and anything he could think of.


    While resting on an outcropping of rocks that lead to a steep cliff, the prince breathed deeply filling his lungs with the refreshing air and felt it brush lightly against his exposed chest.


    ¡°Wondrous, is it not my friends? The Kingdom of Gentile is a most magical place, of all the lands I have visited and learned of it is most definitely my favourite. After my home ofcourse, you cannot help but always hold home close to your heart, no?¡±


    Although he asked it as a question, he expected no answer believing unequivocally that he was correct, and all would share his views. In reality however half the party had mixed feelings about their home and the last member was too asleep to listen to his student¡¯s ramblings. Seeing an opportunity to finally get onto a topic that wasn¡¯t drivel of the highest magnitude, Valerie asked earnestly.


    ¡°You¡¯ve visited a lot of places? Like where?¡±


    The whimsical prince beamed opening his arms wide as if trying to grasp the vista before him.


    ¡°How could I possibly name them all? It would be easier to list the short few I haven¡¯t graced with my presence!¡±


    Valerie gave the prince a flat look, not amused at his roundabout way to avoid the question and turn it into more self-gratification.


    ¡°Okay, not what I asked. Can you tell us anything about the other countries? With as little meandering as possible.¡±


    She tried to put it as plainly as she could but still felt like she failed to get the point across. Samantha perked up at the question as well, rising from where she lay on the hot rock trying and failing to nap as Maji was. While her friend was antagonistic to the monster, she had formed an unspoken truce with the Battleboon that boiled down to; you do you and I¡¯ll do me. With his audience¡¯s full attention, Sikandar could not help but boast once again.


    ¡°You mean you don¡¯t know? Oh my, oh my! Were you both born in a barn? I shudder to imagine what else you have lacked for in life. Allow me, Sikandar Reynaldo of the house Reynaldo, to become your teacher and educate you wayward wandering miscreants.¡±


    If the prince had any situational awareness instead a penchant for turning his back to pose dramatically he may have caught the rude gesture his student aimed his way.


    ¡°Where to begin? Hmmmm we must save the best for last! So, I will discuss instead the birthplace of the mightiest hero to have ever graced our world.¡±


    Drawn in by the outrageous proclamation both Valerie and Samantha were quickly disappointed upon the prince pointing to himself.


    ¡°To the south of these lands there is the beautiful, the astounding, the rich and flourishing Maroch empire. A sand swept nation with far less green than you have here but though fewer in number our oases are of much higher quality. There is also the illustrious Nokhes Ruins, although they have seen better days, they are a marvel to behold and tell the tragic story of our home. If you two are to call yourselves true travellers, you must visit my homeland where you will be welcomed as honoured guests.¡±


    A kind if untrue gesture, while the Maroch Empire has opened its doors to many travelling dignitaries and merchants within recent years, tourists were still widely frowned upon. As Sikandar was fully aware, his home was once a militaristic and highly contentious country that rivalled the Gentile Kingdom not just in terms military might but land mass too. That was until The Ruination many centuries ago that brought down great cities including the collapse of the previous capital of Nokhes. It was a cataclysm so great it brought the country to its knees wiping out more than half the population and forcing the nation¡¯s infrastructure to change overnight. Where once they were a powerhouse ruthlessly consuming other regions in an ever-expanding conquest, they now relied on the aid of their closest neighbour and longtime rival for assistance. A situation the ruling class of Gentile used to their advantage extorting vast tolls as well as reclaiming a sizable chunk of land from the suffering country. Sikandar briefly touched on this while focusing more on his homes more aesthetically pleasing scenery¡¯s.


    ¡°But what caused the Ruination?¡±


    Valerie interrupted just as Sikandar was about to re-enact a famous belly dance from one of his peoples most popular festivals.


    ¡°What do you think? Monsters ofcourse! Every great tragedy can be traced back to those loathsome creatures.¡±


    A sentiment the huntress completely agreed with though wasn¡¯t exactly happy with the provided answer. Monsters could group up or form large hoards if a particularly smart or cunning one appeared amongst their ranks. Sundering a whole country however was completely outside the realm of possibility for a bunch of selfish, despicable, unsightly, disgusting, downright rotten beasts. In Valerie¡¯s humble opinion ofcourse. She was most assuredly correct, simple monsters couldn¡¯t accomplish such a feat, but demons could. Believed to be the origins to all curses and deadly monsters was the plane of existence known as the the infernal realm. It was a dimension no living creature had ever travelled to, but many had left. Demons were the most common inhabitant, numbering in the millions, and they sought an exit from the Infernal realm at every opportunity. Their invasions always resulted in a calamity that would take centuries to recover from if at all. Every nation had its fair share of horror stories when it came to demons and the curses they would poison the land with. Maroch suffered greatly from a previous invasion attempt which resulted in the nation¡¯s current economic crisis from which it had only recently begun to recover from. It was not the most recent country to suffer such an attack however.


    ¡°Then there is the Shurle States to the north, a desert in its own right but where my home has sand they have frost.¡±


    This story is posted elsewhere by the author. Help them out by reading the authentic version.


    The prince explained after spending far too long describing the many delicacies his home offered much to the hungry girl¡¯s chagrin. The Shurle States were a collection of frozen tundra¡¯s that covered an area far bigger than the monolith that was the Gentile Kingdom though their actual land mass was significantly smaller. Cold, desolate and an awful holiday destination, the States was a country no sane human would call home, which is why the majority of the population wasn¡¯t human.


    ¡°Dwarves!¡±


    Sikandar exclaimed; his enthusiasm evident not just in his voice but the way his whole body visibly shook with excitement.


    ¡°Such a spectacular people, always hard at work no matter if that work is in the mines, the smiths or the tavern. You have not been to a feast until you have sat at the Dwarven long tables.¡±


    Neither monster hunter had been to any feast let alone a Dwarven one, a fact the prince wilfully ignored. Short in stature but vast in hardiness, the Dwarves of the Shurle States were renowned the world over for their tenacity no matter the environment or circumstances. They were naturally resistant to extreme temperatures whether they be in the high hundreds or low negatives thus their home was little more than an inconvenience even during a blizzard. The Shurle Dwarves had worked their land turning it into an efficient and finely tuned machine churning out base resources, smithing them into everyday objects, and then selling them to their neighbouring countries. It was on paper an idyllic territory if not for the years of civil war that plagued the states prior to their current peaceful period. Dwarves were a family orientated bunch who would sooner sell out their entire country than betray their kin. Their neighbours however, they would sooner sacrifice to a lesser-known deity for the chance to win a soggy scone.


    ¡°I assume neither of you have ever met a Beast man?¡±


    The two monster hunters shook their heads, they could accurately count the number of people they had met on a single pair of heads, especially if they did not count the monkey which unsurprisingly they did not.


    ¡°Shame, they are a sight to behold. I once visited the Shurle States as a boy with my father and was present to witness a Beast man of the avian variety as they danced a dance I will never truly forget.¡±


    For the first time, the prince paused not for dramatic effect but to truly reflect on that age old memory. His audience, having never seen the performance, were not stuck in a trance and given a reprieve to comment on the new piece of information.


    ¡°Pssst, Val what¡¯s an avian?¡±


    Samantha enquired, her knowledge or lack thereof on animal classifications yet another failure on the part of her teacher.


    ¡°It¡¯s like a bird. Are you saying there are intelligent monsters out there?¡±


    The question brought Sikandar out of his revery as he peered at his audience and then to the clearly intelligent monster who slept not five feet away from them.


    ¡°Monsters? No, no, no, they aren¡¯t monsters, they¡¯re like you and me except animalistic¡­ and sometimes scary.¡±


    An understatement if ever there was one. Beast men were not in fact monsters even if centuries of prejudice, smear campaigns and a possibly excessive number of attempted culling¡¯s would say otherwise. The Beast men were simply another race that inhabited their world, though it may be more accurate to say they were a collection of races all falling under the Beast man banner. From avians to mammals, reptiles to amphibians, if there was an animal to exist a Beast man with similar features would as well. Except for insects, that was a dark past for the Beast man people and one they did not like to bring up around the dinner table.


    ¡°Once the Beast men held their own kingdom, unfortunately it was lost to the ages. A province that once known as Nahmar Island.¡±


    It was still called Nahmar Island on most world maps however the former inhabitants had come to refer to their homeland as the Lost Isles. It was an expansive peninsula that sat to the west of the Gentile Kingdom seperated by the Kraking Sea, so called because of the vicious waves and literal Kraken who circled the island. Filled to the brim with dense jungles, incredible fauna and an unwieldly amount of natural mana, the island was paradise to its current owners: dragons. The titanic creatures of myth and legend were once thought to be just so, a dream conjured up by an artist too adventurous for his own craft. Everything changed when the demons of the Infernal realm invaded the island bringing with them the savage reptiles and plunging the island into chaos. It is considered the first and most devastatingly successful campaigns enacted by demons although they did not escape unscathed. The abundance of mana corrupted the dragons granting them free will and the chance to rebel which they did with ruthless severity. Now the island remains demon free and a draconian homeland where visitors are treated with the kindest and most welcoming torrent of flames. Every crusade to retake the island has been met with failure but thankfully no retaliation, so far that is. It was widely agreed, if the dragons ever chose to bite back not a force on Natar could stop them.


    ¡°Which is why the Beast men and the Dwarves were forced into the same region. Trust me it was not an easy alliance, and tensions still abound to this day.¡±


    The prince was never going to be a true emperor, but he was definitely a king of understatements. After being ousted from their home, the Beast men travelled to all corners of the map, most settling in the Shurle region. The occupying Dwarves were understandably not happy with the seemingly invading force and every few centuries the two races would knock heads with one another until civil war eventually broke out. While the Dwarves were hardy and more numerous, the Beast men were stronger, faster, had natural animalistic advantages and the drive to fight for a new home. During the last country wide war, the combatting factions were a few skirmishes away from ending each other in mutual destruction. Thankfully they were interrupted by the timely intervention of the one group all peace loving races hated equally: demons. The last demonic invasion only took place a hundred years ago, however their arrival sparked the need for cooperation from the divided peoples.


    ¡°It was Sir McCulloch of clan McCulloch, whose rousing speeches and desire for peace won out joining the two forces to combat true evil. His legacy is one all Dwarves and Beast men respect so much so that after the formation of the United States of Shurle, or the Shurle States for short, they named their capital city after the man. A hero if ever there was one.¡±


    Sikandar concluded his brief, wildly opiniated and incredibly tangential lesson on the countries within the continent of Natar. He honestly expected to receive raucous applause for his expertise on the matter yet was met with silence. Samantha, though she was still sat upright, fell asleep somewhere during the explanation, her snoring drowned out by the prince¡¯s ramblings. Valerie¡¯s hands meanwhile were preoccupied rubbing at her temples as she tried desperately to remove all the nonsense she had just heard. If she never heard about cuisine, dancing, festivals, fruity drinks, the names of plays, actor drama, and far, far too many facts about fashion it would be too soon. She asked about the surrounding countries to learn about their monsters, not the random drama of celebrities. At least she found out about demons and their retched kind, which did spark a question.


    ¡°So where was the last invasion?¡±


    The prince deflated, after all his juicy trivia, the first question he¡¯s asked is in regard to life¡¯s one true enemy. Sighing disappointedly, he answered much of his enthusiasm gone from his voice.


    ¡°It was the Shurle States, who fended off the demonic hoard a century ago through their combined efforts. Unfortunately, the¡­ effects of the invasion are still being combated to this day. Should either of you find yourself travelling north you will see for yourself the blight that stains their lands.¡±


    So, it was the like that, Valerie concluded. Although his explanation lacked details or any form of coherent thought, Sikandar did fulfil his due diligence as a teacher and allowed his students to think for themselves. Valerie picked up on the pattern that the Infernal realm invaded savagely and ruthlessly but only one country at a time for some reason. From the description first it was Nahmar, then Maroch and lastly Shurle which meant Gentile was up next if the invasion had not already started. Surely, she wasn¡¯t the only one who realized such a sequence existed which begged another question.


    ¡°What is the Gentile¡¯s ruling party doing to combat a potential invasion?¡±


    She asked the taken aback prince. Formal questions on military might, strategic planning, resources and other matters of state were just the sort of topics a prince should be knowledgeable on. Sikandar was not.


    ¡°W-well they, that is um¡­ Ah! You need not worry for you will see for yourself. The capital of the Gentile kingdom has defences in place that could combat just such an invasion.¡±


    He managed to bluff his way out of answering the query however he was in fact correct the capital did have just such a defence and their party would be able to see it for themselves very soon. Though it was never out right stated, Valerie had the sneaking suspicion they were steadily angling themselves towards the capital after all where else was a prince to go to do¡­ whatever it is princes do. She also was not worried about the potential for an invasion, rather she was interested to know if there was a conscription available for the general populace. Fighting and killing monsters was fun for sure but having the opportunity to commit wholesale justified slaughter against a demonic hoard sounded absolutely stupendous in the huntress¡¯s opinion.


    ¡°Alright, enough lazing around, lets head off.¡±


    She announced gently shaking her friend awake and roughly kicking the monkey who was already completely conscious. Learning about the various neighbouring countries was nice and all but lessons could wait until after they reached their destination. Maybe then she could learn some actual useful information or perhaps about the countries beyond the Diamond Mist Sea to the east. While Sikandar¡¯s knowledge lacked any beneficial lessons it did paint a pretty and accurate picture of the state of the world. Shattered and with dark histories, the countries that made up Natar were in a state of relative peace for the first time in ages. A tenuous peace however, one that could be torn asunder easily by the right person in the wrong place. This person could be anyone perhaps a mysterious figure with a dark power, whose origins were anything but pleasant, showed little to no regard for the sanctity of life and held knowledge of their own preordained untimely death. Ofcourse that is a one in a million possibility and even if such a person existed what were the chances they would also be making their way to the capital of the current most powerful country? A country that was far overdue for a calamity.

 Civilization At Last

    Over the course of half a month, the fellowship of the blade stuck together through thick and thin overcoming challenging monsters and treacherous terrain, inching closer to their destination while growing as a family all the while. Were this a fairytale that may just be the case however, it was only on good days the storybook huntress tolerated the groups mascot and his simian accomplice. On bad days, well if ever there was a Monsters Activist group whose sole goal it was to increase awareness for monster cruelty, they would most assuredly have a problem with Valerie. Samantha remained ultimately indifferent, neither fawning after the prince nor outright despising him. If push came to shove, she would take her friends side without a second thought but until such a division occurred, she was fine to walk and listen absentmindedly to the princes never ending stories of home.


    On the motley crews travels they formed a unique day to day routine; Valerie would hunt, Sikandar would guide and tell tales, Maji would do something to annoy Valerie and Samantha would hold her friend back as best she could. Every day the huntress would come that little bit closer to killing the infuriating monkey and it would retaliate by goading her on. Thankfully the groups tryst would end soon as they at last came upon the distant sight of the Gentile seat of power.


    ¡°There it is, awe inspiring is it not? We are so close I could reach out and grasp it in my hand.¡±


    Valerie¡¯s face scrunched up into a grimace at the prince¡¯s audacious statement when the capital they sought was still a distant dot on the horizon. They did begin to see more signs of life as they journeyed ever closer, which is to say even more monsters. A census had never been completed on the ratio of monsters to intelligent life however it was roughly believed to be about ten to one. Thankfully the Gentile Kingdom was home to a majority beast type population of monster rather than the Maroch golems and Shurle spirits which were resistant and immune to physical attacks respectively. The increasing monster threat got so bad the rag tag group was forced to avoid more than they killed. They still struck down a number of creatures along the way but needed to quickly vacate afterwards as the carrion was like a beacon for famished creatures of ill repute.


    The group eventually made it to the main highway that led directly to the capital, a long stretch of well-travelled road which merchants and other parties used to go between major trading hubs and the city itself. They passed numerous small settlements and farmsteads leading deeper into the heart of the kingdom, oddly enough the quartet was paid no mind as they marched on. The sight of two teenage girls, a twenty something shirtless foreigner and a monkey was clearly not more important than tending to the crops.


    After what felt like an eternity, they finally arrived at the outskirts of the city, the sheltered runaway girls marvelling at the spectacular sight before them. The aptly named ¡®Capital City¡¯ was a leap beyond the simple farm life they had witnessed so far. Gargantuan eye-catching towers split the sky, their height and ingenious construction an engineering feat unlike any other. A massive and intimidating wall encircled the capital, so great the very idea could and had deterred numerous war bands from attempting a siege. The crown jewel of the defence however was the slightly shimmering blue dome that encircled the sky above the capital. A magical barrier that not only prevented any form of aerial attack but also featured an impenetrable anti-portal enchantment that made all special transportation within the city impossible. Moving vast distances using magic was a highly studied if unfruitful endeavour however the demons had somehow figured out a way to use holes within the fabric of reality to enact their invasions. The barrier however prevented any such holes from opening, the methods and techniques used to enact such an enchantment lost to the ages. Sikandar did his best to educate his travel companions as they performed a favourite pass time for all Gentile residents: waiting in line.


    Border security was very important to those in charge of the Capital City and so they performed thorough checks by specially trained individuals. After waiting in line for over an hour, the group were given the opportunity to approach one such official, a heavily armoured, heavily breathing and heavy-set guard. The wonders of nepotism in action as the man didn¡¯t look like he could guard a fart from escaping. Sikandar stepped forth offering his limited services in negotiating safe passage for the group. His temporary companions silently agreed to make a run for it the second things inevitably went south.


    ¡°Papers.¡±


    The guard demanded, the exertion from saying a single word appearing nearly enough to send him into fits of exhaustion. The prince dramatically scoffed at the notion he would require any documentation.


    ¡°Papers? Papers?! My dear friend, I am Sikandar Reynaldo of house Reynaldo! My family is known far and wide for our prowess in battle and our unyielding devotion to our nation¡¯s prosperity!¡±


    The prince accentuated his speel with grand gestures and rising tones momentarily capturing the attention of other guards and those still awaiting their turn in line. He would have gone on for another hour if he could but a burly man some distance behind the quartet yelled at him to hurry up adding colourful language in the process. The man handling Sikandar was also not impressed.This content has been unlawfully taken from Royal Road; report any instances of this story if found elsewhere.


    ¡°Bully for you, your papers?¡±


    Unaffected by his onlookers lack of class, the prince approached the guard his tone dropping to a whisper.


    ¡°My good man! As I said my house is known far and wide as we have many friends. You seem like a fine gentleman, I am sure we can be friends too, yes?¡±


    A small coin purse changed hands too quick for anyone to notice. Valerie watched the exchange happen and still couldn¡¯t say how he accomplished the deft sleight of hand. After feeling the pouch, and not so secretly pocketing it, the guard looked over Sikandar¡¯s shoulders nodding his head to the prince¡¯s party.


    ¡°Your mates got their papers too?¡±


    Stepping back, Sikandar put a hand to his forehead in mock horror.


    ¡°You wound me my new friend. Do you think my retinue would travel without their identification? Perish the thought! They are a class above the rest, why just look at my bodyguard!¡±


    The prince gestured to Valerie waving his hands up and down the girl¡¯s frame.


    ¡°Onyx hair as black as the night, a stoic and unyielding frame built upon muscles powerful enough to crush boulders! Don¡¯t even get me started on her skills, the monsters she has slain would put even the great Fandrial to shame.¡±


    Many eyes turned to the huntress as the crowd whispered behind her back. As embarrassment overtook her, she imagined the numerous ways she would get back at the prince. Moving on to the next member of his entourage, Sikandar extended his arm allowing Maji to leap up and hang upside down from the appendage using only its feet.


    ¡°Then there is my loyal support animal, a symbol of my home and family alike. He has been with me through thick and thin always by my side to offer his own unique wisdom.¡±


    The monster in question glowed at the high praise while side eyeing the furious huntress and lightly sniggering. Tame monsters were nothing new to the city guard although he greatly underestimated just how much smarter this monkey was compared to himself. Letting his companion drop from his arm, Sikandar moved down the line to present Samantha. The cloaked girl puffed out her chest awaiting her own exaggerated accommodations.


    ¡°And finally we have¡­ um¡­ My Retinue of loyal companions and followers!¡±


    She deflated being overlooked. It was easy to understand why, despite spending so much time in each other¡¯s company the prince had never gotten used to how Samantha made his skin crawl. The other guards and surrounding onlookers would have sympathized with the girl, but they too averted their gaze as best they could. The guard handling the party slowly clapped at the princes grand introduction before sticking his hand out.


    ¡°Wonderful, now their papers?¡±


    Unflappable as always, the prince reached into a backpack and handed a carefully rolled up parchment to the guard who unfurled it to find two more pouches attachment to the paper. With the subtlety of a bull in a porcelain shop, the guard pocketed the bags and waved the group on while calling for next in line.


    ¡°Hold your applause, I need no commendation for it is simply my role as your leader and prince.¡±


    Sikandar proclaimed, bowing gracefully as they walked through the gate into the city proper. Valerie might have finally bit back with a well-deserved jab but both she and Samantha were left frozen upon crossing the border into Capital City. It was absolutely packed to the brim with an ever-shifting assortment of travelling merchants, foreign dignitaries, adventuring youths and its ever-increasing populace. Going from a three-person cabin to a small homestead and now this massive metropolis unsurprisingly shook them both. Neither could begin to imagine the sheer number of people the capital housed or how many came and went with each day. While Valerie was feeling overwhelmed, Samantha stared bewildered at the scale with a bit of nostalgia for the claustrophobic surroundings. Though the sky was overhead, and no one was forcing her to work, the outrageous hussle and bussle between tightly packed buildings and towering skyscrapers distantly reminded her of home. Not the majesty or brilliance, that was for sure, but the constant stream of movement this place shared with the mine.


    ¡°Papa would have loved this¡­¡±


    She whispered under her breath knowing beyond a shadow of a doubt her adoptive father would flourish in just such a town. Sikandar was not quite so reserved in his appreciation speaking loud and proud amidst the sea of people that parted ever so slightly around the group thanks to a certain shadow user.


    ¡°Aaah, take it in Maji, isn¡¯t it beautiful? The white gleaming towers built in honour to the Divine. The constantly expanding suburbs home to an uncountable number of Gentilians. And do you see it? There in the distance a single smokestack with constantly changing colours? That is our destination mentor, we are nearly there. Oh my, and look is that what I think it is¡­¡±


    He continued to excitedly point out the many buildings and explain their function or comment on the exquisite design while Maji ooh¡¯d and ah¡¯d at his student¡¯s words seeming to be just as enchanted. They had good reason to be as the city itself was a feast for the eyes with wondrous gleaming streets that were shockingly cleaner than was to be expected. The near deafening noise as peoples of all races, ages, creeds, shapes and sizes moved to and fro, their destinations a mystery but the sight alone enough to catch one¡¯s breath. It was like a microcosm of the greater world at large shrunken down and put on full display for all returning and newly arrived travellers. The moment was cut short for Valerie and Samantha however as the prince and his mentor concluded their marvelling and stood before them bowing deeply.


    ¡°And with that our accord has come to an end. I thank you both for the unforgettable journey we have embarked upon, and I wish you the best. May we meet again under more¡­ amorous circumstances.¡±


    The prince finished his goodbyes with a last wink and a flourish as he walked off from the awe-struck girls. Maji followed after giving a friendly wave to Samantha and sneered at Valerie. Before long the two foreigners were lost in the sea of people leaving the monster hunting pair stood in the middle of a road neither could name, in a city they could not navigate and with nothing to their name but the clothes on their back. A thought crossed the shadow users mind, and she turned to her friend.


    ¡°Hey Val, what do we do now?¡±


    In that moment, Valerie recalled a word she heard as a child from her uncle. It was a word used in great duress and never repeated however in that spot in the middle of the street without a single idea what they were to do next or where to go she felt the true meaning of the word. Without looking at Samantha, Valerie uttered a phrase that she knew would be repeated frequently and with ever increasing severity.


    ¡°¡­ Bollocks.¡±

 Country Bumpkins

    On the side of a busy road within the walls of the Gentile Capital city, two monster hunters loitered outside a semi-popular bakery while they reflected on just how up a creek they were. Leaning against the window of the bakery, Valerie scanned the constantly shifting crowd, the sight of so many people mind boggling to witness. Samantha on the other hand, paid them no mind as she sat with her eyes closed in a crossed legged pose while munching on a bagel. The duo¡¯s undeniably ragged appearance as well as their foul smell drew sympathy from passersby including the bakery owner who gifted burnt and unsellable products to the homeless girls. Contrary to popular opinion, there was not as many showers out in the wild as one might suspect which was why the pair stunk to high heaven. Not only that, but they were also broke, had nowhere to stay and lost in a city they didn¡¯t know how to navigate. They could possibly survive by grifting or stealing what they needed but with so many eyewitnesses and guards they were bound to end up in custody. They briefly discussed leaving the city to camp out in the woods again but tossed out the idea, if they were to leave now, they would likely never get back in without the right documents.


    ¡°Damn that prince¡­¡±


    Valerie muttered under her breath. He used the pair as bodyguards, meal tickets and worst of all an ego boost forcing them to listen to his endless tall tales. He didn¡¯t waste a second in leaving them behind to fend for themselves in this human ant hill. She hated the monkey¡¯s attitude, but it was the Maroch prince she should have despised from the beginning. He played a fool, a braggard, a chauvinist all the while secretly masterminding his way under their radar tricking them at every turn. It was without a doubt a complete overestimation of the prince¡¯s cunning but in that moment whether his buffoonery was an act or not didn¡¯t matter to her.


    ¡°Should have killed him when we had the chance¡­ and his little pet too.¡±


    Valerie was too busy stewing in her own resentment to pay any mind to the pedestrians giving her statement odd looks. These were Gentialians however and if something wasn¡¯t their problem they had no reason to make it so. Samantha embodied this carefree attitude perfectly, there was no reason to worry in her mind as they would find a solution eventually. So instead, she busied herself relaxing and enjoying her meditative snack, the tangy taste melting on her tongue while the burnt sections added a satisfying crunch. James may not have been able to assist her in dulling the scary aura she unconsciously let out like a bad odour, but Maji unintentionally helped the shadow user. While at rest, the monkey would spend its time either leaping from tree to tree or in deep meditation, what it possibly thought on during such sessions was a secret none would ever learn (bananas, it thought about bananas). Although never truly invited to join in, Samantha wasn¡¯t turned away when she sat beside and imitated the monster¡¯s concentration techniques. The first few sessions ended as one might expect with the shadow user falling asleep or being unable to keep her focus. After numerous attempts however, she found herself able to maintain the meditative pose for a short few minutes until dipping into dreamland. Her curiosity bore fruits as she found the unsettling parts of her shadow aspect diminish over time while clearing her mind, only flaring back when she broke concentration or opened her eyes. If she could find a way to master the art of meditation, she may just be able to control her eery aura or find a method to turn it into a weapon.


    She made for an odd sight, sat outside a bakery crossed legged and with a half-eaten bagel but at least she was a sight to behold. The people passing them capable of looking at the scary girl without a chill running down their spines. Enjoying her tasty snack and with nothing else to do, Samantha almost achieved a near nirvana sense of tranquillity that was unfortunately broken with the loud and defeated sigh of her friend. Opening her dark eyes, she watched Valerie hop off the bakery¡¯s wall and pace around, a thoughtful if frustrated look strewn across her face. With the return of the crowd dispersing eery aura, the huntress had plenty of space to march around as she wracked her mind for an answer. She mumbled under her breath going back and forth on ideas before quickly shooting them down. Everything she thought of seemed to have more downsides for the pair than upsides. At last, she turned to Samantha her shoulders slumping and her face becoming crestfallen.


    ¡°I have to be honest, I don¡¯t know what to do. This¡­ this is what I wanted. To be HERE, to find other people and try to make something out of my life. It¡¯s all I¡¯ve wanted, for years I imagined being someplace with people with sights to see and things to do. But now that were finally here I just¡­ I don¡¯t know where to go, who to talk to. I¡­ just don¡¯t know¡­¡±


    Admitting her own poor planning was hard enough, but with her friend relying on her as well Valerie was near crumbling from the pressure. She hated how she let Sikandar trick her, believing even if they didn¡¯t get along, they could respect each other enough to not leave them high and dry. She had been dealt a harsh slap in the face by reality and didn¡¯t know how to proceed. The huntress crouched down next to Samantha dropping her head into her hands utterly defeated. A soft hand patted her shoulder in an attempt to console the burdened girl.If you come across this story on Amazon, it''s taken without permission from the author. Report it.


    ¡°There, there, you tried, and you failed. It happens.¡±


    The consoling party was not very good at it. Her words were genuine however, she failed numerous times in her attempts to escape the mine but never gave in and she knew Valerie was not the sort to give in either. They just needed to find something or someone or maybe somewhere? They needed to not get bogged down was Samantha¡¯s mentality as that helped no one but the bog. Finishing off her delicious bagel, she wondered if acquiring more would improve matters, always best to think on a full stomach or so she¡¯d been told. The question was: how would she get those scrumptious treats? Perhaps more sympathy pleas? Or maybe she could learn how to make them herself? But where could she learn to do that?


    ¡°Whgh dooughn we ho ho a ibaeae!¡±


    She tried to say, flecks of pastry flying out from her filled cheeks.


    ¡°¡­What?¡±


    Valerie responded, not even trying to decipher that garbled mess of a sentence. Samantha forcibly swallowed her half-chewed bagel almost choking in the process. Taking a few breaths to make sure nothing came back up, she repeated herself.


    ¡°Why don¡¯t we go to a library!¡±


    Samantha remembered how Papa would reminisce about his youth when comparing himself to the Mine born children. He would lovingly recall the many days he spent in his towns local library reading book after book under the watchful eye of the well-educated and encouraging librarian. Many of the skills, stories and wisdom he accumulated over the years could be attributed to his days between those dusty shelves. Of any establishment Samantha knew, which was not many, the idealized version of a library where anyone was free to come and go as they pleased seemed like their best bet. It wasn¡¯t much, but it was a destination and maybe the staff would be of assistance to the girls and if not setting fire to the place might cheer them up. Valerie turned the idea over in her head, not the arson that was something the shadow user kept to herself. While James was not a font of literary knowledge, he did also affirm the importance of a good library and made many promises to take his niece to one which he never intended to fulfil. Slowly rising back up, the huntress decided they had no better option and there was no harm in trying. Offering a hand to her genius friend, the two stood side by side and looked out at the city with renewed energy. That is until Samantha asked yet another important question.


    ¡°Say, what does a library look like?¡±


    ¡°¡­BOLLOCKS!¡±


    Came the Valerie¡¯s immediate reply catching a few bystanders off guard. They then spent a half hour mindlessly wondering the streets and asking confused locals for any information on the nearest library. Their enquiries eventually led the duo to stand in front of the dingiest and most run-down building to still operate a business. ¡®Albert¡¯s Books¡¯ wouldn¡¯t win any awards for catchy names, but it certainly got the message across to anyone but the illiterate pair. Out of everyone they interviewed, well Valerie interviewed and Samantha scared, this was the only library within the district according to an elderly couple who weren¡¯t even sure it still existed having visited as children. The huntress was apprehensive to enter the building worried that the old folk¡¯s recommendation could be another lie and the building itself was actually a den of debauchery or a front for some criminal organization. Samantha held no such reservations, walking up to the building and entering through the creaky unlocked entrance.


    While the outside had been a dilapidated and worn-down mess of timber and brick the inside was well maintained and organized, if a tad small. Sturdy rows of bookcases lined the buildings four walls and took up most of the available floor space creating a maze of shelves with meticulously cleaned dust free tomes. Samantha marvelled at the sight while Valerie cautiously looked around the dimly lit hovel making sure there was no hidden attackers or secret traps. Libraries were widely known in the animal kingdom to be the most vicious and patient of predators after all. Caring not for any would be attackers, the shadow user announced her presence to the hardcovers.


    ¡°Heeeeeello? Is anyone here?¡±


    Her companion resisted the urge to strangle the loudmouth, settling instead for a furious stare that went unnoticed. A thump from behind a bookshelf alerted the duo to a third entity in the vacant library. From around a corner a chubby man waddled out adjusting his glasses and looking his latest clientele over. He was old, very old from the two¡¯s assessment, older than even four- or five-time grandfather Dale McDale. His age and rotund figure weren¡¯t the only defining features as not a single hair graced his head, bar a bushy moustache and pair of equally thick eyebrows. He wore a well-fitting brown business suit with ink stains set into the shirt underneath that were many years older than the trees that made up the books and shelves themselves. Most interesting of all, the man was an Elf or shared attributes with elves as he had a set of pointed ears adorning his sharp angled face. Analysing the duo in turn, the elf librarian adopted a jolly smile and beckoned them in with a voice that could warm the coldest heart.


    ¡°Welcome, welcome. It has been an age since a pair of youthful spirits crossed into my domain. My name is Albert Woodpen, please make yourselves at home and I will be with you shortly.¡±


    Turning away, Albert made to leave and return with warm refreshments, excited to host new faces for the first time in ages. His retreat was halted when the smallest newcomer made her own unique introduction.


    ¡°Hi, my names Samantha, I have the aspect of shadow and this is Valerie, she mmMMMM-¡°


    She was cut off by Valerie clasping her friends mouth shut yet again before she revealed all their secrets. For the first time, the huntress was thankful for the bustling streets if only because it meant there were too many people for Samantha to personally introduce herself to. Slowly rotating his head back, Albert tried to stare at the smaller of the two finding his eyes unable to focus or simply refusing to obey. His ears twitched and voice dropped to a whisper.


    ¡°The¡­ the what?¡±


    Valerie clenched her jaw while Samantha struggled to breath under the iron grip.


    ¡°Bollocks.¡±


    She cursed, believing whole heartedly her time within the Capital would turn her into a true cussing aficionado.

 What we do in the Shadows

    Valerie and Samantha sat at a gnarled wooden table, steaming cups of tea set before them while a frantic Albert searched through bookshelves and muttered to himself. It had taken a monumental amount of pleading to convince the huntress and her compatriot to stay, but Albert knew he couldn¡¯t pass up this chance. A one in a million opportunity, the man thought to himself, he would be a fool to not answer when fate came knocking. After a frenzied back forth consisting of Albert stacking books next to the table, hurriedly reading the contents and then tossing the reference aside he eventually sat down in front of the confused girls gasping for breath and dabbing at his forehead with a handkerchief. Samantha offered her cold and untouched cup of tea to the man which he graciously accepted, downing the contents in a single gulp. Finally ready, the elf tried to meet Samantha¡¯s curious gaze but was forced to look elsewhere, his eyes refusing to stay locked onto the girl. He broke out into a wild laugh that only further befuddled his guests.


    ¡°It¡¯s true! I thought it may be an exaggeration or attempt to appear more, oh what do they call it nowadays? Edgy? Yes edgy! But that¡¯s not the case for you my dear, you have it! You truly have it!¡±


    The excited man said between breaths, his ecstatic tone doing nothing to assure the girls they were in a safe environment. Sensing the unease, Albert stifled his enthusiasm and coughed awkwardly. Placing his hands on the table, he addressed his guests with all the confidence and equanimity he could muster.


    ¡°My dears I must apologise for my outbursts, I admit I am truly taken aback and could not help myself. As well as a librarian running this fine establishment, I am a scholar by trade and make it my mission to learn all I can when I can especially when it comes to topics no one has ever covered before.¡±


    The librarian went on to explain some of his many research papers the majority of which focused on the dull to the pointless. In one dissertation he wrote on frogs¡¯ legs, not their taste or suitability as a delicacy, but on how many leaps a frog can make within a single lifetime and if their legs deteriorate from these jumps or continue to develop allowing for increased height and distance. Neither girl was interested in the topic as evidenced by their one-word answers and lack of engagement. Undeterred, Albert explained his current fascination: aspects.


    ¡°What are they truly? Where do they come from? What everyday applications can they be used for? I have spent years studying this topic and learning all I can yet every day I feel I am no further forward in answering the greater questions. Then, you come waltzing in through my door.¡±


    He said to Samantha, his voice quivering with barely contained energy. The topics of aspects had indeed been thoroughly investigated and examined over the countless years they have existed. That being said, no one knew where they came from exactly and could only speculate with the most common explanation being they were gifts from the divine. It was a simple solution the elder librarian acknowledged but was never truly happy with. ¡®Why settle for half measures or easy answers?¡¯ was his mentality. Thus, he studied the phenomenon as best he could and with the little resources available to him which were considerably lacking. As were living case studies, the man nor any of his known associates possessed an aspect and very few revealed as much unless forced or obliged to, such as those in positions of power. Having an individual appear out of nowhere who openly admits to owning such a power and a unique one at that was the sort of silver plater he could not refuse or send back to the kitchen.


    ¡°Miss¡­ Samantha, you are a rare specimen possessing a talent I would very much like to study. With your permission ofcourse, I would hate to impose but at the same time must beseech you for the sake of furthering our understanding on powers we have only scratched the surface of.¡±


    Although his voice was earnest and the look in his eye seemed genuine, the huntress was apprehensive to believe another set of convenient lies. She turned to her friend with a raised eyebrow, it was ultimately her decision to make but surely, Samantha wouldn¡¯t take this whack job seriously. They barely said a word to the elf and he was ready to fall to his knees before them. Well before her, but they were a package deal and if she was going to get her boots kissed then Valerie definitely wasn¡¯t missing out. The shadow user was never one for long thought processes, she didn¡¯t have the time nor the need when death was so close at hand. To her if a there was an experience to be had she might as well do it, no matter if it was leaping off a cliff or becoming a test subject for a fat elf.


    ¡°Okay.¡±


    Both the huntress and librarian sat back in surprise utterly baffled at Samantha¡¯s quick acceptance. Albert had been cooking up numerous offers and promises to persuade the mysterious girl. He couldn¡¯t offer riches, but he would gift the clothes off his back if that¡¯s what it took. The fact it didn¡¯t relieved, confused, befuddled and perplexed the man so much so he had to be sure.


    ¡°Are¡­ are you certain? You don¡¯t even know why I want to research your power. I can explain if you like?¡±


    In truth he spent so long faffing about just to give himself time to come up with a sales pitch and a part of him wanted that effort not to go to waste. Samantha shrugged and nodded for the elf to proceed while Valerie still reeled at the odd turn of events. Coughing awkwardly, Albert directed both of his guest¡¯s attention to a shelf in the corner of his library.


    ¡°That whole bookshelf contains records, details and research papers on some of the known aspects in the world today and the one next to it holds yet more documents. This is a small library I¡¯ll grant you, but my collection is anything if not up to date.¡±


    The pair of bookshelves could accurately be estimated to be less than one percent of the total research done on the greatest mystery of the world. If the elf wanted to dedicate himself entirely to the topic, he would need a continent spanning chain of libraries to cover every single paper ever published or tome which directly discusses the topic. The librarian tapped a shaky hand against a book on the table, drawing his guest¡¯s attention back to him, as he slid it towards them.


    ¡°This right here, this one book, is the only tome in this entire library with any details on the Aspect of Shadow. It is a fictional re-telling of a man believed to have possessed the aspect. A man we cannot prove existed.¡±


    The book in question had a questionably provocative cover with a partially shirtless man draped in a dark robe. It was barely thicker than a pencil and was the authors first and only publication before they disappeared into obscurity. Whether that was due to some malevolent forces or shame at penning such a trashy novel was up for debate.


    ¡°Within this world there are many aspects for all manner of weapons, tools, elements and concepts but few, VERY few, have ever wielded the Aspect of Shadow. My fellows within the academia are baffled as to why as almost all other Aspects have had at the very least a handful of users. It does not matter what training you undergo, who your parentage is or how badly you desire it, next to no one has achieved what you possess my dear.¡±


    Albert enunciated each word carefully ensuring the weight of Samantha¡¯s situation was beyond any doubt. He then delivered the coup de grace with expert showmanship.


    ¡°Samantha, you have a gift, one I would imagine few know anything about, yet many would covet. As such, you have the chance of a lifetime to help advance our knowledge on the many mystical powers that make up our world and I ask you with all the sincerity and hope in my heart to help your fellow man.¡±


    Valerie stared at the man and resisted the urge to vomit. He sounded just like Sikandar, all sweet words trying to get exactly what he wanted while returning nothing in kind. Gripping her friend¡¯s shoulder with a might too much force she turned her in her chair so they were facing away from the librarian in a half huddle. Whispering quietly so as not to be overheard, Valerie tried confirm they were both on the same page.


    ¡°Samantha please tell me you are thinking what I am thinking here?¡±


    By which she meant; tell this freak to take a hike, flip over his table, rob him blind and then run for the hills. This library was a bust and it was better to cut their losses and run before either of them ended up on a dissecting table. The shadow user nodded her head in agreement and gave a quick thumbs up. Slowly twisting back to face Albert, Valerie placed both her palms under the table ready to toss it.


    ¡°Apologies Al but I¡¯m afraid we-¡°


    ¡°I¡¯ll do it!¡±


    The narrative has been taken without authorization; if you see it on Amazon, report the incident.


    Samantha cut in, throwing Valerie like a punch to the gut. Albert meanwhile was overjoyed taking out a pen and paper while scribbling furiously and excitedly asking question after question.


    ¡°Wonderful! We must start immediately! Please you must tell me in agonizing detail how did you first achieve your aspect? What skills has it granted? When did you-¡°


    ¡°Hang on, HANG ON!¡±


    The huntress interrupted gripping her friend by the shoulder and turning them away from the intrusive librarian once again.


    ¡°Samantha what in the bloody divine are you doing?!¡±


    She half whispered half demanded more accusatory than concern. The calm girl shrugged her shoulders.


    ¡°I don¡¯t know, he seems nice. Reminds me a lot of Papa and I don¡¯t have to answer every question if I don¡¯t want to.¡±


    Valerie gave her friend a hard look, she didn¡¯t exactly like the reasoning but knew how much Samantha¡¯s father meant to her. If she wasn¡¯t saying something outrageous, giggling at the most inappropriate things, or generally being annoying, she would talk about all the things her father taught her before disappearing. If she saw even a fraction of him in this librarian, then who was Valerie to deny her friend?


    ¡°Fine, but if I think things are getting too¡­ personal then we are out of here. Understood?¡±


    Samantha nodded giving a thumbs up once again. Sighing dejectedly, the huntress hoped that meant they were on the same page this time. Turning back to the worried librarian, Valerie took the opportunity to extort what they needed out of the man.


    ¡°She¡¯ll do it, but you¡¯re going to have to offer us some things as well.¡±


    The huntress stated not caring if her friend disagreed. If she wanted to spill her secrets that¡¯s fine but they could at least squeeze out a few concessions in the meantime. Albert regained his excited demeanour and quickly agreed not taking a second to consider the implications like his muse. Without revealing too many details, Valerie explained her and Samantha¡¯s current situation regarding the non-existent identification papers and their lack of accommodations. The librarian understood their plight having encountered many scared and homeless youths in his long life. He found lodging and did his best to help those unfortunate few get back on their feet whenever he could but there were always those who slipped through the cracks. He assured the girls he was more than happy to help even offering the room above the library that typically served as storage to become their temporary living quarters. As for the documentation, they were in luck as the librarian had a colleague in the local administration that owed him a sizable favour and could arrange for the girls to receive new sets of identification allowing them to enter and exit the city as they pleased. Valerie wasn¡¯t entirely convinced given everything the man promised would take time to bear fruit, but Samantha pressured her friend to accept the offer believing wholeheartedly in the librarian¡¯s words. Thus, a hastily written contract was drawn up and signed, the two illiterates using a drop of blood in place of an actual signature. With the right spell or incantation, it would suffice in proving the documents authenticity should a judge or other governing body be forced to intervene in the event either party broke the agreement. Even so, Albert added free reading and writing lessons for the duo as a signing bonus.


    With the formalities taken care of, Albert was given the full tragic story of how Samantha gained the aspect of shadow. Despite her attempts to describe the events with a merry or nostalgic tone, his face morphed into a mask of horror from the dark tale. The librarian took down as many notes as he could even sketching out a rough rendition of Samantha¡¯s vision, a revelation he nearly fell out of his chair at the mention of. A shadow user who had also received a vision from the divine? He was one more outrageous coincidence from dropping to his knees and thanking the gods above for bringing such a gift into his life. Valerie offered little in terms of her own circumstances only piping up to help explain some of Samantha¡¯s more colourful interpretations of events. By the time they were done with the preliminaries it was far into the night and Albert was rubbing away at an ache in his palm, stacks of hastily written notes strewn across the table in a shorthand that would have been ineligible to any but the librarian. Thoroughly interviewed to the point of mental exhaustion, the duo sat awkwardly not sure what to do. That is until a cacophonous rumble that began in Samantha and ended in Valerie signalled yet another problem the pair needed resolving.


    ¡°Don¡¯t suppose you have anything to eat in this place?¡±


    The huntress enquired. Albert looked at his guests confused only now realizing the time and that he too was a little peckish.


    ¡°Hmmm? Food? Oh yes food, that rights. Uh no, no food in the library. Grubby fingers and all that, don¡¯t want to stain the pages.¡±


    There was nothing worse than finding an old book shoved into a corner with the pages covered in some mysterious food stains in the librarian¡¯s opinion. Tapping his good hand against the table, he debated where to grab a meal at this time of night. He could whip something up back home but today was a special occasion and the two deserved a reward for tolerating his unending questions. The answer suddenly came to him and he snapped his fingers unintentionally making Samantha jealous; she should have asked for lessons on that too during negotiations.


    ¡°I¡¯ve got it, Joanne¡¯s! She¡¯s a friend, she has a restaurant just around the corner. Haven¡¯t eaten there in ages but she has some of the best¡­ what do you call it? It doesn¡¯t matter, it¡¯s all meat, meat and more meat. That¡¯s actually the slogan, I helped her come up with it. Wait no, did I?¡±


    The librarian said hurriedly, his brain scrambled from the afternoon¡¯s events. Grabbing his hat and walking cane, he led his new tenants out of the building and down the street to a very busy restaurant. The ¡°slogan¡± was actually the two-story restaurants name which was prominently displayed on a huge sign with magical stones embedded into the letters making it glow bright in the summer night. Albert cut through the crowd surrounding the establishment receiving a few glares and admonishments as the heavy man barrelled his way towards the kitchen, loudly calling out to his old friend. The duo stood outside the building pretending to not know any elf librarians and idly wondered if they still had time to run for it.


    After a minute, Albert returned with the owner, proprietor and head chef Joanne who had to duck under her own doorframe to exit. Joanne Willow, as it turned out, was a seven-foot-tall mountain of a woman with deep scars visible along her fur covered arms and an eye patch covering up the scar from her missing ocular organ. She was a beast man, or beast woman to be more exact, who looked like someone took a black-furred wolf stood on its hind legs, mixed it with a body building super model and draped it in a ¡®Kiss the cook¡¯ apron. Craning their necks to look at the larger-than-life chef, both monster hunters were suddenly and inexplicably hit with a single thought to best describe the beast woman: buxom. Ironically Joanne had wanted to name her restaurant ¡®The Buxom Wolf¡¯ but ran into legal troubles learning the name was already trademarked by a brothel on the other side of town. The head chef stood tall over the monster hunting pair, judging them with her one good eye, her gaze fell on Samantha and remained there unwavering.


    ¡°You. Is that my cousin you¡¯re wearing over your shoulders?¡±


    The giant woman said in a voice that could make fire freeze in place. She crouched low coming inches away from Samantha¡¯s face and nodded to the Duvolf pelt still draped over her shoulders. The accused girl could feel hot breath against her and tugged at the fur before answering as innocent as a newborn.


    ¡°Is it? He¡¯s pretty warm.¡±


    Joanne¡¯s eye grew wide, and she let out a laugh that howled into the night.


    ¡°HA HA HA! I like you girl; you got guts, and you make my skin crawl like it hasn¡¯t in years.¡±


    She turned her head and looked over the huntress next. Joanne grinned, exposing her canine teeth in a not so friendly jagged smile, upon noticing the girl gripping her sheathed blade, not a shake or quiver to be found.


    ¡°And you¡­ you¡¯re alright hehehe.¡±


    Rising back to her full height, Joanne gestured for the pair to come inside.


    ¡°Any friend of Albert is a friend of mine! Come on in and eat to your hearts content!¡±


    Turning back to her restaurant she ignored the annoyed looks of waiting customers as she disappeared under the door frame again. Samantha unabashedly followed behind Albert and the beast woman while Valerie slowly eased her grip on her weapon and stepped into the dining establishment. Crossing the threshold, both monster hunters were both struck by the all-encompassing smell of cooked meats as filled their nostrils. The delicious scent of meat grilling, frying, smoking, searing, stewing, roasting and so much more latched onto their hungry minds. Both Valerie and Samantha¡¯s mouths watered and a ravenous hunger unlike anything they had ever felt seized all control. Joanne guided the pair plus Albert to a table right next to the kitchen where yet more beast men and women worked cooking all sorts of meat dishes to perfection. How they avoided hair ending up in the platters was a trade secret and after tasting just the entr¨¦es no one would care if they found a stray strand. A rabbit looking beast woman appeared from nowhere and tried to give the trio a menu before the much larger Joanne gripped the pamphlet shooing the girl away.


    ¡°Tonight, you eat on the house, whatever you want we¡¯ll make it!¡±


    The head chef announced much to the girls delight and Albert¡¯s grateful thanks. What followed was a night of indiscriminate indulgence as Valerie and Samantha feasted on specially prepared meals the likes of which would fit in a king¡¯s banquet hall. Joanne specifically brought out the trio¡¯s meals each time, joking with the librarian and enticing the duo to eat more and more helpings. By the time they were done, Valerie was sure she had eaten her own body weight in delicacies and then some. Samantha too was in awe while face down from the taste overload and on the verge of slipping into a food coma. After so long on the road and eating very basic meals, the two were unprepared for the influx of spices and flavours. It was like a breath of fresh air after nearly drowning, a breath that was deep fried and came with a tangy sauce. If they weren¡¯t careful, they could become addicted to the incredible restaurants many options and never leave. Despite his size, Albert only had a single helping slowly picking at it over the course of the night simply enjoying the chance to catch up with an acquaintance he really should have talked to more often. Joanne wholeheartedly agreed, joining the party as her staff cleaned up the almost empty restaurant. She drank heavily from a large pitcher containing some dark and alcoholic beverage although it barely gave her a buzz. The beast woman offered some to her guests, but Albert rejected the proposal on their behalf considering the ale would probably cause most to blackout from just a whiff. Valerie could only sit back and try not to fall into a coma herself while Joanne laughed and ribbed the conked-out pair.


    ¡°HA! Y¡¯know, you two remind me of the greatest adventurer I never knew: ME, back when I was a welp on the road. Coming to a place like this woulda been a dream come true. That¡¯s why I opened it, give some of the little people a chance to try the finer things in life. You can thank Al here for inspiring me.¡±


    She said slapping the old librarian on the back and causing him to nearly drop his drink on an already stained waistcoat and shirt. Fixing his glasses, the elf retorted mirthfully.


    ¡°Yes, well you deserve as much of the credit as anyone. You earned all the funds for this establishment, all I did was open my doors and let you read from my books.¡±


    The tomes in question were a collection of dwarven recipe books as well as almanacs on various meat dishes and how best to prepare them. Valerie could just barely make out what was being said as she tried not to fall asleep, thankfully Joanne kept them awake as her voice only had one setting: loud and proud. Samantha let out an unbecoming belch and groggily voiced her opinion muffled by the wooden bench she lay upon.


    ¡°I wish I could eat here every night.¡±


    It was the highest praise a chef like Joanne could receive and she accepted it with all the grace a woman of her disposition could muster.


    ¡°HA, you bet your ass you could!¡±


    She laughed again, the cackle slowly petering out to a sigh.


    ¡°Course I¡¯ll have to charge you next time. Still got a business to run.¡±


    This statement partially woke Valerie up as her mind flared with worry for how they would make ends meet. They couldn¡¯t rely on people¡¯s generosity forever and didn¡¯t want to be a burden to Albert or worse: indebted to him. The old librarian noticed his new tenants worry and tried to assuage her concerns, but Joanne beat him to the punch.


    ¡°If you two are looking for some extra coins in your pocket just do what I did.¡±


    She let the statement hang in the air causing Valerie and a still sleepy Samantha to look her in the eye. Smiling wide and exposing her teeth as she often did when feeling particularly jovial, Joanne said a few simple words that would help define the girls lives forever more.


    ¡°You could always join the Adventurers Guild.¡±

 Come on grab youre friends, well go to very distant lands

    Coming to Capital City both girls had seen things they would have never imagined. Street vendors hawking wares from lands far away. Performers pulling off stunts that baffled the mind. Men and women of every size and shape flooding the streets followed by children that ranged from the adorable to the obnoxious. What drew their attention however were the awe inspiring warriors strewn about from metal clad knights in shimmering armour to those with impossibly long and assuredly unwieldly weapons hefted upon shoulders. They herded together forming mercenary groups protecting wealthy patrons or shaking down those in debt just beyond the city guards limited sight. Mages too caught their eye as they walked about given away by their enchanting attire or in one case flying down from atop a magic carpet. Despite what horrors the city may hide, and the many crimes being committed just out of view, there was no denying the capital was a hub of wonder and exciting people. The only downside was all those exciting people couldn¡¯t help but engage in the most ludicrous of past times: waiting in line.


    ¡°Divine strike me now.¡±


    Valerie groaned as the second hour stuck in line ticked, the tedious activity exacerbated by the crick in her neck. If Albert were to list his libraries storage room as available for rent, his realtor would likely use words like quaint, cozy and rustic, a blatant lie if ever there was one. The space was incredibly small and covered in an inch thick layer of dust that could choke the unlife out of a freshly reanimated corpse. Samantha swore she fell through a chair that disappeared into a cloud of dust and Valerie was inclined to believe her. Beyond the grime, there was stacks and stacks of books taking up the vast majority of the space yet all neatly arranged and still categorized by genre or volume. You could say what you wanted about Albert, but he was organized to a fault. Fashioning a pair of makeshift beds out of the many books, the duo did their best to get some shut eye after a long and eventful day. Samantha slept within her cloak as usual while Valerie made do without, only wanting a decent night¡¯s sleep that wouldn¡¯t come. A part of her was too nervous at the thought of visiting the Adventurers Guild, especially after Joanne talked it up to high heaven the previous night.


    Getting barely a wink of sleep, the huntress rose at the crack of dawn rolling her friend onto the floor in an effort to wake her up. It did not work. She was forced to carry Samantha down the creaky loft ladder meeting Albert and Joanne already in the midst of enjoying a morning cup of tea. The beast woman had shed her apron and filthy work clothes opting to dawn a flowing yellow sundress that contrasted against her savage features while accentuating the desirable ones. Albert meanwhile wore a completely new suit that somehow also featured numerous ink stains, some in the exact same spots and more aged than the finest wine. Hoisting the still asleep Samantha over her shoulder, Joanne guided Albert and Valerie to the district affectionately known as ¡®Adventure Town¡¯. Obvious names aside, the huntress was surprised to see the sheer number of skilled warriors and mages milling about. Her and Samantha¡¯s wanderings while searching for Albert¡¯s library had taken them past several fighters and wizards yet it was here they all congregated. She was amazed to see the innumerable adventurers with hardened battle worn armour, gleaming well maintained weapons, a few skimpy attires for those with the physique to flaunt it and a shocking number of monster pets loyally following their masters. It only helped to elevate the girl¡¯s excitement, that is until she realized the throngs of people weren¡¯t just here to be gawked at. They were in fact all in line to enter the Adventurers Guild and not a one would even dare consider letting anyone cut ahead of them.


    The quartet joined the back of the snake like congregation adding to the ever-expanding shuffle that seemed to never get any closer. Every step forward was met with the crushing realization that around the corner yet more people were ahead of the group. After the first hour Joanne left needing to purchase supplies and open up her restaurant for the day. She promised the remaining three a hearty meal if they ever got out of line, her mocking laugh as she walked off haunted the back of Valerie¡¯s mind. She would have recommended Albert also leave and tend to his library but they both knew the girls would be in no position to fill in the necessary Adventuring forms. Samantha didn¡¯t rouse even the slightest while ¡°waiting¡± in line, the huntress gave up carrying her friend and rolled or dragged her the rest of the time. Finally at around noon the trio made it to the Adventurers Guild entrance and were next to be called up.


    The Adventurer¡¯s Guild was a large brownstone building with three floors that towered over its neighbours. The sign out front didn¡¯t advertise any name or branch designation but instead featured a carved wooden image of a Dragons Skull with a sword jutting out the top, the universal symbol of the guild according to Albert. He explained it was an homage to the guilds founder who was known to have slain a dragon in much the same way. After his death his greatest feat was used to represent the guild and its widespread branches. Not only did it honour the achievements and morals of their founder but also became an easily recognizable symbol that transcended language barriers. The elf was on the cusp of explaining the entire history of Gregor Dragon Slayer when a ding and loud ¡®next¡¯ came from the guild¡¯s open entrance.


    Crossing the boundary into the building, Valerie felt a sudden weakness in her knees, not from nervousness but quite literally all the strength leaving her body. It was at this time Samantha arose, shooting awake and coming to her feet, she looked around for danger only to be met with a starkly decorated room and a clerk sitting behind a temporary desk. The old woman typed away on a strange blocky device, the keys clacking furiously under her acrylic nails until she was forced to move an attached cylinder back to the centre and resumed clacking. The typewriter, as the duo would later learn, was a relatively new invention that had similarly shocked the many people served by the older woman although she was already bored at the sight of it. The frantically typing receptionist was more skin and bones than muscle with a face that could launch a thousand ships straight into a hurricane. She wore a pair of half rimmed glasses and kept her expertly combed and styled hair up in a beehive which shone an eye-catching silvery grey. Her clothes were the standard company mandated uniform and as such was not the most exciting outfit on the market. The buttoned up blue and white shirt with long black skirt wouldn¡¯t win any awards for creativity unless you paired it with the red style of the Shurle branch and Yellow for Maroch. Together the three uniforms might just make the annual end of year party a lively affair. Not that Margaretta Vice would ever know as she held the record for not longest no show to such events while still always being invited.


    Margaretta had been the receptionist for this branch of the guild for nearly sixty years and was older than the brick and mortar that held the building together. A fact that was less exaggeration and more fact following the recent re-construction after a self-proclaimed elite monster hunter tore half the building down in a fit of anger when he was shortchanged for a job. His membership had been summarily revoked and he was banned from all branches in the region.


    The guild only recently re-opened following a hasty repair and much of the usual memorabilia was missing. The loss of a local branch also caused many of its members to become frustrated without jobs to undertake or the ability to advance. As a result, a sizable back log of requests had formed, monsters would not wait for adventurers or their bureaucratic overlords to be ready and the common folk suffered for it. A week after re-opening and interviewing a slew of new lacklustre recruits, Margaretta was on the verge of walking out and never returning as she had been every day of her long career. At least no major incidents would be repeating any time soon especially with the wards etched into the walls inhibiting all physical and mystical abilities. The old receptionist glanced up over her half rim glasses to the new arrivals and would have scoffed at their atrocious get up had she not seen a familiar face.Unlawfully taken from Royal Road, this story should be reported if seen on Amazon.


    ¡°Albert? Is that you? You old fart, haven¡¯t seen you in ages!¡±


    The shrill chalkboard scratch voice filled the room almost causing both girls to instinctively cover their ears. Albert shared no such reservation and greeted yet another old friend with warmth and affection.


    ¡°Margaretta, how have you been? You¡¯re still as young and beautiful as ever I see. I remember when you were a little girl sitting in your mother¡¯s lap as she read to you those fairy tales.¡±


    The bag of bones receptionist let out a snort that could haunt the dead.


    ¡°Ha! My mother was as good at reading as she was at cooking and let me tell you some days I wish I¡¯d gone hungry. Oh and the mouth on that bat. By the time I could walk all I wanted to was run up to and tell her to shut her trap!¡±


    The two senior citizens prattled on about the past, current events and finally reached the youth that would determine the future. Margaretta turned to the two would be adventurers waving a dismissive hand in their direction.


    ¡°And who are these two¡­ girls? Your grandsons¡¯ grandsons grandsons grandsons grandchildren?¡±


    Albert let out a warm laugh while shaking his head.


    ¡°Afraid not, these two fine young women are new acquaintances of mine who wish to join the guild.¡±


    Margaretta cocked an eyebrow and tried to assess the girls further. She dismissed Samantha outright believing her inability to look the girl dead on a sign she was inconsequential. Valerie however, she scrutinized every nook and cranny from the top of her black-haired head to the tip of her muddy shoes. What she found was disappointing in her opinion and was backed by many years of experience.


    ¡°Are you sure you girls wouldn¡¯t rather ask mummy and daddy take you on a fun carriage ride outside the city walls? I¡¯m sure it would be just as exciting.¡±


    A heavy silence filled the room, neither Valerie nor Samantha reacted to the jab while Albert could only shake his head. The long-serving receptionist immediately understood her mistake, it was the same story time and again. No loving and complete family would push their children into such dangerous work only the truly desperate or deranged would willing choose this life. Feigning indifference, she waved the group over and prepared a number of documents for them to read over and sign. She was unsurprised to learn neither girl could read despite their ages, yet another attribute many young adventurers shared. The guild offered services to new members including a course on reading and writing that many signed up for and only a handful followed through with. She and Albert filled in what details they could while ensuring the girls both knew exactly what kind of work they were getting into. They nodded and agreed yet the elder pair couldn¡¯t help thinking the girls were not as prepared as they made themselves out to be. When all was said and done, Margaretta reached into a box at her feet and presented two wooden badges to the girls showing a simplified version of the sword pierced dragon as on the building¡¯s exterior.


    ¡°All officially recognized adventurers are given a guild badge to not only signify your accredited status but also to show your rank within the guild.¡±


    She explained with practiced ease as she fished out a different badge for comparison. The second badge was metallic and the design more complex with an additional sword piercing the dragon¡¯s skull.


    ¡°Move up the ranks by completing jobs and you may earn yourself one of these. There are more but I¡¯m not getting up to grab a badge neither of you bozos will ever get to hold let alone see.¡±


    Valerie listened attentively to the explanation while Samantha inspected the wooden badge by gnawing at the edge, an act she was not the first to try.


    ¡°So, what will we be doing exactly?¡±


    The huntress enquired a bit late into the interview process. Throughout the meeting Margaretta had mentioned jobs and contracts multiple times, but Valerie wasn¡¯t quite sure what they were. Killing monsters sounded easy and fun but she wanted to know if there would be some caveats or stipulations. Or to put it another way, she needed to know if she would get paid extra for killing more monsters than was on the contract. Margaretta huffed and pointed to a large bulletin board with what looked like over a hundred sheets nailed in place and overlapping one another.


    ¡°Jobs are what they say on the tin. Someone approaches us with a commission, we determine if it¡¯s worthwhile and stick it up on the board. Contracts are basically the same, but they are exclusively for killing monsters.¡±


    Jobs could range from any number of simple requests from escort missions to overnight guard duty. Contracts always had something to do with killing a monster and often overlapped with standard jobs. Escort a merchant AND kill the pack of monsters assaulting travellers was one such example. Simple enough, Valerie thought, the two designations were even seperated by different coloured paper. There was one additional set of frequent requests that had yet to be explained, and Samantha was the first to enquire about those.


    ¡°What about the ones with the red cross?¡±


    The most numerous by far, they covered almost sixty percent of the total requests stapled to the wall. Margaretta¡¯s voice grew deadly serious and despite her reservations looked both girls in the eye.


    ¡°Those¡­ are extermination contracts. You¡¯re not dealing with monsters. You¡¯re dealing with people.¡±


    The Gentile kingdom was a land of abundance and when there was something worth having there were those who would take it. Bandits were a particular nuisance that could crop up anywhere but given the countries current state of affairs they had become far more frequent over the last few years. Samantha was all too aware of this fact and her attention became hyper focused on the red notices. Margaretta snapped her fingers drawing the girl¡¯s attention back to her.


    ¡°Forget it, ya little psychopath. Those contracts are for seasoned adventurers, the kind who have earned the guilds trust and won¡¯t kill indiscriminately.¡±


    She wasn¡¯t lying about the rule, but the reason was deeper than she let on. In truth they had to restrict those types of contracts as some adventurers were never quite the same after taking on their first extermination and more often than not quit. Killing mindless monsters was simple on paper, killing a person with thoughts and dreams on the other hand was less so. With their induction ending on a sour note, Albert thanked Margaretta for her time and the trio left. The line hadn¡¯t shrunk an inch since they first joined and only seemed to grow ever larger as the day went on but neither Valerie nor Samantha cared. Walking out of the guild they felt a new sense of purpose, drawn to a calling they willingly participated in but could now be paid for. Strolling past their contemporaries they felt unstoppable, until Samantha realized they forgot something.


    ¡°Hey Val, shouldn¡¯t we have picked up a contract while we were in there?¡±


    The newly minted adventurer froze, she looked back at the entrance to the guild already accepting a new customer and then at the world spanning line.


    ¡°BOLLOCKS!¡±


    She raged causing some observers to snigger at the girl¡¯s outburst. Albert too laughed, like a friendly grandparent watching his descendant continuously trip over themselves.


    ¡°There¡¯s no rush, those contracts will be waiting for you when we return. Come, Joanne will be waiting for us and signing all those papers has made me famished.¡±


    The upset girl begrudgingly agreed vowing to arrive even earlier the next day to take her pick of contracts. The trio walked along the cobblestones taking a different path to their destination and seeing more of the city. They passed by a city square that several streets fed into and were forced to halt when Samantha froze in place. The girl glanced around the square taking in the surrounding buildings and even an ornate fountain adorned with mermaid statues pouring water from jugs. She walked around the square, stopping in random locations before shaking her head and moving onto another. She ceased marching around at one point just in front of the fountain and looked up to the grand decoration. In the centre of the ornate display was the symbol of the Gentile Kingdom: a white rose in full bloom cast in luxurious gold. Or gold paint at the very least, one would have to mad to leave pure gold out in the open. Below the symbol was a plaque that fancifully described the founding of the kingdom as well as the city itself including that the spot where the fountain rest was the original town square. Unable to read or comprehend the ancient history, Samantha stepped over the stone boundary wading into the water much to Valerie and Alberts confusion. Passersby stopped to watch the odd girl climb up the old fountain whispering if they should alert the guards or toss change at the street performance. When she finally reached the tip of the fountain, blocking a spout from shooting water, Samantha smiled to herself and exclaimed enthusiastically.


    ¡°Neat!¡±


    Walking up to the fountains edge, Valerie called up to her friend.


    ¡°Samantha? What do you think you¡¯re doing?¡±


    She tried and failed to hide her embarrassment, all these prying eyes staring right at the display was getting to her more than she liked.


    ¡°This is it; this is the place Val!¡±


    The huntress stared up awaiting an answer which Samantha happily gave.


    ¡°This is the spot where I die!¡±


    Her voice echoed out beyond the square carrying far into the distance so that none could deny exactly what they just heard.

 The First Contract

    Moving southeast from Capital City the beautiful green pastures that made up much of the land would be replaced with thick marshes spreading out to consume much of the southern plains. Within this damp environment lay a hazardous and highly toxic swamp featuring deep trenches of thick, muddy water that surrounded slime covered trees jutting out from the murk. Poisonous vegetation surrounded the sunken water meadow while venomous animals and monsters consumed the plants in turn crafting an ecosystem that was more waste dump than nature preserve. Despite the harsh conditions, the human dominant Gentile kingdom did what it always did and moved in anyway establishing the thriving metropolis that was Bogland. A settlement that was as interesting as it was creatively named, what humans lacked in snappy titles they made up for in stubborn refusal to bend to their environment.


    The ramshackle town was littered with numerous homes and businesses floating a short distance from the toxic waters held aloft by stilts and pikes. The populace was connected by a series of docks, bridges and walkways that, no matter the season, always seemed barely a foot from the waters below. Some residents referred to their home as the sinking province given how many homes fell beneath the waters due to eroding beams or monster attacks. As such, tourism had always been a sore spot for the people of Bogland and you would be hard pressed to find any multi-storey hotels not half sunk beneath the waves, forgotten and left to rot. The food was also to die for, a statement that was less metaphor and more cautionary tale. The residents had developed a well-adjusted diet from their surrounding fauna however visitors would find the ¡®gator meat special¡¯ gamey, bland and still wriggling. It was home for many however and they adapted, learning the tricks of the land and using it to their advantage.


    Alchemists, apothecaries, herbalists and survivalists were abundant in the not so forgiving environment and over the years several had achieved mastery as well as aspects of their respective field. The swamp land was acclaimed to be the origin of the first ever Poison aspect user however this was a hotly debated topic as several other equally hazardous locals claimed the same. After avoiding the bubbling brooks, low hanging trees, ¡°sleeping¡± crocs and Old Greta¡¯s meat pie, the most important advice any newcomers were given was don¡¯t ask about the aspect of Poison.


    Although the people learned to adapt to their home and extract every resource and advantage they could there was no accounting for monsters. Synthesizing elixirs and mystical potions from the many venomous creatures was the towns primary export and source of income but tracking, eliminating and safely hauling enough beasts to meet a quota was never as simple as it sounded. Especially when the delicate ecosystem was upset at the arrival of an invasive species. The Stagnatoise was, as most monsters were, a large variant of its name¡¯s sake the tortoise. As single Stagnatoise measured two metres in circumference when measuring the outer protective shell. With their head and legs exposed that size could almost double for especially old Stagnatoise and especially old was the operative word for these reptiles. It was a joke amongst monster researchers that Stagnatoise were born fully grown and wrinkled as no hatchling had yet been found. It was almost impossible to raise the creatures in captivity given they would undoubtedly live longer than their tamer, the tamers children, grandchildren and so on. Thus, it was unlikely any researcher would be able to monitor and report on Stagnatoise mating habits, a loss to the scientific community that was felt the world over.


    Being designated a field observer for the reptile monsters was considered a punishment or form of torture to the many monster research groups employed by their nation¡¯s government. A standard Stagnatoise moved at a pace so outstandingly slow that if it were in a foot race against a rabbit the mammal would have to be dead, buried and reincarnated several times over for the tortoise to even make it off the starting line. A lucky field researcher had been able to report on a Stagnatoise at rest and found it took the creature more than a minute to blink one eye. Given their slow nature the monster in question could often go unnoticed for years sleeping in its shell appearing as nothing more than a boring boulder. That was until feeding season approached and the Stagnatoise used all the accumulated mana within its body to accelerate to just slower than a drowning fish on land.


    Once every thirty years a Stagnatoise would emerge from its shell, consume all the greenery that had grown around it and then return to restful slumber. Like a certain monkey, they were categorized as a passive monster species and generally left to their own devices. Some even considered them good for the environment as miniature biospheres would form around the reptile after death allowing critters to feed on the carcass and using its leftover shell as protection from the elements. When they moved in packs however that became an entirely different story as Bogland found itself the unfortunate host to a whole creep of Stagnatoise all synchronized to awake at the same time.


    The people of Bogland suffered the weeks long feeding frenzy once already, the reptiles slowly ate away everything even remotely green turning the living breathing swamp woodland into a barren waste forcing the native species out of their home and into danger. This flurry of activity brought predators which brought monsters and ultimately led to the swamp people having to fend off a tidal wave of beasts hopped up or seizing on hallucinogens and poisons. As a hardy people they fought off the first wave with little to no casualties, but the tortoise brigade moved ever closer, and the next wave would be significantly worse. With such a long gap between attacks many inhabitants ignored the danger believing the wave wouldn¡¯t be as bad as their elders protested. Thankfully, it was an election year with the up-and-coming mayor building his campaign on eradicating the Stagnatoise menace for not just the people of Bogland but their children and their children¡¯s children. He won in a landslide victory and like all politicians reneged on his campaign promises immediately after taking office, opting instead for the cheapest option available. Enter a pair of newly inaugurated Adventurers ready for their first contract. The mayor posted the eradication request himself and negotiated a pittance of a reward given the monsters low danger level. Still a job was a job and neither monster hunter could turn their nose up at a contract quite literally handed to them.The tale has been taken without authorization; if you see it on Amazon, report the incident.


    On a hot summers day, that really hiked up the pungent stench in the air, a Stagnatoise began the slow and back breaking effort of waking up for the first time in three decades. It shifted its shell disrupting a bird¡¯s nest and forcing the bothered avian to flee. The reptile didn¡¯t or couldn¡¯t notice as its mind was still asleep while the body moved on instinct, surging mana through the joints and forcing the heavy shell off the ground. Earth broke and crumbled off the half sunken carapace as it slowly rose coming a foot off the ground then dipping again. Thirty years of rest and mana absorption would make a mage the envy of his pointy hatted colleagues. For the Stagnatoise, it was the equivalent to a shot of decaf. Over the course of an hour, it would slowly shake dirt and vines off its shell surfacing one leg then another until it appeared as a quadrupedal boulder. Finally, the head would emerge towering, long and tall like a snake with a jaw that could snap steel with barely any effort. The tortoise silently yawned and tasted fresh air on its tongue for the first time in ages, the fringe of its mind finally being roused.


    Still in this half sleeping transition, the monster would immediately begin eating whatever vegetation it could find. Conveniently there was a vine that stretched over head with a selection of delectable looking leaves hanging at just the right height. The Stagnatoise immediately dug into the offered meal, its mind unable to receive the odd signals its senses were picking up. Something about the vine prickled at its skin yet it did not cease enjoying its meal. Even if the Stagnatoise could have registered the low hanging vines dark colouration or sinister emanations it would not have been able to react in any meaningful way. Nor did it react to the knife that dragged across its exposed neck. The first and last thought the Stagnatoise had in thirty years could be summarized as ¡®What a succulent meal! Ow!¡¯.


    Valerie leapt out of the way of the gargantuan tortoise¡¯s neck and head falling to the ground, a wet splosh in place of any death cry as the light left the slow creature¡¯s eyes.


    ¡°Haaaaaaaah, another one bites the dust. What a thrill¡­¡±


    The huntress complained, annoyance and disappointment abound at the lacklustre hunt. They found the collection of buried shells earlier that morning and waited hours for any to make a move with little success. According to a Bogland nature expert, today was the day the Stagnatoise were due to awaken and enact the slowest extinction event in history. Unlike a certain shadow user, the tortoise had excellent, near perfect, time keeping and would always wake exactly thirty years, three months, three weeks, three days and two and half hours after hibernating. Ofcourse even if a Stagnatoise shrunk into their shell there was no guarantee they would fall asleep immediately, the monster Valerie just slayed a perfect example. Thirty years ago, it forced itself to remain awake after a perfect idea for a play about a cucumber and a pheasant flashed into its mind. The monster in question had absolutely no clue what either was nor any ability to convey such a genius and heart wrenching story. It was simply another instance of the universe converging to enlighten a living being with clarity and innovation not unlike a god¡¯s vision. Unlike the prophecy handed down from the divine, this eureka moment did not always and in fact very rarely had anything to do with the person, monster, self-aware houseplant or still forming gemstone that received it. It was simply a quirk of consciousness that sometimes a genius, benign or simply ridiculous thought would enter an individual mind at the most random of moments. Albert used this fact of reality to try and help explain Valerie¡¯s own aspect of the hunt and how it transferred information into her mind upon seeing a new monster.


    Part of the registration process for Adventurers involved revealing if they had access to at least one aspect to the guild and have it proven by an on hand official. Some adventurers liked to keep their tricks hidden either for safety purposes or more often to appear mysterious. The guild enacted this rule to force some cooperation from would be adventurers and curtail those unwilling to respect authority. It also had the added benefit of helping young adventurers form cohesive teams based on each members strengths and weaknesses. Given the outrageously low chance for obtaining an aspect it rarely played the defining role in a party but was still crucial information to have. Margaretta had actually been surprised to learn both Valerie and Samantha had two aspects each, a feat that was not unheard of but exceedingly rare especially for the girls ages. Under Albert¡¯s guidance, Samantha revealed her aspect of the chain and Valerie of the hunt. The aspect of shadows incredibly rare status would mean that if it was ever revealed the owner may be hounded by researchers looking to make their mark by releasing a paper on the unknown power. It was lucky neither girl understood the idea of hypocrisy as Albert would have certainly gotten some dirty looks himself.


    The librarian also explained those of the ¡®edgy¡¯ variety would see Samantha as either a rival to their dark and mysterious ways or worse an inspiration. Valerie on the other hand was in the complete opposite situation; the aspect of the hunt was not uncommon but still very valuable for beginner and veteran adventurers. Revealing she had such a power would only make the girl more popular for any future endeavours or teams she forms. Having a walking, if inconsistent, monster encyclopaedia was worth its weight in gold for adventurers. Valerie mused on the prestigious position she held as she wiped tortoise viscera of her blade.


    ¡°Valuable my left foot.¡±


    She said to no one in particular. A highly respected and sought after skill yet here she was, knee deep in mud killing a bunch of rooted in place reptiles. Her aspect had been helpful telling her the Stagnatoise shell was basically impenetrable to conventional weaponry while the underbelly, legs and neck were much weaker. If it had been any other day that would have been an interesting if useless fact, today however it was a major time saver. The plan was simple and fool proof, since morning the pair had gathered bundles of branches with leaves still attached, Samantha would then string up a series of easily reachable chains covered in the bait and the pair would watch for any takers to have a bite. When a tortoise woke up and stuck its head out, Valerie would either rush in to cut its jugular or toss her knife. She expected the monsters to all wake at about the same time and there to be a flurry of motion as she struck down one reptile after the other. So far though they had finished off a handful with more than a half hour between kills.


    ¡°How many does that make?¡±


    Samantha asked in a straining voice while she sat crossed legged at the base of a tree. A series of chains kept her off the ground as she concentrated, fingers against her temple in a failing effort to stave off a headache. Even if she possessed a generous pool of mana, maintaining so many chains for an extended period was bound to sap away at her strength. Valerie felt bad for her friend staying in one place for hours and forced to concentrate on maintaining her shadowy chains. Then again, she was completely dry and hadn¡¯t a speck of dirt on her nice filthy cloak. She loudly counted off the four Stagnatoise carcasses already taken care of including her latest kill. She then turned to the sea of similar, completely still, barely awake shells that awaited them.


    ¡°Not enough¡­¡±


    It was a good thing the two monster hunters were only in their teens as it meant by the time they were done they would only be a ripe ninety years old. Tossing the thought away, Valerie walked off to another shaking shell to begin the agonizingly slow execution once again. The life of an Adventurer indeed.

 A Victorious Return

    When the sun finally set in Bogland it was on a valley of dead and decaying Stagnatoise shells, their rotting corpses already attracting numerous scavengers and forming an entirely new biome within the poisonous region. The victorious pair of monster hunters returned to town to the raucous applause of absolutely no one. The general consensus was they were there to do a job, what did they expect a parade? The Bogland people saw no danger only a minor annoyance their mayor somehow drummed up support and funds for. Dejected, unappreciated, tired and reeking to high heaven, the new adventurers left Bogland hauling several bags of Stagnatoise meat. Valerie looked back at the appropriately named swamp town, as she and Samantha rode in the back of a cart, and decided they deserved to set boundaries in their adventuring career. First, no swamps and second no turtles.


    It had been a long incredibly boring day for the huntress and a mentally exhausting one for the shadow user who lay in a heap mumbling incoherent thoughts about the mutant turtles. Joanne cackled at the two¡¯s misfortune as she drove her cart back to Capital City. As a retired adventurer she knew her way around the Gentile kingdom better than any ferry man and had offered her services in guiding the girls to their first destination. It was not charity however, she fully intended to take the expense out of their reward. After a few colourful words with the new mayor, she was able to increase the contracts total bounty from poor to meagre. A fact she would keep to herself lest the guild take their share for a ¡°commission fee¡±. Joanne would take her well-deserved and hard-earned portion, the rest she would give to the girls in the form of a discount on their next few meals. It would make for a good lesson; the kind Albert would not be proud of but would ultimately agree was necessary for the two newbies. In Capital City money was more important than clean air and water, if you had the funds the city was your oyster. Speaking of food, all that monster meat was bound to make for some good eats perhaps as a soup.


    ¡°Should have gotten you two to pick me up a shell or two, woulda made for a nice bowl!¡±


    She cackled confusing her passengers who groaned and whimpered respectively. Glancing over her shoulder, Joanne couldn¡¯t help but let out another howling laugh that reached all the way to her gut. It was an unspoken rite of passage for new adventurers to always get the short end of the stick and left with jobs no one else wanted to do. It was yet another method to weed out the ones chasing a fad or quick cash, forcing them to face the harsh reality and low pay involved in adventuring. Margaretta especially presented the most bottom of the barrel jobs to newbies and, while Joanne was annoyed when it had happened to her, through age and experience she respected the learning opportunity. Not every monster hunt would be all glory and epic fights, nor would they always be casualty free. Her mocking laugh trickled out and the journey home fell into a sombre silence. The beast woman recalled her own failings due to inexperience, bravado, poor leadership and lack of preparation. Her body was a tapestry of battle scars and lesions telling a harrowing tale that could be traced back to her first contract all the way to the day she quit the guild for good. She hoped the girls wouldn¡¯t have to suffer the same fate, no one deserved to have their dreams shattered so ruthlessly. A groan from Samantha reignited Joanne¡¯s spirit and she belly laughed again.


    ¡°The first ones always a stinker, and you got the most rotten!¡±


    She said between cackles while making a show of waving the air from her nose. It wasn¡¯t just a beast man¡¯s normally high sense of smell; the pair could out stink a mutant skunk with several behinds. Which, coincidentally, was a real monster called a Kitskunke who possessed several tails and the accompanying stink glands. No one liked hunting that particular monster, however they were thankfully indigenous only to the land to the east of Natar.


    The girls weren¡¯t as bad as that gag inducing creature, but they were still highly offensive to the sinuses. Spending hours in the swamps least desirable tourist local coupled with being drenched in foul smelling tortoise entrails would make for a stench so heinous it could make the dead cringe. Joanne decided she would treat the newbies and introduce them to a business partner of hers, one who specialized in getting rid of extreme odours as well as offering rejuvenating baths. She might also see about getting the girls some real beauty treatments, if the chipped nails and split ends in their hair weren¡¯t evidence enough they had little to no idea how to take care themselves. Underneath all that grime, dirt, sweat, blood, scowls and terrifying aura¡¯s there were a pair of adorable girls just waiting to be unleashed upon the world. Joanne was not maternal by nature, unlike a vast majority of her kind, yet looking at those two pathetic, wimpy, pathetic, disgusting, pathetic, uncouth and above all pathetic girls brought out a sickeningly sweet and caring side. That being said she wasn¡¯t going to bankroll everything just because she saw a little of herself in the two monster hunters. Once again, money talks in the capital and Joanne wasn¡¯t made of the stuff.


    If she was, she wouldn¡¯t have asked the girls to bring back so much tortoise meat. She might have felt bad for having them heft a ton of Stagnatoise bits and beaks, but they would appreciate it when she cooked up a brand-new dish just for them. If she could that is, she had never worked with this kind of monster before and would need to experiment a little. If successful, she could make a very limited menu option at a premium price and if she wasn¡¯t well not like she paid anything for it. The entrepreneurial beast woman snickered at the thought, catching Samantha¡¯s attention as she finally became lucid enough to make out her drivers laughs. Voicing her displeasure, the shadow user demanded entertainment like a toddler on a long car journey.


    ¡°No¡­ laughing¡­ while the worlds spins. Tell us a¡­ story.¡±


    While she didn¡¯t exactly understand most of the prince¡¯s tall tales or the many associate double entendre, she still enjoyed the act of listening to stories of distant lands just like her father used to tell. Joanne considered the request and decided why not, she could tell them a tale about the greatest beast woman adventurer and chef currently alive. Presumptuous boasts aside, she reminisced about her long life and the many adventures she embarked upon, some grand, some best left forgotten and some far too raunchy for these impressionable murder hobos. There was simply too many to tell and not enough road to tell them on.


    ¡°Well, what¡¯d ya wanna hear about?¡±


    She asked forgetting to add the yarn had to be about her, after all who wouldn¡¯t want to learn more about the beast woman? Valerie perked up from where she sat at the back of the cart and asked about a topic she wondered about ever since meeting the ex-adventurer.


    ¡°Tell us about your first hunt.¡±


    The beast woman whistled not expecting the pre-prepared request. That was ancient history for her going back twenty years or so. She thought on it before clarifying.


    ¡°First kill or first guild contract?¡±


    Valerie made a noncommittal gesture putting the ball back in Joanne¡¯s court to pick whichever she wanted. The beast woman pondered the request, her first guild contract wasn¡¯t anything of note, but it was relatable to the pair¡¯s current circumstances. On the other hand, her first kill possibly held a lesson the two kids needed to here. She decided her first kill would do, solidarity was all fine and dandy, but if the two stuck it out they¡¯d probably find a host of fellow adventurers willing to share their own boring origins. Taking a moment to gather her thoughts she began the sordid tale.


    ¡°Back when I was a pup, no older than you two I lived in a tiny blink, and you¡¯ll miss it village. I was an orphan, shocker I know, a mutt amongst perfectly ordinary humans who would have tossed me in a kennel if I didn¡¯t cry and wail about it.¡±


    Joanne declared with the same enthusiasm she always had.


    ¡°One day a boy, I don¡¯t remember his name, came running into town talking about a wolf. A real wolf, not like yours truly.¡±


    She put on an old woman¡¯s persona.


    ¡°A wolf? In these parts? Why I never!¡±


    Switching to a burly man.


    ¡°You calling my son a liar? He says he saw a wolf, you bet your wrinkles he saw a wolf.¡±If you discover this narrative on Amazon, be aware that it has been stolen. Please report the violation.


    She continued the one woman play taking on different roles with increasingly exaggerated voices and gestures. Samantha was enraptured with the performance while Valerie rolled her eyes and waited for the story to continue. Returning back to her usual cadence, Joanne proceeded with the narration.


    ¡°There was a lot of back and forth, wives screaming bloody murder, husbands talking all manly about tracking the feral animal, the old folks concerned with how a wolf will affect the rainy season. Then one snot nosed little twerp spoke up above the others.¡±


    Pinching her snout and raising her voice as high as it would go, Joanne sounded like the stereotypical spoiled child who would get bored of playing outside and try to take a ball that wasn¡¯t theirs home.


    ¡°Why don¡¯t we sick the dog on the dog?¡±


    Spitting at the ground, Joanne continued, her tone growing angry.


    ¡°If you couldn¡¯t tell he meant me. Course I was all for it, thought if I went out and took care of a stupid dog it would make everyone else like me. Spoiler, it didn¡¯t. Next morning I walked out of the village, a stale loaf of bread and rusty sword in hand ready to take on the big bad wolf.¡±


    She fell silent for a second, the gentle scratch as their cart rolled on the only sound. Unaware of the tender moment, Samantha piped up.


    ¡°And then?¡±


    ¡°And then¡­ I found it. ¡®Cept it wasn¡¯t a wolf. Say you two know what a hellhound is?¡±


    Valerie¡¯s mind flared to life at the mention, and she was flooded with brand new knowledge. A hellhound was a beast from the Infernal realm, they were black or red dogs with glowing orange runes and scriptures blazing across their body. They fed on living flesh and sin which made them not only a physical threat but a spiritual one too. Being attacked by a hellhound was like taking double the damage, first to your body then to your soul. They were violent to a fault yet fiercely loyal to their demonic owners even serving as fodder during large scale conflicts. The huntress nodded to Joanne, her head throbbing from the sudden influx of information.


    ¡°I didn¡¯t, not then anyway, know what a hellhound was. I asked Al a couple years back and he went on for ages about some drivel I barely could follow. I got the main points though. Y¡¯see ¡®bout a hundred years back during the last Infernal Invasion there was a company of hellhounds ten thousand strong they say that flooded into our world. Most were killed obviously, can¡¯t exactly have the mutts running around causing a ruckus. Despite that, yours truly found a straggler.¡±


    While almost every demonic invasion had been foiled in one way or another their influence on the land persisted often leading to problems that took years to purge. Whether it be large like the collapse of a powerful nation and arrival of dragons or small such as the many curses empowering monsters the demonic influence could not be mistaken. The last invasion brought with them more than just demons and their hellhounds as the Shurle states were plunged into a century long war with an undead hoard that to this day never abated. The demonic tide was unceasing in its feverous desire to destroy and conquer, thankfully it was not the sort of problem a rookie adventurer needed to worry about. Until the remnants of these invasions appeared right next door just like in Joanne¡¯s birthplace.


    ¡°I found it under an abandoned church. The little bugger probably thought it had found a den of sin it could feed on, maybe it did and that¡¯s why the place was abandoned, I don¡¯t know.¡±


    She gripped on the reins to her horse and spoke through gritted teeth.


    ¡°It was sickly, a runt if I ever saw one. It looked at me with this scared and helpless expression. To this day I don¡¯t know how it got there or how it survived for so long. It was pathetic.¡±


    She did not add how much it reminded her of herself. Alone, no family or even a master to care for it. She hated sympathizing with a monster that would rip her throat out given the chance, yet despite herself, she did all the same.


    ¡°So¡­ what happened next?¡±


    Samantha asked again, the same curiosity and unintentional callousness that earned her so much ire in the mines. The question threw Joanne from her tragic state, forcing her to shake off the unbecoming attitude. She returned to a half carefree manner concluding her story.


    ¡°What¡¯d ya think? I rammed my sword into its neck and killed it. A monster¡¯s a monster don¡¯t matter how pathetic. After that I picked up the corpse, ran back to town and showed off my first kill. And you what they did? They laughed about it; said it was all a big hoo-ha over a tiny pooch. I got a slap on the back, an old lady tugged at my cheek and then everything went back to normal.¡±


    Despite not ending the story with any dramatic conclusion Joanne was still surprised at her audience¡¯s silence. She didn¡¯t intend to dump all her baggage on the girls but once she started a flurry of long forgotten feelings overtook her. Turning her head, she saw the pair had eerily similar dumbstruck faces. She waited for a standing ovation, overwhelming praise or even just a whoop of excitement. Instead, she was met with a rather unappreciative response.


    ¡°That¡¯s it?¡±


    Valerie asked completely missing the point of the story. Joanne shrugged turning back to the road.


    ¡°That¡¯s it, my first kill was gutting a sickly and dumb dog. If it helps you feel better, I didn¡¯t stay in the town for long. Left one night, journeyed on the road, met some folks, a couple beast folk like me. Well not like ME, I mean have you seen all this?¡±


    She said gesturing to herself.


    ¡°I am an absolute bombshell and a whirlwind in the sack, so I¡¯ve been told. Many times, actually!¡±


    The beast woman laughed and joked the rest of the way home. Valerie barely paid attention, her thoughts still on the story and wondered why Joanne would share it. Maybe it was to show that even someone as impressive as her could be faced with a disappointing hunt. Or worse, maybe it was to try and show that some monsters deserved sympathy instead of hatred. The huntress quickly shooed the thought away, monsters deserved nothing but scorn and a quick death, including passive ones they were just a threat waiting to take their chance. Valerie debated on the story trying to find its meaning or why it mattered while Samantha could only focus on one thing.


    ¡°What¡¯s the sack?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ll tell you when you¡¯re older.¡±


    Her friend immediately answered. There was not a chance SHE was having that conversation with her.


    Arriving late back to the city, Valerie and Samantha dashed to the guild while Joanne followed after at a leisurely pace. The new adventurers made it just in time to catch Margaretta locking up for the night. Spotting the pair, the old receptionist contemplated leaving them high and dry to come back in the morning and join the assuredly long line. She ultimately let out a resigned sigh and reopened the door to the guild. It wasn¡¯t out of kindness but pragmatism, dealing with them now while she was still here was better than tomorrow amongst the cavalcade of annoying whelps. Not to mention she didn¡¯t want to be on bad terms with Albert, the two hadn¡¯t seen each other in so long and, of any one in this rotten town, he was deserving of some respect and admiration. Setting down her things and plopping onto the chair behind the temporary desk, Margaretta finally acknowledged the walking annoyances.


    ¡°Well? What do you want?¡±


    ¡°We want to turn in a quest.¡±


    Valerie said resolutely yet she was shaking with an excitement she couldn¡¯t quite contain. The quest itself had been a bust, but this was the moment of truth, their true reward for a job well done. Margaretta let out another sigh as Joanne casually entered the guild office. The tall woman ignored any frustrated stares aimed her way and walked up to Margaretta.


    ¡°Evening ya old bat, still haunting this place I see.¡±


    The ¡°bat¡± clicked her tongue at the beast woman¡¯s barb.


    ¡°Miss Willow, I will have you know I am only here at this hour for the children¡¯s sake and would kindly ask you refrain from any more digs. I know that¡¯s hard for your kind, you do love to dig, don¡¯t you?¡±


    Valerie and Samantha took an instinctive step back giving space for the ex-adventurer and receptionist to duke it out should it come to blows. The two stared daggers at one another until Joanne broke, throwing her head back and viciously laughing. Casual racism was nothing to the beast woman, she wouldn¡¯t act all high and mighty when she openly called most humans ¡®pink skins¡¯ to their faces.


    ¡°You still got it Maggie; it has been a long time since I heard one of your clap backs.¡±


    The receptionist stifled a grin feigning indifference to the beast woman. Waving her hand dismissively, as was her signature, she hurried along to the task at hand eager to return home.


    ¡°Yes, yes, whatever. Do you have the signature?¡±


    Joanne reached up and plucked a rolled-up sheet from her bosom presenting the slightly sweaty document to Margaretta who looked on in disgust. To prove a contract had been completed a signature from the requester on a guild sanctioned form was needed. It was not a fool proof verification method as every year someone tried to forge a signature or force the requestor to sign under duress. Some cheap individuals also tried stiffing the hard-working adventurers out of their much-deserved payment using ¡®charity¡¯ and ¡®good nature¡¯ to their advantage. Such practices quickly found the offending adventurer or requestor blacklisted from the guild until such a time as they proved they could be trusted again. Joanne was aware of this harsh stipulation and ensured the Bogland mayor knew to keep his trap shut about any extra pay for the girl¡¯s contract.


    Fishing out a different sheet, the receptionist compared the signature provided by Joanne with one the guild had on file when the request was made. Satisfied that both matched, she stamped the sheets filing them away. If she was so inclined she could request a veteran guild member travel to the requestors home for additional details or to confirm the job had been completed to the letter. She opted not to, not only was it a major hassle for all involved but it was the girls first real job, and they appeared earnest in their desire to remain with the guild. Retreating to a locked room in the back, Margaretta counted out the girls pay before returning and handing the small coin satchel off. She then began to half-heartedly recite a script she was forced to memorise decades ago.


    ¡°Congratulations adventurer, you are a credit to your community and blah blah blah, role model for the next generation blah blah blah, go forth with our blessing and blah blah blah. You get the idea. Are we done?¡±


    Valerie and Samantha huddled together to count up the pittance of a paycheck staring in awe at the assortment of glittering coins. They had no idea how they would split their earnings nor what they could use them on. Regardless it was the sign of a hard day¡¯s work, and both were pleased with the results. When they learned the actual value of their earnings and all the things they couldn¡¯t purchase with it their tune would quickly change. About to walk out of the guild, the pair were stopped by Joanne loudly asking.


    ¡°Say, don¡¯t you wanna get another job while you¡¯re here?¡±


    The smug pleasure she felt, draped plainly across her face, was made all the sweeter by Margaretta¡¯s own annoyed expression. The young pair looked at each other, their small sack of coins and then the receptionist. The pleading looks on their faces could have melted an ice golems frozen heart, it was so precious. Throwing her hands up in defeat, Margaretta stalked off to the contract notice board and picked out a selection of jobs, excluding those marked with a red cross. Tossing the small stack down, she fell back into her seat and rubbed at her temples. Still lacking in any reading proficiency, the pair relied on Joanne¡¯s judgement as she slowly and casually perused the available offers. Scratching her chin and carefully reading through the various jobs she finally settled on one placing it before the receptionist who looked on in revulsion.


    ¡°Really? They already thoroughly stunk up this office in the twenty minutes they¡¯ve been here, I¡¯ll be smelling them for a week, and you want to send them to ANOTHER swamp?¡±


    The pair snapped to attention at the revelation and were about to protest when Joanne held up her hand shushing them. Tapping a clawed finger on the contract, she corrected the old receptionist.


    ¡°No, not a swamp or a bog. It¡¯s a bayou.¡±

 Come on down to da bayou

    Samantha wasn¡¯t quite sure what the difference between a swamp, a bog and a bayou was. They all smelled, were surrounding by murky disgusting water and everything living there seemed to want to kill them. Racing along one such murky river she leapt off the rapidly flowing waters to kick a monster in the face and came to a conclusion. It didn¡¯t really matter what the difference was, bayous were above and beyond cooler. Like Bogland, her and Valerie had been contracted to eliminate an infestation plaguing the land to the southwest of the capital. Unlike the swamp however, this infestation was not a pack of slow moving barely functioning tortoise but instead a school of razor-sharp fish that could leap high out of the water and attacked in groups.


    The pair had arrived with Joanne to meet an old friend of hers, a reptilian beast man by the name of Roy. He was a lanky green scaled crocodile looking beast man with a lazy eye and several missing teeth. He wore old, frayed overalls that had been split and re-stitched so many times it was debatable if anything of the original outfit remained. He was the requestor and submitted a contract to help reign in an outbreak of Spearahna. The aquatic monster was a small fish that was best described as a living, swimming tooth. Its scales were barbed, its teeth extra pointy, the fin on its back as sharp as a blade and featured an extended snout that gave it an arrow like silhouette, thus the name Spearahna. On their own they were a nuisance to handle but not a real problem, as a large group however they could strip the meat off a herd of cattle in minutes. In the face of any logic, Roy was a Spearahna farmer and bred the living death machines despite how deadly they were. The meat, when prepared by an expert chef like Joanne, was quite the delicacy and sold for a high price on the market. Roy wasn¡¯t a fan of the ¡®capitalist regime¡¯ as he put it and sought to flood the market with the fish meat driving the price down and financially bankrupting the few companies who caught Spearahna in the wild. As all good plans go it was undone when the monsters escaped their captivity to run amok in the lakes and rivers surrounding Roy¡¯s home. Luckily, the fish farmer had foreseen such an event and blocked off all entrances and exits yet it was only a matter of time before a down pour came and the Spearahna were able to escape for real.


    Thus, the current situation, Roy sailed around the wide-open river in his magically powered air boat while Valerie stood at the bow and Samantha acted as bait at the stern. Sensing any shift in the waters the Spearahna would work themselves into a frenzy, charging at the offender and attempting to tear them to shreds. The magically secured boat resisted such attacks, but the fish were relentless and took to leaping out to nip at the helmsman¡¯s flesh. This is where Valerie came in, any Spearahna that landed in the boat was quickly stabbed, chopped, split in two, gutted or good old fashioned punched into submission. The huntress took to her post with wild abandon and was alive with adrenaline facing a never-ending hoard of monsters as they raced along the water. It didn¡¯t take long for her to become drenched in blood, both her own and the monsters, which nearly caused her dropped her weapon numerous times. She didn¡¯t worry or rather she couldn¡¯t as her mind was overtaken with the insatiable need to never stop tearing the worthless fish to shreds.


    ¡°Rip and tear¡­¡±


    She whispered to herself, her heart beating faster than ever before as she soaked in the carnage while her clothes soaked in fish guts. Samantha meanwhile was having the time of her life as well, skiing along the water¡¯s surface, her only tether a shadowy chain connected to the back of the boat. The Spearahna were fast and kept pace constantly leaping out to chomp at the bait while too hopped on hunger and fury to feel any fear from the shadow user. Without a true weapon of her own, Samantha could only dodge and knock the fish away causing them to redouble their efforts and grow more agitated. It was exhilarating, the wind rushing past forcing her hair and cloak to wave violently in the air. Feeling daring, she angled herself closer to the shoreline and leapt over a tree root rising out of the water to perform a majestic mid-air flip. Had a panel of judges been watching she was sure she would have gotten at least a nine point five for that trick alone.


    Roy too enjoyed the display and whooped watching Valerie catch a Spearahna with her bare hand before ripping it in half by gripping its upper and lower jaw. They had only been going at it for about fifteen minutes, but the hoard was quickly thinning out. Rounding a bend, Roy pulled at a handle to his side forcing his boat to make a sudden U-turn flipping them back on the school chasing after them. Samantha whipped by giving a brief wave before disappearing behind the boat again. Valerie cackled like a madman while fish guts pooled at her ankles, she demanded the mass of monsters come at her all at once. Her manic shouts were cut off when a Spearahna was flung backwards after colliding with the boat and ended up smacking her in the face. Sticking out a tongue to lap at the blood slowly trickling from her cut cheek, she beckoned more try their luck. Roy was understandably apprehensive to employ the young girls as he believed his contract was worth either a team of elites or a veteran¡¯s attention. The guild thought otherwise and gave the job the second lowest danger rating as there was no rainfall predicted to occur for weeks, and a team of rookies could take their time slowly whittling away at the monsters. Watching the newbie Adventurers in action he felt silly for disregarding them so quickly and debated giving them a little something extra under the table for their efficient work.


    While contemplating a sufficient bonus, the distracted helmsman failed to notice the larger than average Spearahna jumping out of the water intent to skewer him. Just before the tip of the fish¡¯s snout made contact it was struck down with a thrown hunting knife to the gills impaling it. The force of the impact sent the fish flying back to skip along the water where Samantha was still skiing along. Reaching out, she caught on to the knife yanking it and the flailing Spearhaha who continued to crash against the water¡¯s surface. Feeding a shadow chain around the handle she let go of the weapon allowing it to extend out and cause the dying fish to become a second flailing mace colliding with its own kind. Disarmed, Valerie stared at her friend taking in the sight of her using leaping fish as jumping off points before striking with her new mace. She was quickly brought back to reality when another Spearahna landed in the boat and tried to bite at her boot. Stomping on the fish repeatedly and ending the monsters life, she yelled at Roy.


    ¡°BRAKE!¡±


    Following orders, the beast man immediately pulled on the handle to his right. The boat suddenly and violently came to a halt, by what means Valerie couldn¡¯t begin to guess. Both occupants were nearly sent tumbling into the river but held on as the boat righted itself sloshing back into the disgusting river. Samantha was still racing ahead carried by her momentum and would have hit the boat head on, but she angled herself to pull up alongside. With a mental command her tether forcibly snapped at the last second to whip around in the air. She and Valerie locked eyes in the brief second both were parallel, and a wordless plan formed. The former tether flew through the air and was caught by the huntress who twisted around. With Valerie as her new anchor point Samantha was yanked around in a shrinking quarter circle. As she reached the edge of the boats bow the shadow user was forcibly yanked up into the air, her accumulated momentum and the force of Valerie¡¯s pull sending her high into the sky. Flying free like a bird, Samantha twisted around trying to face towards the boat and whipped the impaled Spearahna down cutting the shadow tether in the process. Valerie planted both feet against either side of the relatively small air boat and reached out her hand to catch the descending knife. The unintentional pose made her look like a rockstar performing to thousands of screaming fans rather than a blood-soaked hunter surrounded by hundreds of ferocious monsters. Ripping the fish corpse from her weapon, she ordered Roy once again.If you encounter this story on Amazon, note that it''s taken without permission from the author. Report it.


    ¡°GO, GO, GO!¡±


    Pushing the same lever down the boats magic reignited and was racing back down the river once again. Samantha quickly shot out a shadow chain from under her cloak missing the back of the boat but was luckily caught by Valerie who wrenched the falling shadow user from her flight. With a violent splash, Samantha fell below the water¡¯s surface only to re-emerge a second layer skating along the river with the furious monsters hot on her tail. Roy couldn¡¯t believe his eyes as the slaughter began in earnest once again and voiced his incredulousness.


    ¡°I rightly don¡¯t know what just happened, but that was coolest thing I¡¯ve ever seen!¡±


    His southern twang was drowned out by the roar of the air boat and Valerie could only shout back.


    ¡°SHUT UP AND DRIVE!¡±


    Saluting his commanding officer, Roy returned to helming the ship. It took another half hour, but they eventually managed to cut down the majority of the escaped Spearahna¡¯s, those left alive unwilling or unable to fight back. The river was carpeted in dead fish turning the muddy waters pink and chunky. Roy guided the boat slowly along, his mouth open and eyes wide in amazement at how quickly they cleared up the potential outbreak. He decided he was definitely increasing the reward for an outstanding job well done. The MVP of the day stood one foot on the edge of the bow panting as she came down from her battle high, her hands shaking and the desire to continue almost insatiable. She finally noticed all the cuts and scrapes she received that, if left unattended, would turn into scars. While a part of her wouldn¡¯t mind the addition of some battle scars it had to be something worthwhile instead of this fishy adventure. Reaching into her pocket she grasped the potion that bothersome prince gifted to her. She was still wary of drinking the contents but both Joanne and Albert confirmed the concoction was legit. Shrugging, she downed about half the contents and recoiled at the foul taste. What healing potions lacked in flavour they made up for in potency as the many marks along her arms and face closed within seconds. Amazed, she turned back to yell at Samantha.


    ¡°Hey! You want some of this?¡±


    A sick part of the huntress really just wanted to see her friend¡¯s reaction upon tasting the disgusting red liquid. Unfortunately, Valerie would be denied the satisfaction today as the shadow user waved off the concern. Samantha was too busy enjoying the relaxing feeling of being dragged down the disgusting bayou lazy river, a tether still connecting her to the boat. She managed to escape the encounter without sustaining any serious injuries. She would need some new shoes and a change of clothes however as hers were shredded and discoloured respectively. When the trio finally docked and both girls safely returned to land, they were able to fully take in the devastation they wrought.


    ¡°You sure you don¡¯t want us to slau-take care of the rest of them? Wont they just breed and be right back where you started?¡±


    Valerie asked while Roy anchored and tied up the boat.


    ¡°Hmm? Oh, nah it¡¯ll be alright. There¡¯s maybe a dozen or so still swimming about and they¡¯ll take a while to start repopulating. I been meaning to expand, and this gives me a perfect chance. I¡¯ll make sure they can¡¯t get out don¡¯t you worry.¡±


    The fish farmer answered dissuading any concern for his frankly ludicrous business scheme. The trio met back up with Joanne who had spent the afternoon playing cards with Roy¡¯s grandmother, both older women recoiling at the funk almost visibly reeking off them. The reptile man couldn¡¯t help singing the praises of his ¡°saviours¡± and made good on his promise to increase their reward.


    ¡°Not in fish right?¡±


    Joanne asked, clearly used to Roy¡¯s antics.


    ¡°You can pay me in fish, but these two would prefer something more easily traded.¡±


    Roy nervously laughed at the idea, evidentially fully intending to offer a bonus of Spearahna meat.


    ¡°Uh w-what? Course not, I may hate the capitalist pigs and their cruel regime, but coin is coin and these girls have earned it.¡±


    Extra funds and a selection of expertly negotiated Spearahna meat in hand, the pair waved off Roy the fish farmer and climbed into Joanne¡¯s wagon for another journey home. As they rolled down the road, Samantha beat her gross smelling cloak against the back of the cart trying to get all the barbed fish remains out while Valerie relaxed next to Joanne.


    ¡°Did you only pick this job because you knew that guy?¡±


    She accused the beast woman. Joanne faked shock, adopting an exaggerated hurtful expression with her hand on her heart.


    ¡°What? Me? No, I would never do such a thing. It was pure coincidence.¡±


    Valerie gave her a flat look and the clearly lying woman quickly dropped the fa?ade laughing heartily.


    ¡°Okay you got me. Thing is I needed some new fish options and knew Roy back there was sitting on a goldmine. It was win-win, you get a simple job, and I get some new menu items. I might have even secured a regular supply of the toothy fish.¡±


    The business minded beast woman sniggered evilly to herself. Her accuser wanted to be upset at being used but couldn¡¯t after the stellar afternoon she and Samantha had had. It did bring up another question though.


    ¡°Are you sure you can keep coming out here like this? Aren¡¯t you missed at the restaurant?¡±


    Driving them to and from their contracts surely took time out of her busy schedule and the restaurant would suffer as a result. A totally believable if not entirely true reason for the huntress¡¯s concern. Joanne appeared genuinely surprised Valerie was so worried about her, however she immediately sussed out the real motivation behind her words. If her restaurant shut down, then she and Samantha would miss out on the numerous untasted and undoubtedly excellent meals on offer. Joanne could respect pragmatism, or more accurately selfishness, especially when it came to a person¡¯s appetite and thus answered truthfully.


    ¡°Not really, I have a whole host of staff who can do, not as great, but still top-notch work. Besides they know I¡¯m out here helping new friends and rustling up some interesting dish options.¡±


    The beast woman patted her passenger on the back.


    ¡°But hey quit thinking about me and start thinking about how you two are gonna spend all that moola.¡±


    It wasn¡¯t a lot of money from the two jobs so far, but it was a start and truthfully Valerie hadn¡¯t considered how to spend her earnings. Someone in the cart did, however.


    ¡°ooh, ooh, let¡¯s get something to eat! Know what I¡¯m in the mood for?¡±


    Valerie groaned while Joanne burst out laughing, both already knowing what the answer would be. Later that night the trio plus Albert enjoyed a nice meal of smoked Spearahna with a side of Stagnatoise soup.

 A New Norm

    Following a series of successful contracts as well as a much-needed shopping trip to get new, less pungent clothes, the pair of adventurers decided to spend an afternoon relaxing in style. They had just returned from a quick morning hunt and were now pleasantly relaxing in the bubbling warmth of a secret underground hot spring, letting the waters soak away their worries and aches. ¡®Mrs Bubba¡¯s Bathhouse¡¯ was an expertly hidden and exclusive secret respite for veteran adventurers and friends of Mrs Bubba herself. Joanne fit both categories having helped the old dwarven woman set up her legitimate business ventures on top of the technically illegal one. She didn¡¯t run drugs or traffic people but the existence of an underground hot spring within the heart of Capital city still needed to be kept hush if only because the officials in charge would tax the sweet plump dwarf out of business then take the spring for themselves. Mrs Bubba was the kindest, most earnest, potbellied dwarf to have lived in the Gentile kingdom for over a century. She came from a long line of professional hostesses with similar family run springs across the four corners of the continent. She arrived in the Capital City intending to expand just such a business, unfortunately local politics and competing service industries forced the sweet great-great-great and so on grandmother to halt any and all plans to open a legitimate resort.


    Thus along came Joanne, still an adventurer at the time, with many connections formed through contract requestors and other guild members who jumped at the chance to establish a hidden spring in the heart of Capital city. This included, surprisingly enough, Margaretta who did all she could to act within the confines of the law and help out those suffering from it unjustly. Her name would never appear on any tax records, and no one would be able to prove she was ever involved unless they spotted the old woman taking a dip in the waters. A sight which many would agree was better left repressed from memory. With the combined efforts of Joanne¡¯s many friends and colleagues, Margaretta¡¯s networking and Mrs Bubba¡¯s tenacious drive they formed the highly secretive and very lucrative: Mrs Bubba¡¯s Geothermal Laundromat with the dwarf and ex-adventurer as co-owners.


    Monsters hunters, mercenaries and anyone else who plied their trade on the road were always getting into sticky situations and their clothes would inevitably end up stained, muddy, blood soaked and worst of covered in drool. No adventurer could escape coming across a monster that didn¡¯t try to eat them and for an unfortunate few succeeded. For the even less fortunate they would be gobbled up but live to tell the tale, how they escaped an unspoken rule to never be discussed. Thus, the laundromat, a completely reasonable business venture that used Mrs Bubba¡¯s expertise on geothermal heat and mystical lava stones to warm waters as well as clean all kinds of travelling gear, plate armours, leathers and most importantly unmentionables. Beneath this upstanding business lay the real money maker, an extensive and securely warded series of caverns pocked with numerous bowl-shaped hollows filled with refreshing spring water. Carefully selected and screened adventurers could soak their worries away for a generous price or join an even more appealing membership program.


    As friends with one of the co-owners, Valerie and Samantha were given special privileges allowing them the opportunity to take a private dip in the mystical waters and experience true relaxation for the first time in either of their lives.


    ¡°Ooooooooooh¡­¡±


    A boon Valerie realized she may never be able to repay Joanne for. Even after visiting the baths on five previous occasions, it always felt like the first, that sudden prickling feeling from the hot water immediately followed up with an addictive sense of tranquillity.


    ¡°Thirty-six!¡±


    A sense that was quickly interrupted by Samantha erupting from the water to unintentionally splash her compatriot. The shadow user enjoyed the bath and the refreshing clean feeling it gave her but couldn¡¯t sit still in it for very long. So, she practiced holding her breath as well as her swimming technique, which given her tendency to flail around violently may be too generous a description. In the beginning, she could barely hold her breath for more than ten seconds but had steadily been increasing that number. She still flopped around or sank like a rock when she tried to imitate the swimming illustrations she read from a book. A skill she and Valerie alike were very new to and still some ways away from mastering.


    Over the past month since arriving in Capital City, they had formed something of a daily routine. They would start the day having a light breakfast with Albert while he went over lessons on how to read and write with varying success. Next the pair would walk to the Adventurers Guild and stand in line for a few hours, sometimes one if they were lucky or if a new plague was infecting the streets, unfortunately no such disease had spread just yet. When finally reaching their destination, the pair would hand in and simultaneously take on a new contract using their up-and-coming reading skills much to Margaretta¡¯s chagrin. Sounding out the words and picking a suitable job or two they bade farewell to the receptionist before heading to the city gate. If the contract was far, they circled back to request Joanne¡¯s assistance carting them. Recently, however the pair had been relying on their own sense of direction as well as a helpful map marked with crayon drawn arrows. If a contract ran long or was too far, they would camp in the wild for a night and return back on the following morning. While out and about they hunted all monsters they saw along the way and picked up any morsels of meat Joanne might be interested in. When finally meeting the contract requestor they got the details on the monster or job and went about planning, trapping and finally executing their prey with proficiency that belied their short Adventuring career. Only occasionally had their job been to protect rather than kill but regardless, it always came down to a stand-off between the burgeoning adventurers and a creature of ill repute. They also encountered some requestors who tried to opt out of the contract or refused to sign after fulfilling the job. At this point Samantha would step up and begin negotiations, or more accurately she would stare at the requestor unmoving and without saying a word until they felt so uncomfortable they acquiesced. The shadow user¡¯s creepy aura was a powerful mediation tool, but the two adventurers made sure not to use it to take advantage only securing what they were owed. Arriving back in the city they would either visit Joanne¡¯s restaurant for a well-deserved meal or return home to the library and receive more lessons from Albert.


    It was a good loop, Valerie thought, they were earning money, learning skills and eating good every day. With the added benefit of the hot spring, as well as who knows how many more friends Joanne had, they were in a fantastic place in life. And yet, why did she feel so unfulfilled? She was free of her uncle¡¯s influence, could improve basically all her skills as she pleased and had the opportunity to see the world whenever she wanted, provided they had the time and funds.


    ¡°Is this it? Is this what I wanted?¡±


    The huntress spoke softly sinking into the waters until only her head remained visible. She had been left in a rut her whole life, trapped with no escape and no contact with anyone but her uncle. She respected him, but he was family, maybe the only one she had, so she was all but forced to care about him. Even though she set off not caring about them, she often wondered where the rest of her family was, her mother, her father, any siblings. Were they out there? Were they still alive? She couldn¡¯t help but worry about her potential family and a dark part of her considered she might not have any left. That James wasn¡¯t her uncle, just some guy who kidnapped her and trapped them in that cabin to eventually¡­


    Valerie shuddered and cast the thought aside. If he wasn¡¯t her uncle, why did he care so much about her? Why did he go out of his way to do so much for her, teach her how to fight, to defend herself? And then there was Samantha. Valerie turned her head to watch her friend flop around like a drowning fish in the soothing waters. If her uncle wanted to, he could have gotten rid of Samantha, but he didn¡¯t, he cared for and taught her just like she was his own. It somewhat helped Valerie feel assured in her uncle¡¯s intentions, but it still didn¡¯t stop the worry, where were the rest of her family?


    ¡°Granddaughter? What¡¯s the matter?¡±


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    Valerie jumped and rose back out of the water only now noticing Mrs Bubba had entered the cavern intending to join the pair for a soak. Mrs Bubba was as short as she was wide and could outweigh both of the adventurers combined three times over. She had a full and voluminous head of dyed coppery hair that was naturally curled and resisted all attempts to straighten it out. She was also wrinkled beyond the point it made sense to form wrinkles. She looked to share more in common with a dried-up raisin than any other dwarf the huntress had seen. Valerie realized she was staring and quickly answered the elderly woman.


    ¡°N-nothing grandmother, I was just¡­ lost in thought. Yeah.¡±


    One of the conditions for entry into the springs was you had to refer to Mrs Bubba as Grandmother without exception. The woman¡¯s whole life had been built around her family¡¯s expansive hot springs and her own maternal affection to every last relative whether they be direct family, married in, adopted, fostered, friends of the family or even their lawyer surprisingly enough. Thus, anyone who visited her springs was also family to her and she expected each to address her accordingly. The multigenerational grandmother huffed, not fully accepting the hasty answer but she didn¡¯t dig into the issue, the elder Bubba had seen her fair share of moody teens and knew better than to pry.


    ¡°Very well, now make room, I have been dying for a soak all morning.¡±


    The old dwarf said in an aged voice full of authority, wisdom and care. Stepping into the warm waters she caused the surface of the spring to rise marginally but noticeably. Shooting up from deep end yet again, Samantha yelled forty-five and then looked around while wiping the moisture out of her eyes. She froze upon noticing Mrs Bubba was among them until her whole face lit up with unrestrained excitement.


    ¡°Granny!¡±


    The young girl barrelled into her faux grandmother and tried to wrap her in a hug that couldn¡¯t even reach halfway across the rotund woman. Mrs Bubba laughed returning the gesture and nearly crushing the much thinner girl in an inescapable bear hug. Valerie watched the two, feeling a little envious. They had barely known the dwarven woman a few weeks, but Samantha was already the picture-perfect granddaughter, doing whatever Mrs Bubba said and visiting regularly. The overflowing with love woman herself had taken to the addition of two new ¡°granddaughters¡± with zeal, doting on the pair whenever she could. As far as Valerie knew there was no competition or award for greatest grandmother, yet she couldn¡¯t imagine anyone but Mrs Bubba being the clear winner year after year. She knew it was irrational to feel any envy, Mrs Bubba would pamper them both given the chance. Watching the older woman listen to Samantha¡¯s inane rambling, Valerie realised she didn¡¯t envy not having Mrs Bubba¡¯s attention, it was that Samantha could so effortlessly accept the affection. Both adventurers were in the same boat with no family, but Samantha seemed so much freer because of it not in spite of it.


    She had no idea what made up a family and didn¡¯t seem interested in learning more about the concept. The few times Valerie asked about her adoptive father Samantha reminisced about the man but didn¡¯t seem to care where or how he was. Despite this, she became the object of so many people¡¯s attention it bordered on the obscene. She was the subject of Albert¡¯s intense research and the old man enjoyed answering any and all questions no matter how ridiculous. Joanne found Samantha funny and in a drunken stupor admitted she felt nostalgic at the terrifying sensations she got from the shadow user. Even James had seemed so attentive in the brief time Samantha lived with them at the cabin. The huntress briefly wondered if her uncle cared more about Samantha than herself but tossed away the idea. She would always be able to hold that over the shadow user or she hoped she did at least. And now there was Mrs Bubba. Deep down Valerie knew the reason, or hoped she knew the reason, it most likely came back to Samantha¡¯s death prophecy. She believed she didn¡¯t have long to live so didn¡¯t waste time, she was honest to a fault, did what she wanted, enjoyed every moment and never felt an ounce of regret.


    That was what Valerie envied, her friend was the perfect girl free from worry and all the better because of it. She could live life how she wanted without fear of tomorrow because tomorrow might not come. To top it off, she didn¡¯t have a family to concern herself with or any thoughts of where they might be. She didn¡¯t have to worry about leaving anyone behind or that they would be devastated when or if she died. She could become the apple of their eye and then just as easily slip out of their lives, a fun memory and nothing else. When the end came, Valerie knew, there would be no one to mourn her friend.


    ¡°No one at all¡­¡±


    She muttered to herself dipping deeper into a depressive state and hugging at her knees. The water didn¡¯t feel very relaxing anymore. Her gaze fell from Mrs Bubba and Samantha who were sitting side by side with their eyes closed enjoying the spring to the fullest.


    ¡°Mrs B- Grandmother, what¡¯s it like having a family?¡±


    Mrs Bubba¡¯s eyes shot open at Valerie¡¯s quivering voice. She took in the sight of the dreadfully sad girl, the steam and condensation masking her watering eyes. The old grandmother reprimanded herself for not noticing anything was wrong. No that¡¯s not right, she did notice but decided to let Valerie be, hoping she would open up given time. Despite being a big strong adventurer, the girl was still only sixteen, possibly seventeen, without a mother or any maternal figures in her life to help during the most tender moments. Mrs Bubba was unaware of either girls¡¯ exact circumstances, only receiving tidbits from Joanne and piecing the rest together later. In spite of the situation, she felt glad, happy to have gotten the chance to show off some grandmotherly advice yet again.


    ¡°What is a family? That¡¯s simple dear. Family is this.¡±


    She said gesturing to the pool around them. Valerie looked up to the short woman confusion breaking out across her face.


    ¡°Generations of Bubba¡¯s have all contributed to this spring, to this moment all in their own little way. From my father, my mother, my brothers and sisters, to my children and so on. They all helped because that¡¯s what a family does; help with no expectations or feeling they are owed anything. And family is being in each other¡¯s company like this with no tension, no drama¡­ Well, no, family is also drama, can¡¯t escape it, there is always going to be drama. But you know, I have grandchildren seven generations my descendant that I share a minor amount of blood with, but I treat every single one like they were my own children. And you two count as well.¡±


    She announced wrapping an arm around Samantha and squeezing tight.


    ¡°I¡¯ve known you two, for a handful of weeks and I am happy to say your still family to me.¡±


    Samantha, who had been patiently following along, tried yet again to wrap Mrs Bubba into another hug that couldn¡¯t quite encircle the woman. Valerie suddenly realized Mrs Bubba didn¡¯t recoil, avoid or even look uncomfortable at Samantha¡¯s presence despite the shadow user not trying to limit her aspects frightening aura. The Bubba matriarch was simply too full of love for her family blood related or not. The huntress felt a tightness in her chest ease off slightly, not entirely disappearing but right now, in this moment it didn¡¯t hurt as much. Sliding over to Mrs Bubba and not so subtly wiping at her face, Valerie sat on the opposite side of Samantha. She tried to lean her head on the diminutive woman before stopping realizing she would end up at a right angle.


    ¡°Thank you, Granny.¡±


    The elderly dwarf smiled surrounded by the two newest additions to the Bubba household. A thought sprung to her mind and she felt it may help in putting Valerie¡¯s concerns to bed.


    ¡°You know dears, why don¡¯t you form a family all your own? You¡¯re always welcome to join us Bubba¡¯s, I think Valerie Bubba and Samantha Bubba are wonderful names. But you are allowed to pick your own family name. Have to have something you can pass on to your children one day.¡±


    In truth Valerie had thought about it, ever since they stopped at the McDale household and learned you could have a first AND last name. With her uncle it was just James and nothing else, yet another thing she found suspicious but didn¡¯t concern herself with anymore. Meeting so many people with their own name and family name intrigued the huntress to no end and she wondered about how to get a name just like it.


    ¡°How would I- how would we, I mean, go about picking a name Granny?¡±


    The huntress enquired a bit of energy returning to her voice. Mrs Bubba debated on it and advised.


    ¡°Well, like I say you can always join the Bubba¡¯s.¡±


    She said with a wink.


    ¡°¡­Or you could ask Joanne and become a Willow, divine knows that woman could do with some responsibility. There¡¯s also the option of¡­ Woodpen. I would not recommend it however, having that ancient tree trunk teaching you two is bad enough.¡±


    Mrs Bubba spat the last sentence out in a sour tone. Joanne did once inform the pair Mrs Bubba had a foul mouth though neither Valerie nor Samantha had seen it unless the topic of their elven teacher was brought up. Despite all her care and love some biases were simply unavoidable especially when it came to the long running elf/ dwarf feud. She also did not bother to bring up Margaretta, despite all the years they had known one another she never did learn a thing about her own family affairs.


    ¡°You can also pick one out yourself. Back in the day, long before my time, people picked whatever they saw, heard or did as a surname. You could even do your job if you¡¯re so inclined.¡±


    Valerie tried to wrap her head around the concept, but there were so many options, so many things to consider she didn¡¯t know if they got one chance at this and didn¡¯t want to waste it. Should she or Samantha be a Bubba, a Willow, a Woodpen or something else? What about Valerie¡¯s uncle? Could she be a James or Jameson? Jamesdaughter? Jamesniece? It was too much, so she decided to offload some of the burden.


    ¡°Samantha what do you think? Who do you want to be?¡±


    The shadow user stopped snuggling up to her granny and pondered the question. Rising to stand at her full smaller than average height she walked around the hot spring only barely stopping herself from slipping. Then it hit her. Snapping her fingers and producing no sound, because they were wet and for no other reason, she voiced her carefully chosen and well thought out name.


    ¡°I¡¯ve got it! We can be Valerie and Samantha Adventure!¡±


    Her chosen name was met with quiet distaste and grandmotherly condescension. Deflating, she suggested a potential back-up.


    ¡°Well, what about¡­¡±


    Later that afternoon two girls entered the local registry office quickly signing all the necessary paperwork in sloppy, barely legible and slightly damp handwriting. After all was filed and the I.D.¡¯s updated, the pair who left were the newly named Valerie Hunt and Samantha Trapper.

 Naming Day

    To celebrate their new names, the adventuring pair decided to hit the town and experience the many wonders and activities on offer to fully fledged citizens such as them. Unfortunately, they quickly found most services and attractions were either outrageously expensive or outside their age range. Thus, they fell back to an age-old pass time everyone could enjoy: killing monsters. The mad dash to the guild was followed by an excruciating hour long wait in yet another line, thankfully however neither felt their peculiar excitement diminish. They hadn¡¯t changed as people or achieved some higher form of power, but having their own chosen name felt invigorating. It was no secret their plans for independence crashed and burned before ever getting off the start line. Picking a name however was unique, new, a sign they were perhaps finally taking control, and they would grasp at that opportunity no matter what.


    After finally being admitted to the guild they re-introduced themselves to Margaretta who did not even try to feign enthusiasm and simply congratulated the pair in the most bored ¡®I didn¡¯t ask¡¯ tone she could muster. This did not deter the duo, and they requested the most difficult job for their rank in the guild. The aged receptionist grabbed a selection of contracts while doing her best to ignore the prattling of a couple hyper children. They were still heavily limited in their options but where there were monsters there was a request to get rid of them, so they had their pick of interesting challenges. Truly difficult contracts were only handled by the higher ranks which admittedly the two girls were slowly edging their way into joining.


    A typical adventurer starting from the bottom would be considered for a rank up after successfully completing a minimum of twenty contracts within a three-month period. Most people had to grow accustomed to the gruelling work, little pay and even less recognition. Not to mention the actual act of killing a living breathing creature, no matter if it was a monster. Valerie and Samantha however had completed thirty-five contracts within a single month, regularly managing two in one outing. It wasn¡¯t a record in the guilds history as others had certainly done better in a shorter time frame. That being said, it was still impressive for a pair of nobodies who came from nowhere to shoot up the ladder so quickly. If they kept up their pace, they would be entitled to the guilds many incentives from being able to select a weapon from the extensive armoury, appearing in an article in the guild¡¯s monthly highlights magazine and most desirable of all; a generous monetary reward. Looking over the stack of contracts, Valerie frowned not finding anything unique or specifically challenging.


    ¡°Do you have anything a little more¡­ I don¡¯t know¡­ spicy?¡±


    She asked as kindly as she could resisting the urge to just pick whatever and be on her way.


    ¡°No, Miss Hunt what you see is what you get. You want spice? Tie your arm behind your back or go in blindfolded, that¡¯ll give you some spice. Otherwise, pick a contract and get out.¡±


    Margaretta huffed, growing impatient with the pair¡¯s antics. The huntress ignored the older woman¡¯s tone while supressing a smile at being called her new name. From what she saw, the pickings were slim for anything truly worth their time on this special occasion. Thus she enquired once again if there was maybe more requests in the back to which Margaretta pointed to the request board still overflowing with contracts, jobs, and extermination notices.


    ¡°Neither of you chumps is good enough for any of the real jobs so take what you can get and be happy about it.¡±


    She stated laying down the law. Valerie clicked her tongue annoyed at the dismissive attitude which she really should have gotten used to by now. Samantha meanwhile picked out one sheet and painfully, slowly sounded out the words.


    ¡°Hey, this ones in the capital! Something about killing¡­ gahools?¡±


    She incorrectly read showing the contract to Valerie who also found the word difficult to pronounce. Margaretta rolled her eyes and clarified the request.


    ¡°Ghouls, undead abominations that have infested the capital for decades. Occasionally they¡¯ll surface somewhere in the sewers, and we send down rookies like you two bozos to wipe them out.¡±


    Valerie tensed ready for her aspect to flair to life and flood her mind with knowledge, however nothing happened. Her aspect was inconsistent at best with how it fed her information, sometimes hearing the name of a monster would kick it into gear and other times she had to see the beast first. Regardless, she would feel some tingle at the back of her skull, yet no sensation came. What could it mean? Was there something about ghouls that didn¡¯t classify them as normal monsters? Maybe because they were in the city her aspect didn¡¯t register them as something she had to hunt down? That can¡¯t be it, ghouls must exist in the wild and will have their own dens or feeding patterns. The huntress put the matter on the back burner as she and Samantha left the guild with the single request. If the job was focused in the city, then they could celebrate their new names and be back in time for dinner. What would Joanne and Albert think? Mrs Bubba loved their choice of names calling them adorable which the huntress wanted to be upset at but couldn¡¯t be angry with Granny for being Granny.


    Getting back on track, this particular contract would take them to a part of the city neither had any reason to visit so far. To be fair, they hadn¡¯t seen a lot of the city as of yet due to focusing their efforts on their new careers. As they walked, they quizzed one another on their new home to pass the time and ensure they were following Albert¡¯s lessons well. Unsurprisingly, Valerie retained more useful information while Samantha recalled funny street names and other useless facts. Capital City, as Albert taught, was split into five districts, each taking up a generous portion and forming an uneven circle around the central monument where the city was originally founded. A water fountain to be exact, one the newly named Miss Trapper confidently asserted to be the precise spot she will eventually perish. No one had brought the morbid topic up since her assertion and, at Valerie¡¯s insistence, no one would including the inquisitive elf librarian.


    The district they were currently in was the largest by far and was unimpressively named Adventure Town where scores of travelling warriors, mages and would-be heroes gathered with the highest traffic being around the guild itself. The rest of the district comprised organizations, clubs and special interest groups with large stakes in the guild such as the Barbarian Battle Brothers, the Wizards/ Arcanists/ Ritualists/ Demonologists Collective a.k.a. W.A.R.D. as well as Modus Operandi and lastly the Artisans Bureau. These groups were comprised of members who fit into the warrior, mage, rogue and other categories respectively. Within the district there also existed several blacksmiths, tanners, armament shops, potion brewers, pawn brokers, a single dwarven run laundromat and food stalls, many food stalls. Adventuring work was long and difficult thus having a one stop shop for all your needs in a single district was a must have.


    Next up, there was Auld Burgh, aptly named as it was the oldest and least renovated part of Capital City. Efforts had been made in recent years to improve the small districts infrastructure, not because the corrupt elite cared about the inhabitants but because it wasn¡¯t aesthetically pleasing to look at from atop their ivory towers. Within Auld Burgh you could find, the poorest, dirtiest and yet most earnest, hard-working lot to live within the capital. It was here that the adventuring pair stayed with Albert, his presence and the library he ran a mascot to the districts ancient but thriving vitality.


    The district immediately adjacent was the complete opposite as its buildings, management and denizens were a constantly shifting assortment of wealthy elite. Thrill Valley, despite not being a valley, contained the city¡¯s highlights from high end restaurants, casinos, brothels, underground fight pits and a pleasantly green park with no animals unless you counted the occasional drug dealer. Joanne made her home in the outskirts of this Valley having carved out a corner all her own to run her legitimate business while infuriating the not so legitimate contractors and businessmen who tried to re-home the pooch.Unauthorized duplication: this tale has been taken without consent. Report sightings.


    The most opulent district soon followed featuring resplendent gardens, a dazzlingly clear moat and to top it off, the royal palace where the Gentile Kingdom¡¯s ruling class resided. It was the smallest district by area but made up for it with several large, towering skyscrapers each connected at near cloud level by bridges and paths that formed a circle around the enchanting castle beneath. These towers served an additional purpose as each drew in massive amounts of mana from the surrounding area to fuel the protective dome that surrounded the heart of the Gentile kingdom and warded off potential invasions demonic or otherwise. It was ironic however as these mana hungry towers became a beacon drawing in monsters from afar, the magic in their bodies reacting to the intense absorption.


    Last, but not least, there was the equally spectacular Clergy of the Divine who occupied several churches and prayer sights for the many denizens to practice their faith. Having the dominant religion situated between the ruling class and adventurers created a decent buffer ensuring the priests in charge could serve all residents without the outward appearance of favouritism. It was also the sight of a large cemetery where high ranking officials including previous kings and queens were laid to rest, their names encapsulated on stone epitaphs to never be forgotten.


    Samantha knocked over a tombstone as she walked through a dreary and dank cemetery, the name on the tablet eroded and lost to the ages. She looked down at the crumbled stone, shrugged and followed after Valerie as they were guided to a monster den. There guide, Father Richmond, was a man of the cloth through and through who worshiped the divine and sought their wisdom in all things to make him a better priest and a better person. Directing two little twerps to the sight of the latest ghoul attack, he almost wished the divine would smite him and burn his soul to cinders. He had submitted the request with the guild intending to welcome a pair of well-travelled adventurers who wished to protect the sanctity of their holy ground. Finding a duo of teenagers, one picking their nose and flicking the nuggets onto the church carpet while the other looked apathetically at the numerous art and sculptures on display did not fill the priest with confidence. He didn¡¯t hate children, he loathed them, they did not understand the true grace of the divine and spent their days in sin and debauchery. Richmond too had been just like these two reprobates, a young starry-eyed adventurer who believed his faith and healing magic could save the world, how wrong he had been. He might have given up on everything if not for his faith and the intervention of the Grand Deacon. His holiness was a true icon amongst the faithful, a believer so devote he made the rest of them seem like heathens. As another crash erupted from behind Richmond, he prayed not only to the divine but to the Deacon for assistance.


    The adventurers were brought to a stone mausoleum on the verge of collapse that was wrapped in wrought iron chains and surrounded with a ring slightly glowing holy sigils. Valerie fully expected Samantha to be unable to cross the boundary into the sigils domain yet was pleasantly surprised to find her friend was not ejected from the cemetery or struck down on the spot. The sigils were minor versions of the same ritual magic that protected the city and only affected monsters or so the priest claimed, he didn¡¯t actually know what they did.


    Approaching the locked door, Richmond made to open the latch only to find each and every chain suddenly and unanimously fall to the ground, a link here and there clearly seperated with no obvious change to the metal hoops themselves. He tried to turn to the cloaked girl who introduced herself and her aspects but found himself unable to meet her black stare. The priest huffed before opening the creaky door and stepping out of the girl¡¯s way. The pair peered down into deep dark passage, Valerie straining to see the bottom while Samantha easily made out the entirety of the abyss. They descended, Samantha leading for once while Valerie followed behind. Until any danger arose, the huntress relied on her friend¡¯s keen eyes to direct them and, when they did encounter a monster, she could make use of the unlit torch or lantern tied to her waste. After a short descent they reached the bottom of the monument allowing Samantha to report on the interior.


    ¡°There¡¯s a big grave, it looks like something was scratching at it.¡±


    The final resting place for the great Henry something or other was still in one piece however the numerous claw marks coating the above ground tomb suggested something wanted in. Valerie slowly edged her way closer to the grave until her hand brushed against the uneven stone feeling deep gouges in the stonework. She frowned still waiting for her aspect to kick in and reveal some detail or secret of the responsible monsters. Infuriatingly, there was nothing, the Ghouls habits remained a mystery to her. A sudden tap at her shoulder caused the huntress to jump slightly, thankfully it was only the moderately terrifying Samantha who directed the near blind girl to a hole in the wall. Judging by the bricks and rubble she nearly tripped on approaching the hole it appeared something had broken its way into the mausoleum to desecrate the tomb. Why exactly a Ghoul would try to get at a dead mans remains neither could guess without further investigation. Samantha immediately crawled into the hole with Valerie following close behind, knife in hand and using her friends shuffling to guide her.


    Travelling for some time they eventually saw a dim light on the other end of the tunnel. Upon emerging, they found themselves in a large shaft carved out of the dirt and stone creating a passageway with small flickering candles lighting the surroundings. It was not completely visible, but it was enough for the huntress to take the lead again with Samantha backing her up. She didn¡¯t ignite her torch just yet not wanting to give away their position, it was not because she forgot to buy a flint and steel to light the stick and if anyone suggested otherwise then they were a filthy liar. She could have used the miniature flames from the candles but there was something strange about them, the least of which being they were cold rather than warm. Wilfully ignoring the clearly odd decorations, the pair walked down the passageway while listening for any sounds in the total silence. Well not total silence.


    ¡°What do you think gahools look like?¡±


    Samantha asked in a not so silent whisper that echoed through the tunnel. Valerie jumped again and wanted to smack the inquisitive girl but restrained herself offering a curt shush. As they delved ever deeper their steps echoed softly against the stone floor while the walls around them seem to draw in closer with each passing second. Although she tried not to think about it, Valerie couldn¡¯t help but feel a growing unease at her surroundings. Something wasn¡¯t quite right with the way they looked or the fact this tunnel was so strangely uniform despite appearing to have been locked away. She was just about to ask Samantha if she saw anything out of the ordinary with the walls when she realized something.


    ¡°Huh?¡±


    She accidentally uttered, turning a full circle to find her companion was missing.


    ¡°Samantha?¡±


    She shout whispered, her words carried along the shafts claustrophobic interior. The shadow user was right there a second prior and now she wasn¡¯t, there hadn¡¯t even been a sound. Valerie¡¯s head moved on a swirl trying to locate her companion in the single file tunnel. It was then she noticed the lit candles from where they came from had gone dark. The hair on the back of her neck rose up as an altogether different sense of danger invaded her mind. Having spent so long in the presence of Samantha¡¯s eery aura she was more or less used to the feeling, however whatever this was felt new, it felt hostile. Another set of candles abruptly winked out and the huntress was off like a loosed arrow. She booked it in the opposite direction as yet more candles went out all on their own in rapid succession. Before she knew it, they caught up and surpassed her causing the tunnel to fall into darkness. There was still light at the end of the path and she ran towards it, her boots landing hard on uneven stones causing her to stumble. At the last hurdle, she tripped and rolled falling harshly into a wide-open chamber.


    The chamber was lit with those same cold candles barely illuminating the expansive room. She could make out bricks the colour of blood surrounding her with occasional gaps filled in with iron bars that revealed only dirt on the other side. A dais stood in the centre with a rotten and festering wooden throne sat upon it. Hovering just above the throne was a man wreathed in lime green light with a haze coming from every inch of his figure. He was dressed in a tattered surcoat ripped up and burned with the Gentile Kingdom banner emblazoned on the front. His face, if you could even call it one, looked chewed up and spat back out with both eyes and lips missing, his teeth on full display. He floated with his hands behind his back like he was addressing his troops and the men at his command were no less horrifying.


    ¡°Oh.¡±


    Was all the huntress could say as many blood filled maws with ravenous appetites and bone crunching teeth turned in her direction. Although she didn¡¯t know it yet, a ghoul was a type of undead whom themselves were not a specific monster but a curse that could be contracted. The reason her aspect hadn¡¯t given her any information was because she wasn¡¯t technically hunting a monster, she was hunting a group of humans turned monster. Her aspect didn¡¯t consider humans, elves or any other sapient and generally intelligent life worth hunting so didn¡¯t give her any advantages against them. Unfortunately, that stipulation extended to the undead as she was now learning. The emaciated, pale white and red eyed humans stared at Valerie, their half-chewed meal dripping from their mouths. It would seem the recent attack that sparked the contract had been an attempt gather more food and when that failed, they cannibalized one another. Valerie froze in terror at the scene before her, she desperately wanted to run but every muscle in her body refused to move back down the dark hall. The spectre general finally noticed the intruder and looked down at the huntress, his face unreadable as he extended a bony hand forth.


    ¡°Myyyyyyyyy miniooooonssssssss youuuu have hunnnngered for tooooooo long¡­¡±


    He hissed out in a voice that could be carried away by a breeze.


    ¡°GO FORTH AND FEAST!¡±


    The ghost suddenly screamed, and every ghoul dashed forward on all fours their jaws wide and clawed fingers outstretched.

 G-g-g-ghost!

    Valerie watched the procession of ghouls approach, a sea of gnashing teeth, chipped claws and desiccated flesh encroaching from all sides. Time seemed to slow as the undead atrocities drew ever closer and she was suddenly met with a most disheartening thought.


    ¡°Am I going to die?¡±


    She had faced numerous terrible creature who offered a worthy challenge or forced her to face near death scenarios, yet, in her current agitated state, seeing these humans¡¯ turned monsters racing towards her filled her mind with thoughts of her impending demise. There was so much she hadn¡¯t done yet, so much she wanted, so much she HAD to do, and she had just gotten a name to boot. She didn¡¯t want to die, couldn¡¯t die until she accomplished whatever she was meant to do with her life. Staring down the marred visage of a ghoul as it rose up before her ready to sink its teeth into her flesh she realized she was in for an even worse fate.


    ¡°Will I turn into one of these?!¡±


    Anger bubbled up inside her at the very thought of becoming a monster, loosing her humanity and mind to a curse of all things. If there was one thing Valerie refused to give up it was the independence she desired for her entire life. She was her own person, she was her own warrior, she was Valerie Hunt and there was not a chance she was giving that up so easily. Despite her resolve, there was still the matter of her frozen in place and unresponsive body. It wasn¡¯t a spell or anything physical binding just her own nerves locking her in place due to the accumulated terror. The loss of motor functions was not new to her as she recalled a similar incident some months back. Her mind flashed to the temple Samantha obtained her second aspect from; she remembered how she had regained her focus and broke from the control. Unable to shift her arms, she moved the only part still under her control.


    Just as the ghoul before her was inches from gutting her, she slammed her teeth together digging deep into her tongue and caused a trickle of blood to begin pouring out. The sudden rush of pain shattered herself made stasis allowing her to narrowly avoid a gruesome fate. She screamed in righteous fury and ducked low, the monster sailing over head as she swiped upwards, the edge of her knife biting against the undead¡¯s neck. In a flash she decapitated the monster, its twice lifeless body crashing against the back wall while its head rolled after it. Undeterred, the rest of the ghoulish hoard surged forth clambering over one another to tear into the living flesh.


    ¡°COME ON!¡±


    Valerie yelled, blood and spittle flying from her mouth as she grabbed the unlit torch and tightened her grip on her knife. She met the onslaught, bashing one undead with the makeshift club and stabbing another from under neath their chin. The blade didn¡¯t reach far enough, and the ghoul gnashed its teeth until Valerie dragged the knife and monster down delivering a knee into the butt of her weapon. This broke the creatures jaw and brought the edge home skewering its rotting brain from below. She tore her weapon from the soft flesh parrying a side swipe and bashing another ghoul away. An oddly long armed undead attempted to wrap its arms around the huntress¡¯s head but was halted as one limb was severed and the other broken before being tossed into a group of its brethren. Another ghoul was leapt over as it tried and narrowly succeeded in slashing at the huntress¡¯s legs. This earned the clever undead a well-deserved stomp to the head which caved in easily sending bits of brain and skull flying.


    Valerie became a whirlwind of bashing and slashing, constantly in motion and using the undead as shields against one another as she tore through their ranks. She was not getting away unscathed however as the ghouls claws ripped at her flesh and tore her gear into rags. Since arriving in the Capital neither Valerie nor Samantha had acquired the funds to purchase some proper armour and had to rely on the bits and pieces Dale Junior fashioned for them. Right now, Valerie was suffering the consequences as deep scratches and cuts began to appear along her arms and face marring her figure. It didn¡¯t matter to the huntress however; she could fight naked covered from head to toe in cuts with all the hair on her head ripped out and she still wouldn¡¯t stop.


    Watching the savage display from atop his throne was the spectre, although he only pretended to sit lazily while actually hovering a foot off the seat. While some instincts remained, his thoughts were nothing like when he was alive and all he saw was a useless living girl who futilely resisted her assured death and ascension to the world that was undeath. Still, she was whittling down her future brethren more than the spectre would have liked, so he decided to intervene. Raising his bony hand again, he snapped his fingers the sound echoing throughout the entire chamber and causing all the candles to suddenly go out. Darkness enveloped the room, and the ghost grinned a lipless smile. The warrior didn¡¯t stop however, she kept going hacking and slashing at nothing and everything, her furious breaths overtaking the wet slap as rotting flesh hit the floor. It didn¡¯t matter if she could see if everything around her was an enemy. The surprisingly tenacious display made the wraith wonder if making her a ghoul was too wasteful, she had skill and a healthy body both, it would be a shame to lose out on such rare traits.


    Henry Rutherford had been a general in life and died in service to his country against the demonic hoard, his lasts thoughts only on the rightful spot he had earned in paradise with the divine. What he got instead however was a curse that left his spirit restless and without escape. He lay in his tomb for decades unable to move, unable to speak but able to think, to beg, to go mad. He eventually figured out how to separate his soul from the rotting mess that was his body and move around his mausoleum as a spectre. He roamed the four corners for what felt like eons, becoming familiar with each stone crevasse and watching the life cycle of countless spiders grow and wither away. Then one day he received a visitor, a man of the clergy had come to visit him or so he thought. In reality the priest intended to steal the few possessions the general was buried with. Enraged, the spectre appeared before the priest causing the man to stumble and fall back hitting his head on the edge of the grave killing him instantly. The spectre that was formerly Henry resented the dead man and cursed his dying body a gesture that had more than the intended result. The priest rose back up, his face hollow and eyes hungry for something. The ghost found he could control the newly formed ghoul and with the right fodder create more of them, a plan of vengeance slowly forming in his corrupted mind.The story has been taken without consent; if you see it on Amazon, report the incident.


    The wraith had been happy to slowly grow his army of ghouls and lead them into battle eventually but now watching his troops be cut down like lambs to the slaughter he reconsidered the idea. An army was made up of useless infantry and far more useful generals just as he had been. The knife wielding girl could make a good commander for his army, that is if he could figure out how to keep her from becoming a ghoul. There would be time to experiment later when the girl was finally dead and was she ever making that difficult. The spectre could plainly make out the girl¡¯s destruction in the dark and watched as she completely bisected a ghoul while stabbing another with the broken shaft of her torch.


    ¡°She¡¯s pretty something isn¡¯t she?¡±


    A sweet voice asked the spectre. Twisting around in the air, the wraith searched for the speaker and found a cloaked girl stood before the dais. He was sure he felt just a single soul enter his tomb, the huntress before him the only possible candidate. Despite this there was unmistakenly another person in the chamber with them, so why couldn¡¯t he feel their essence? Samantha didn¡¯t know it at the time, but her aspect had yet another passive effect as, like a shadow, she had no presence whatsoever. Where it not for her near permanent aura, she could blend seamlessly into a room or disappear entirely from a person¡¯s perception. Ghosts, and by extension all undead, could not feel fear or any other biological functions thus she was their natural antithesis.


    After realizing the two had become seperated, Samantha followed along the corridor only to find the violent scene currently being played out. Despite standing directly in front of a ghoul it didn¡¯t react or notice her at all and neither did the ghost in the middle. She fully intended to jump into the fight and help her friend until the lights went out eliminating all shadows to pull from. All she could do was keep out of Valerie¡¯s way and try to get the candles relit or find some other source of light. Luckily, she found something her friend dropped, and an idea formed in the shadow user¡¯s head. Rearing back, Samantha tossed a wrapped-up ball while calling out.


    ¡°Val, over here swipe up!¡±


    The huntress¡¯s ears perked up at the sound of her friend and she did as instructed only to miss the thrown item by a good few feet. No one could say Samantha would make a good pitcher but at least she tried. As the ball landed against the ground, Valerie made out the telltale sound of glass shattering and leapt forth unknowingly dodging a swipe to her neck amidst the frantic manoeuvre. She fell on the wrapped-up ball uncovering it to reveal the shards of her lantern and the oil within splattered over the balls fabric. Understanding Samantha¡¯s idea, Valerie struck the wall with her knife trying to create a spark as the ghouls raced towards her. The lead ghoul was briefly blinded when a flicker formed igniting the cracked lantern and fabric both. Valerie tossed the flaming cloth at the hoard causing them to become yet more fuel to the fire. All undead shared an inescapable weakness to flames which the dumb struck ghouls were forced to learn firsthand.


    The room was suddenly engulfed in a crackling blaze of light that revealed the sorry state of the huntress. She got a brief look at herself and was shocked at the state she was in, adrenaline clearly dampening much of the pain otherwise she doubted she would be standing right now. With a resurgence of shadows Samantha was able to take the field and quickly acted before the light died out again.


    ¡°Dark Pincushion!¡±


    She yelled out while sweeping her extended arm around a full circle. The self-named spell caused every shadow in the room to erupt with chains shooting forth in all directions. It twisted her gut and almost caused her to pass out from the absurd number of magically conjured chains, but the effort bore fruit. The ghouls soft skin and brittle bones were struck countless times, the low force of the chains more than enough to debilitate the undead minions. As quickly as they had appeared, the chains vanished with their task completed.


    The spectre watched as every last one of his troops was brought low in a single pincer attack. His mind briefly returned to his old days as a general and he wondered if that was the right word or if he was losing his keen militaristic insight. Shaking off the age-old memories, the wraith tried to escape by disappearing through a wall but found his intangible form caught on something. A single black chain had looped its way through the ghosts hollow bony leg capturing him like he was caught in a bear trap. He stared down at the girl holding onto the chain her golden hair and wide smile a picture of malevolent innocence, yet it was the eyes that he could not escape from. He was dead, long beyond the point of feeling emotion but looking into those blacker than black holes in the universe he felt something akin to fear for the first time in years. In his stunned state he failed to notice a second chain loop around his neck before it was pulled taut. The wraith was dragged down to the ground, the huntress pulling at the chain around his neck while the terrifying girl yanked at the one through his leg. He could see his troops, battered and unable to rise as well as the slowly dying fire, if he could just wait a little longer he could be free.


    ¡°NOW!¡±


    Fortunately, that time would never come as Valerie and Samantha simultaneously pulled at the chains on either end. A soft pop filled the room and the wraiths head flew from his body as did one leg. His incorporeal form disrupted, the ghost evaporated into a cloud of miasma, his undead followers growing still as their master¡¯s influence left their body. All fell silent as Valerie stood panting and feeling the soft trickle of blood escape many wounds along her body. She frantically searched her shredded clothes for the half-filled healing potion and immediately downed the rest of the contents. Her wounds slowly repaired themselves though not entirely, she would definitely need to see some physician or healer to finish the job and make sure she hadn¡¯t caught anything from the disgusting undead. She was just thankful none of the ghouls hit anywhere vital or gotten to her eyes. Without a scratch on her, Samantha sidled up next to her friend, she was going to pat her on the back but decided otherwise seeing the deep red oozing through her shirt. Valerie glowered at the shadow user ready to tear her a new one for abandoning her when she noticed something was off. Turning back to the dying fire she figured out what Samantha had wrapped the lantern in.


    ¡°Your¡­ cloak?¡±


    She said is rasping breaths.


    ¡°Hmm? Oh yeah needed something flam- flameb- something that would catch on fire.¡±


    Samantha answered forgetting the right words. The light flickered out, obscuring the complicated expression Valerie now wore. She wanted to berate her friend for coming in at the last second once again. How many times had she done almost all the hard work for Samantha to waltz up and do something crazy and save her life or pull of a cool move? Yet this time, she was forced to sacrifice something she held so dear to save Valerie. It didn¡¯t mean she forgot all the times her friend seemingly waited until the last minute to arrive or that she would forgive the fact she wasn¡¯t here to help during the majority of the fight. Speaking of.


    ¡°Where¡­ were you?¡±


    Valerie asked anger tinging her words. Samantha sucked in a breath through her teeth before sheepishly answering.


    ¡°I might have¡­ fallen down a hole.¡±


    Valerie¡¯s eyebrows rose up and her eyes went wide, she wasn¡¯t sure if she should laugh, cry, faint or all of the above. A lesson to be learned, even if you can see in the dark always look where you¡¯re going and watch out for deep holes.

 Adventure Politics

    In a marginally interesting forest, a young male adventurer sat hidden behind a bush while stalking a monster. The creature in question was a Rolloch, a lizard the size of a mastiff with thorny protrusions along its head, back and tail. When threatened the Rolloch would curl into a ball putting its thorns on full display as it rolled around at considerable speed. It wasn¡¯t the deadliest monster, but its hit-and-run tactics could slowly chip away at a prey¡¯s stamina leaving them in no position to defend themselves, death by a thousand rolls as it were. This particular Rolloch was also suffering, or more accurately benefiting, from a curse that caused the thorns on its back to become paralytic. Even a light scratch would be enough to sign the death certificate for any bystander or unprepared adventurer. The request to kill this monster had been submitted by a local farmer who discovered the creature chomping away at one of his sheep while it was still alive and screaming in pain. The farmer managed to scare the lizard off but knew he couldn¡¯t kill it outright thus offered up his small life savings to have the beast dealt with.


    The hunt began in the early morning, the contracted adventurer following the monsters bloody trail leading from the farmer¡¯s home. He knew if it didn¡¯t find another food source soon it would most likely return to the farm and wouldn¡¯t stop at just sheep this time. He located the Rolloch resting next to a stream, blood still clinging to its yellow and black scales with a goofy content grin plastered upon its smug face. While its exterior was hazardous, the underbelly was significantly weaker and easily punctured, at least according to the ¡®Adventurers Guide for Monsters Aggressive and Benign¡¯. The book in question was part of a comprehensive compendium for the numerous monsters recorded throughout history and contained many diagrams and descriptions for how best to deal with the accursed beasts. Strangely, a brief description of the numerous entries would occasionally pop into a certain huntress¡¯s head despite the fact no two books gave the same details for all monsters. Just another quirk of Aspects no could explain as of yet.


    This adventurer didn¡¯t need to worry about such age-old questions as he gripped his blade and crept slowly upon the monster careful not to make a sound. He just needs to get a little closer while it was distracted then a quick jab to the neck and bam contract complete, money in his pocket and drinks at the nearest bar. Despite not making a sound, the Rolloch sensed something nearby and lifted its head to look around. For a brief second the adventurer and the monster met eyes though one was unaware of the other thanks to a dense bush. The Rolloch rose up and slowly crept towards the adventurer¡¯s position, not on high alert just curious like a cat.


    This was perfect, thought the adventurer, it was even closer and still had no idea death was inches away. Just as he was about to thrust forward, the beast was suddenly hoisted into the air by black chains descended from the above to loop under each leg. As it rose, the Rolloch attempted a brief fruitless struggle but couldn¡¯t untangle itself nor do anything when a muscular girl wielding a knife leapt out from the bush opposite the adventurer. She crouched into a slide while pointing her dagger up. With perfect timing, the beast was let go and fell onto the knife as the girl continued to slide gutting the monster from neck to tail in one swift motion. In a matter of seconds, the monster went from leisurely digesting its last meal to being disembowelled without a chance to react. Its killer stood to her full height and flicked the blood from her blade inadvertently splattering the still hiding dumbstruck adventure in the face. Falling back from the unexpected attack, he quickly jumped up and berated the girl.


    ¡°H-HEY! You can¡¯t do that! You can¡¯t just steal another guys kill like that!¡±


    Valerie stared bemused at the unexpected third party, his rookie adventurers¡¯ badge predominantly featured on his belt. Her face twisted with annoyance at the accusation, and she shrugged her shoulders.


    ¡°Not my problem. Be better.¡±


    She declared while turning her back on the slow adventurer who got so worked up at the disrespect he almost committed the number one faux pas in the guild; don¡¯t fight with other members. Chasing after Valerie, he grabbed at her should intending to give her a piece of his mind. What he got instead was a good look at her fist which he narrowly dodged. The impressive display of dexterity was by no means of his own making however as his feet fell out from under him. The adventurer collided with the ground and felt all the air leave his lungs. Looking up from his prone position he saw a hooded figure standing next to the kill thief, a terrifyingly black chain disappearing under her cloak. His indignation blunt all other emotions including the uneasy feeling growing at the back of his mind.


    ¡°You can¡¯t do this! It¡¯s against guild policy!¡±


    Valerie scoffed and turned away once again with Samantha following behind her, leaving the man to stew in his own filth.


    ¡°This isn¡¯t over, what¡¯s your name?!¡±


    Stopping abruptly, Valerie twisted round to show a wicked and toothy smile.


    ¡°I¡¯m Valerie Hunt, don¡¯t forget it.¡±


    Unfortunately, he did not.


    ¡°I¡¯VE BEEN WHAT!?¡±


    Valerie demanded, her angry outburst almost shaking the guild door of its hinges. Margaretta was unfazed as she continued to file at her nails and reiterated the problem.


    ¡°You¡¯ve been reported for guild harassment. It happens, get over it. We will perform an investigation and determine the truly at fault parties. Until that time neither you nor Miss Trapper may accept a new contract or receive payment for any to be completed contracts. Please trust the guild will blah blah blah.¡±


    The receptionist recited the standard guild policy, her boredom plain and evident. The ¡°victim¡± of this injustice slammed her hands against the temporary table almost causing it to buckle.


    ¡°Bollocks! I didn¡¯t do anything!¡±


    A statement that was undoubtedly a stretch. The monster Samantha and Valerie were contracted to kill hadn¡¯t been the Rolloch itself, but it was in their way, and they decided to get rid of it anyway. It was not the first time they inadvertently killed the target of other adventurer¡¯s quests just the first time they were caught. Up until now the formally contracted adventurers simply shrugged at the mysteriously dead monster and accepted an easy pay out. Unfortunately, there was always some who cared more about the accolades and their own ego than actual results. Although these picky few would learn better eventually as reporting someone else killed their mark voided the contract and meant the guild was forced to return any bounty fee to the requestor. Margaretta did not explain any of this, she was more than tired of giving out the same details year after year that was plainly written in the agreement all adventurers signed upon joining. Glancing up at the furious teenager, her expression was unreadable.The narrative has been stolen; if detected on Amazon, report the infringement.


    ¡°Miss Hunt, I am going to ask you to kindly refrain from damaging guild property. If you do not stop, we will be forced to escalate matters possibly including re-evaluating your membership AND that of your cohort. We would also be looking at possible reparations for all parties unduly affect including the guild itself. Are. We. Clear?¡±


    The receptionist¡¯s voice turned ice cold and irreproachable. Valerie stared daggers at the much older woman before slowly stepping back, taking a breath and trying to calm down.


    ¡°How long will this take?¡±


    She enquired carefully watching her words and tone to the best of her abilities. Margaretta filed at another nail, blew on it and then answered curtly.


    ¡°Three to five working days, maybe a week.¡±


    ¡°A WEE-¡°


    Calm down Valerie, calm down.


    ¡°Very well, thank you Margaretta.¡±


    The huntress spoke through gritted teeth trying to maintain an air of politeness and hopelessly failing. Turning to walk out the door, Valerie was stopped by the receptionist¡¯s last jab.


    ¡°Treat it like a vacation, divine knows you¡¯re taking enough work as is. Oh and be sure to tell Bubba I¡¯ll be visiting the springs sometime this week. I¡¯m sure the waters will be boiling hot with you there.¡±


    Valerie bit back a retort and left without another word. Samantha, waiting outside, caught the tail end of her friend as she stomped out of the guild. Chasing after her, the shadow user was given the full story albeit retold in a colourfully scathing manner.


    ¡°So, what do we do for a week?¡±


    She asked hoping her friend had an answer.


    ¡°The same thing we do every day, we go out and we hunt.¡±


    Valerie answered like it was the most obvious thing in the world. Just because they couldn¡¯t earn any money for it didn¡¯t mean they couldn¡¯t still do a bit of intense monster hunting. Samantha would have normally agreed but found she had developed a certain taste for the finer things in life.


    ¡°But I like money, you can get nice things with it.¡±


    Eating every night at Joanne¡¯s restaurant, using the legitimate cleaning services of Mrs Bubba¡¯s laundromat and paying a reasonable rent to Albert ate up a large chunk of the pair¡¯s funds. Buying a new set of clothes for Valerie as well as minor but still costly repairs to her armour consumed the last of it. The huntress tried to offer her friend the opportunity to purchase a new cloak, but Samantha rejected the idea. While significantly charred and pocked with holes, her cloak was still very important to her, and she refuse to give it up.


    Their last job should have given them a decent nest egg especially when the danger rating went up due to the presence of a spectre. Unfortunately, almost all of those funds were returned to Richmond who healed Valerie¡¯s deep and numerous wounds at an absurd premium. They were basically working contract to contract until they were deemed skilled enough by a panel of officials to move up the ranks. The next congregation of guild leaders wasn¡¯t for another month and the duo were late to registering for a promotion just barely submitting their hastily written paperwork in time. With the advancement they would become recognized figures within the guild, holding greater sway and influence. Well really, they just wanted to take on harder and more lucrative jobs, all that ceremony nonsense wasn¡¯t for this pair of monster killers. Valerie huffed dejectedly and stopped in the middle of the road. Samantha¡¯s eery aura coming in handy to prevent either from being run into while they hashed things out in the street.


    ¡°I don¡¯t know Samantha. This is my fault, and I¡­ don¡¯t know what to do about it.¡±


    ¡°We could always ask someone for some help?¡±


    Samantha reasoned even if she knew there was no way her friend would accept another hand-out. If push came to shove, they could always spend their time working in Joanne¡¯s kitchen or helping out at the laundromat. Not that either particularly wanted to, killing monsters and sometimes being covered in their foul-smelling guts was a much better gig than working in a service industry from the bottom rung. Albert was also a no go, his library was given the bare minimum grants from the ruling government to stay afloat, everything else was either through generous donations or the girls recent rent contributions.


    The two broke girls walked the streets while trying to discuss their options with little in the way of plans for the future. Sitting on a park bench, Valerie tried to go over their options one more time while Samantha meditated to ease on her aspect¡¯s drawbacks. The two sat in silence for some time until being approached by a sleaze of a man.


    ¡°Hey, hey, you doing alright? Couple of sad chickadoos like you two shouldn¡¯t be wearing a frown. Is there anything I can get you to help ¡°perk¡± up your day?¡±


    The walking waste of space accentuated his offer with an eyebrow wiggle behind shaded glasses. He wore a long brown raincoat that looked out of place in the summer heat and could have been a long-lost cousin to Samantha¡¯s even worse cloak. He had thinning brunette hair he combed over to mask the loss and a scraggly beard that looked on the verge of ending itself if only to save everyone the embarrassment. It wasn¡¯t the first time the two had been accosted by a drug peddler while trying to relax, they seemed fixated on interrupting people trying to enjoy a nice summer day at the park. Although neither would partake in his offer, his arrival did spark something in Valerie causing her to shoot up.


    ¡°I¡¯ve got an idea!¡±


    Her outburst surprised the drug dealer who quickly made himself scarce when Samantha dropped her concentration. One dash through the districts later and the two were descending down a hidden staircase to Mrs Bubba¡¯s hot spring. There they found Joanne relaxing in a towel next to her fully clothed co-owner, the former clearly having just finished soaking away her worries. The beast woman raised an eyebrow at the sudden appearance of Samantha and Valerie, she expected them to be out on a job by now.


    ¡°Girls? What are you-¡°


    She was cut off by the panting voice of Valerie.


    ¡°Do¡­ you¡­ Do you know any crime lords who could hire us?¡±


    The dwarf and beast woman¡¯s mouths dropped open as they demanded answers, worried for the purity of their charges. Receiving the full story Joanne and Mrs Bubba calmed down, the latter taking some pleasure in the burgeoning maternal instincts in her beastly friend. Joanne however rubbed at her temples; this was a conversation she did not expected nor wanted to have with the pair this soon into their career. She was an adventurer for most of her life and knew it was not all glitz and glamour not to mention the occasional accusation from jealous ex-teammates or people who just had a grudge. The point of the Adventurers Guild was, simply put; to slay monsters and protect people yet a depressingly large number of members saw their colleagues as competitors and rivals. They were supposed to build each other up but more often they just tore one another down and they all suffered as a result. She quit for a number of reasons, the politics definitely being one of them, and now her latest admirers were caught up in it.


    ¡°Alright, I know someone.¡±


    She announced in a more serious tone than anyone was used to. When the world punished you for trying to do good there was only one other thing to do, and she would be a hypocrite to try and talk the pair out of going down that route.


    ¡°Please tell me you aren¡¯t talking about Harry?¡±


    Mrs Bubba enquired familiar with a number of Joanne¡¯s less reputable friends and colleagues. The beast woman scoffed, clearly offended at the question.


    ¡°Harry¡¯s gone and he aint coming back. Listen you two, if you ever meet someone named ¡®Harry the Hammer¡¯ run, don¡¯t talk, don¡¯t ask questions and DO NOT fight him. You feel me?¡±


    The duo nodded sombrely; they would make all efforts to avoid Harry the Hammer who certainly wouldn¡¯t become a plot centric character later in the two¡¯s journey. Lightening up, Joanne continued.


    ¡°Good, alright I¡¯ll need a few days then I can introduce to a guy I know. Well, I don¡¯t know HIM, I know a guy who knows a guy who knows a guy who works for a guy who knows this other guy and¡­ you get the idea.¡±


    Valerie and Samantha tried to ask for more details, but the beast woman simply brushed off the questions before quickly getting dressed and leaving. Mrs Bubba sat idly by knowing whatever hijinks her granddaughters would get up to they would be alright so long as they had each other.


    ¡°You two are going to make adorable little criminals.¡±


    She cooed while taking a sip of her tea and enjoying the plainly embarrassed expressions both wore.

 The Kingpin

    Valerie and Samantha sat on pleasantly cushioned seats in a meticulously clean square room with no windows and only one entrance. It somewhat reminded the huntress of the chamber they fought the undead in which was supposedly an old expansion to the church they just built over and left to rot, an oddly convenient excuse she didn¡¯t quite believe. What kind of church needed iron bars over the windows and a throne in the centre? This place however was much more inviting, a number of snacks had been prepared for them as well as warm drinks set out on a table. Across from the girls sat a large and intricately decorated desk with a simple wooden chair behind it that was currently vacant. Joanne had come through in organizing a meeting between the girls and a low-level crime lord, the kind that had a network of goons who called him boss but wasn¡¯t too high up to be on any hitlists.


    The pair were told to walk into a certain barber shop in Adventure Town, ask for a specific haircut and sit in designated seats. Despite being told the exact combination three times the girls still forgot what seats to take and what to request come the day of the meeting. Thankfully their earnest demeanour and clear lack of preparation had won the kingpin over, no undercover informant would be that dedicated to a bit he reasoned. Thus, the girls had bags placed over their heads before being shoved down a series of alleys, sewage pipes and finally forced to sit in a boat for around ten minutes. It was all just for show as they were ultimately led back to the barbershop and taken to a secret stairway whose design was very reminiscent of a certain dwarven spring. Finally seated and de-bagged, the pair were told to wait and that the boss would be right out. They finished off the sweet treats over a half hour ago but the duo were still forced to wait until the door swung open to admit the man of the hour.


    ¡°Ay sorry for the wait, had to get blood out of my nice shirt.¡±


    The man in question was, in a word, greasy. His brown hair was slicked back to show more of his slightly tanned complexion as well as handsome rectangular face. He wore a pink buttoned up shirt that hugged at his chest a bit too tightly and there was no doubt if he popped a button a forest of chest hair would be waiting underneath. Despite being clearly human there was something elven about his gait, the way he gestured with his hands and accentuated his sentences. The man was an enigma, charismatic when he wanted to be, intense when he needed to be and all around not what either expected. He looked like he would either make a great cart salesman or a terrible politician. The kingpin circled round to sit at his large desk, quickly checking through drawers and bringing out a blank sheet of paper and a pen.


    ¡°So, I hears you two are looking for some work? Well, I am happy to oblige but, I got some ground rules I gotta set out.¡±


    The two nodded and let the kingpin begin.


    ¡°First, the names Darrian. That is what we in the biz call an alias and you will never know my real name. You can try to find out, but I wouldn¡¯t recommend it or you¡¯s is welcome to guess but it ain¡¯t gonna be right.¡±


    Valerie and Samantha had a brief hushed conversation before addressing the kingpin again.


    ¡°Is it¡­ David Ryan?¡±


    Samantha asked guessing the first name that came to mind. The kingpin did not react, did not tense up, did not twitch an eyebrow or let out a single note of surprise.


    The narrative has been taken without authorization; if you see it on Amazon, report the incident.


    ¡°No.¡±


    David ¡®Darrian¡¯ Ryan lied, all his plans for the afternoon suddenly being thrown out to investigate these two immediately. He had already done his homework by having someone else monitor and report on the two for a couple days. Now however, he would do it personally and pull on every favour and resource he had at his disposal, from guild informants to government nobodies if he needed to. That was the beauty of being a ¡°small¡± kingpin everyone underestimates just how far your reach actually was.


    ¡°Aight moving on, rule number two I am the boss. You don¡¯t have to call me boss but so long as you are in my house I am, say it with me, the boss.¡±


    Both girls gave a half-hearted attempt to copy Darrian and call him the boss. Never letting his calculating gaze off the pair, he continued with a friendly smile.


    ¡°Number three, we can all agree we like money around here. I like money, you like money, who doesn¡¯t like money? So, you make money for me, I make money for you which will probably make more money for me. Yada yada yada we all want money, agreed? Good.¡±


    Holding up his hands and drawing both girls attention, he clapped and pointed a finger gun at them.


    ¡°And that¡¯s it. Any other rule is implied like don¡¯t mess with me, I don¡¯t mess with you and so on. But those three are the main ones, capeesh?¡±


    The two nodded much to the fast-talking kingpins satisfaction although they weren¡¯t exactly sure what the third rule was other than money was the name of the game.


    ¡°Great, fantastic, amazing now let¡¯s get down to business. I¡¯ve been told you two are members of the Adventurers Guild, for which I hold the highest respect. As such I have to ask, either of you taken on an extermination contract yet?¡±


    The girls shook their heads answering with a gentle no. Nodding at the response Darrian continued.


    ¡°And would either of you, just for talking sakes ofcourse, be opposed to the idea of merc-ing a couple of less than reputable former associates of mine?¡±


    The question hung heavy in the air for a second. Valerie wasn¡¯t sure herself, sure she killed those ghouls but they were already long dead and not even human anymore so she couldn¡¯t have saved them even if she wanted. Samantha meanwhile focused on a different problem.


    ¡°Would they deserve it?¡±


    Darrian answered immediately.


    ¡°Possibly, possibly not, they might just be people doing their jobs. They might also be hostile to yourselves if they learned you were currently in a meeting with myself. If such a thing were to occur and I am not saying it will, but if it does, would you be okay with a little¡­¡±


    He gestured cutting his own throat, the actions meaning lost on Samantha entirely.


    ¡°If there¡¯s no other option then¡­ yes. ONLY if there¡¯s no other option.¡±


    Valerie replied resolutely and without exception. The kingpin held his hands up in mock surrender letting out a light chuckle.


    ¡°Hey, hey, hey, I am an upstanding member of our community and hope to be a father someday so that can set a good example to the little tikes like yourselves. I would certainly hate to be a bad influence on any of the youth of today. You say you don¡¯t want to kill, that¡¯s fine, not killing is in fact one of my favourite pass times. Well, not dying I should say eh but tomayto tomahto right?¡±


    He spoke with such calm coolness neither girl could tell if he was a master manipulator or a buffoon.


    ¡°You two are in luck though I have a job perfect for a stealth specialist and a tracker. No killing, all you have to do is pick me up an itty bitty package. Bring it back here, and bing, bang, boom, were golden.¡±


    No killing was good but, Darrian attitude didn¡¯t exactly inspire much confidence that this ¡°job¡± was going to be as simple as he made it out to be. Ultimately, Valerie wasn¡¯t interested in the lip service or fancy words she just wanted to know one thing.


    ¡°What about our pay?¡±


    Darrian let out a genuine laugh that lasted far too long. Wiping a tear from his eye, the kingpin rested both hands on the desk.


    ¡°You wanna talk about money? You don¡¯t even have the package yet! Or know what it is for that matter. And still, you wanna talk about your cut? I respect it to be honest. Tell you what, you do a good enough job and I¡¯ll double your pay. I¡¯m talking you pick up the package, you get back here and no one is any the wiser. You do a great job and I¡¯ll trip¡­ nah I can¡¯t, I can¡¯t do triple. Double is my max for nobody, and I mean nobody, knowing you were there.¡±


    Thievery was yet another indiscretion neither Valerie nor Samantha had been specifically told not to do. In fact, James always stressed survival was more important than morals or ethics. It was arguable their current situation did not count as life or death but neither would be the first to say anything about it. Samantha was all for the clandestine operation, she didn¡¯t have long so there was no waiting for next time which Valerie agreed with. In the end this was just another challenge, another hurdle to cross and be better for when all was said and done. Getting up to shake the kingpin¡¯s hand and seal the deal, the pair felt confident they could pull off the job. After all, what could possibly go wrong?

 And then everything went wrong

    Well not immediately at least. In a calming wind swept grassy plain dotted with gently rising knolls a pair of soon to be infamous bandits lay in wait. They were a rough and tumble pair, decked out in black, tight, slightly chaffing disguises that were as menacing as they were stylish. Codenames V and Iron Link the Swift prepared themselves ready to pounce upon-


    ¡°I am not calling you that.¡±


    ¡­ V announced startling Iron Link the Swift out of her silent narration that may have been louder than she intended.


    ¡°But it¡¯s part of our persona! You¡¯re the mysterious no-nonsense V while I am Iron Link the Swift! Bandits so devious and ruthless we take no prisoners and leave no evidence!¡±


    Iron Link the uncontested leader retorted enlightening her wayward miscreant companion to the true showboated nature of thugs such as them.


    ¡°You¡¯re not the leader either, stop talking like that and stay quiet will you. They¡¯ll be arriving soon.¡±


    Valerie a.k.a. V demanded her tone brooking no argument from Iron Li-


    A glare from the huntress shut up the bored to narration Samantha. They had been hiding amongst the tall grass for a few hours now waiting for their target to appear. A carriage carrying high value goods was meant to be passing by a road that intersected the grassy plain on its way to the Capital some five miles away. Darrian acquired the wagons schedule and recommended the pairs current spot as an ideal ambush point being somewhere right in the middle of the Capital and the carriage¡¯s origin point. Wanting to be ready, the fledgling thieves scouted the unremarkable location the night before, camped half a mile away and then waited for the cart to arrive with the crack of dawn. That was over an hour ago and there had yet to be any sign of the carriage they were targeting. Valerie felt something was wrong and scratched at her neck from under the full-face mask she wore, she might be allergic to the fabric or perhaps it was the build-up of sweat causing her to break out into a rash. Darrian supplied a pair of fake bandit outfits to mask the girl¡¯s identity, a safety precaution in case the carriage driver was to spot either of them. They only realized after dawning the gear just how well fitting it was despite neither giving the kingpin any of their measurements. It was actually a little tight in some areas best left unsaid much to the pair¡¯s annoyance, they would be certain to take their grievances up with the boss man after the job was done. A job that was slowly approaching their position at last. Samantha spotted it first, announcing the discovery in third person.


    ¡°Iron Link has spotted something, an object in the distance is drawing near, ready yourself underling, our time is nigh.¡±


    She spoke in a grizzled tone like a man who¡¯d seen far too many winters and not enough fires to warm them. Valerie ignored her friend and focused her sights on the approaching carriage trying to make out its features and assess the driver, but they were simply too far away. Remaining still, the fake bandits watched as their target rolled up, the sight causing Valerie¡¯s heart to sink. In addition to the casually dressed driver there were four heavily armed and armoured guards surrounding the carriage on horseback. Although she couldn¡¯t see beneath their helmets, she got the feeling all four were seasoned warriors ready to lay down their life for king and country. What was in that carriage that was so worth protecting? The huntress thought, her mind racing at possibilities and exactly how badly they messed up getting involved in this. Monsters were one thing, but trained knights were another matter entirely, she wasn¡¯t sure either she or Samantha could take on that many combatants all at once and walk away to tell the tale. Lowering herself as close to the ground as she could get, she hissed at Samantha.


    ¡°Get down! Forget the job, we¡¯re just going to let them by.¡±


    Samantha followed the command, resting her ear to the ground while looking her friend in the eyes.


    ¡°But what about the package?¡±


    ¡°Forget it, we¡¯ll find another way to make money.¡±


    Valerie stated though how exactly she wasn¡¯t sure yet, regardless anything would be better than getting killed out here. Although she didn¡¯t intend to, Samantha capitalized on the uncertainty by asking a simple question.


    ¡°How? We don¡¯t even know if they¡¯ll let you back into the guild and I am definitely not doing it without you.¡±


    Valerie felt a little touched by the solidarity but couldn¡¯t revel in it hearing the whinnies and brays getting closer by the second. They were stuck between a rock and a hard place; let the carriage pass and risk losing out on a big payday or try to continue with the admittedly in shambles plan. A decision needed to be made, and Valerie chose the wrong one.


    ¡°Bollocks, okay listen here¡¯s what you¡¯re going to do¡­¡±


    The horses bred for Capital City elites were, by most accounts, all style and no substance. They weren¡¯t trained to handle large cart louds or travel for long periods thus they were unused to real challenges. The pair of stallions that pulled along this carriage were no exception and in fact they were actually much poorer examples coming from show stock that hadn¡¯t so much as chipped a hoof let alone been made to gallop for more than a few seconds. This made them much more susceptible to a certain girls utterly terrifying aspect suddenly and violently appearing out of nowhere to ravage their untested nerves. It was only for a second, not enough for the guards to fully notice or recognise should they encounter it again. Samantha had been slowly getting better at controlling the eery aura her aspect leaked out and a quick burst was the culmination of that training even if it did give her a splitting headache.Enjoying the story? Show your support by reading it on the official site.


    The stallions were suddenly inundated with fear and an instinctual fight or flight response neither had ever experienced before. From seemingly out of nowhere the horses pulling the carriage jerked to a stop and tried to yank themselves free of their restraints to run for the hills. The caravan came to an abrupt halt and the driver had to climb down and tend to his animals before they went haywire. He was barely able to calm the spooked stallions while his entourage waited patiently for the horses to settle. Just when they thought the creatures were pacified another wave of fear struck them, affecting the guard¡¯s horses as well causing one to charge off, rider still attached, and another to buck and kick with its back legs catching a stallion¡¯s harness and snapping it. The freed horse took off down the road they came from forcing two of the guards to chase after it while the last remaining one stood watch and the driver stayed by the horse¡¯s side trying desperately to ease its nerves.


    With the carriage halted, Valerie waited for a moment when the driver and left over guard were distracted before scrambling forward to silently roll under the wagon itself. She waited a second before peeking out from each side ensuring she hadn¡¯t been spotted and slid out from under neath to inspect the cart. She had seen several wagons during her journeys from Dale¡¯s rickety hay filled cart to Joanne¡¯s top of the line carriage, this one however was more regal than any that had come before. A marvellous white oak base with gold trimming along the edges, flower patterns etched into the wood, and a sturdy ornate door with silk curtains obscuring the objects inside. It undoubtedly cost more than either adventurer could fathom and then some.


    ¡°If this is just the transport then what is inside?¡±


    The huntress thought to herself as she cautiously approached the entrance door to the carriage. From a cursory glance, it appeared the cart was also magically warded given by the slight shimmer along the surface although the exact nature of the enchantment was lost on Valerie. Her time was running out and someone was bound to notice her if she didn¡¯t act so, she did something very unwise and clambered inside the carriage. As the last guard circled around to the side of the cart, he noticed the door was slightly ajar. Chocking the issue up to their sudden halt, he nonchalantly closed the only exit in or out of the carriage and moved on with his day.


    Samantha, still suffering from her recent headache, held her head in her hands and waited for her friend to re-emerge ready to spring into action the second they got the goods. The package should be easy to locate as it would be marked with a coat of arms featuring a goat, a lion and a snake, the symbol of some old Guild associated group that was forcibly disbanded years back. She watched the perfectly still carriage expecting Valerie to erupt at any second even if she had to smash the door open to do it. They were in the clear so long as they had the package, so what was talking so long? Samantha waited and waited but nothing happened, not even a sound escaped the carriage. When two of the guards reappeared sans the missing stallion, they opted to proceed relying on the remaining horse to shoulder the burden. One guard lead at the front while the other two stood watch at the back, ever vigilant of all angles as they escorted the driver and his wares. Samantha watched the caravan, one guard and two horses down, continue on their merry way failing to realize they had a new passenger.


    ¡°Well¡­ this isn¡¯t good.¡±


    She summarized, completely underselling the seriousness of the situation. Hoisting herself up by her bootstraps she stalked after the carriage trying to stay out of sight and make as little sound as possible. She kept expecting Valerie to kick the door open and leap out, package in hand and maybe something a little extra for their troubles. It might increase their pay out if Darrian received an additional treasure from the regal carriage. Yet, as they approached an unoccupied entrance into the city her friend failed to emerge. The gateway was not connected to the city¡¯s outer walls but was situated some distance away between a number of large hills and odd stone monoliths Samantha never paid much head to. She and anyone else who observed the landmark could be forgiven for writing them off as nothing of particular note as the craftsman who manufactured them deliberately added an enchantment that made people ignore the structure. It was a type of magic discovered by reverse engineering the effects a temple has on people although in the opposite direction and to a much gentler degree only creating a general air of indifference rather than outright disgust. Unlike a temples attractive mystic air which Samantha could resist, the aloof feeling these statues gave her almost caused her to lose sight of the caravan.


    Between the tall monoliths stood the entrance to a tunnel that snaked underground although the assembly could not progress immediately. Before them stood a large iron gate which could only be viewed by coming from a certain direction and being flooded with the monoliths disinterested aura. Samantha¡¯s own brand of aura didn¡¯t affect her thus she couldn¡¯t fight off the oppressive enchantment by replacing with another and was forced to summon all her will power and mental focus to remain on target. There was not a lot of it to start with, so she had to make do with what she had on hand. Appearing unaffected, one of the guards climbed down from his horse and called out to someone unseen who responded asking for a code phrase. The guard couldn¡¯t answer and was soon joined by the other two, all three getting into an argument trying to figure out who had the password. They eventually figured out it had been the one carried off by his terrified horse and were left scratching their heads to guess the password themselves.


    Seizing the opportunity, Samantha slipped around the unoccupied back and crawled underneath the cart as Valerie had done. She tried to mimic her friend¡¯s graceful movements but, with her mind focused elsewhere, she ended up fumbling, making a noise and breaking up the guards argument. The self-appointed leader ordered the other two back to their positions while he handled the entry code himself. Grumbling, the two guards returned to the back waiting by their horses until they were permitted entry. Samantha meanwhile clung to the underside of the carriage using a shadow chain to secure herself in place. She wanted to knock at the wood and grab Valerie¡¯s attention but knew the guards would hear her. Finally, the de facto leader remembered the password recited by his colleague on their way to meet up with the carriage. Snapping his fingers, much to Samantha quiet dismay, the man announced his answer.


    ¡°On a string carried by a pair of swallows!¡±


    After a beat following the seemingly random statement the gate slowly opened admitting the caravan and its unwelcome stowaways. As they descended into the uneven tunnel, Samantha forced herself against the wagon¡¯s underside with all her strength, thankful she didn¡¯t have her cloak with her. The disguise she wore did come with a hood and small scarf like apparel that draped down her back, but it wasn¡¯t the same. Didn¡¯t have the same style nor the history as her original and most treasured piece of clothing. When asked why she set it on fire, Samantha simply responded that she needed something flammable and didn¡¯t have a lot of options. Ultimately the charred mess just added to the fabrics character and, when her death finally came, she hoped her cloak would still be right by her side, a tapestry to the life she had lived. It was an integral part of her now, she couldn¡¯t imagine a life without it. Some might say it was her brand and without it people wouldn¡¯t recognise her. Ofcourse you could say the same about her eery aura, pitch black irises, creepy smile or even the black chains. Her cloak however, was what completed the uneasy feeling she gave people, it was the ribbon that wrapped around her-


    ¡°Uh oh.¡±


    Samantha said under her breath, finally noticing exactly where the cart was heading. The monoliths effects ended some way back, but she was too lost in her rumination to realize they had exited the tunnel somewhere in the city. The road gradually smoothed out until the carriage was gliding along the cobbles and joined up with the hussle and bussle of the streets before veering off. The procession moved through districts until passing straight through a series of grand royal gates. It would seem whatever this wagon was carrying was on a collision course for the Gentile Palace.

 Even more goes wrong

    With the current series of events Samantha felt she should be worried but wasn¡¯t. This was not because she believed this was a situation that didn¡¯t deserve worry, she simply couldn¡¯t muster up the feeling. Ever since having her vision of her preordained death she had become incapable of feeling any fear, doubt, worry or anxiety no matter the situation. It was beneficial when going up against a monster or making hard decisions as she knew the potential consequences but didn¡¯t have to worry about ¡®what ifs¡¯ especially since she knew she would ultimately survive them to die later. It did not mean she would jump straight into danger; however, her death was assured how she got there and in how many pieces was another matter. Right now, she was experiencing the real downside to her lack of fear; bad decision making. If she had felt even a modicum of panic, as Valerie did, they likely wouldn¡¯t be rolling into the hub of the Gentile aristocracy as uninvited, unwanted, uncouth and unbelievably screwed guests. Even worse they were going to rob them, take something right from under the nose of the most powerful people in the kingdom and then somehow get away. Samantha only now realized she wasn¡¯t exactly sure how old she was when she died and could very well be elderly in her vision. A couple decades in the dungeon would likely age the girl more than she¡¯d like and do most of the work of killing her. She really wanted to avoid that mostly because growing old had to be the most boring way to kick the bucket possibly only being beaten by dying due to illness. She pondered on the least interesting ways to die as the carriage was directed around the back of the palace to a loading bay of sorts, still outrageously regal ofcourse. Anyone else would wonder why such a heavily guarded and exceedingly decorative carriage would be hidden away at the back but Samantha was still caught up on deciding if drowning was more boring than suffocating.


    A highly decorated servant approached the carriage driver and three guards enquiring about their missing member only to receive a series of excuses, shoulder shrugging and averted gazes. The unassuming butler verbally tore into the escort calling them all halfwits, Nimrods, incompetent and several more synonyms Samantha couldn¡¯t follow. After the tirade concluded five minutes later, the carriage was rolled up a ramp and secured into a storage area that looked to be occupied by its own spider themed theocracy given the numerous ornate webs dotted around. The servant closed a massive shuttered gate behind the carriage before directing the guards and driver out of the docking bay, his tongue lashing assault on their higher brain functions beginning once again. Samantha remained under the wagon for a minute longer before undoing her makeshift seat belt and loudly crashing against the floor. Luckily it appeared the storage room was more or less soundproof, or so she hoped as no one came to check on the disturbance. Crawling out from under the carriage like a crab, she leaned her back up against the wagon and knocked on the door.


    ¡°Val! Come out, there¡¯s no one around.¡±


    She hissed to no response. Knocking again she was met with further silence. Annoyed at being ignored, Samantha gripped the handle and swung the door wide open. What greeted her was a woman in the finest black gown she had ever seen with glittering red blood diamonds sewn into her lace gloves, dark pearls around her neck and a pair of high heels that looked to be made from some dark glass. The figure was also veiled in an onyx black face covering that obscured all her features par the brunette hair that sat loosely around her shoulders.


    ¡°Val? What are you wearing?¡±


    Samantha enquired not the least bit shocked at the attire itself. Her question was answered with a hand reaching around the opposite side of figure to push her out of the way.


    ¡°Move it! We have to get the heck out of here!¡±


    Valerie announced clambering out of the carriage and forcibly shoving the other passenger out of her way. Samantha fell sprawling against the floor and staring up at the ceiling where she marvelled at the lavishly weaved cobwebs. Leaning on her elbows she looked up to Valerie who struggled to tear something out from the carriage.


    ¡°Val? What happened to your dress? And what took you so long to escape?¡±


    The frustrated huntress roughly tore the veil from the other passenger revealing they were not a real person but some kind of mannequin missing a face.


    ¡°I¡¯m not wearing a dress! This¡­ doll? Is. Freaked me out when I got into the carriage and then the door shut behind me. There¡¯s no handle on the inside and the walls were warded with some kind of spells, I couldn¡¯t get out until you opened the door. Thanks for taking so long by the way. Now will you help me get this thing out of here already?!¡±


    She spoke hurriedly as she tried to angle a large object from out of the carriages too narrow door. As well as locking her in, the inside of the carriage was also freakishly cold to the point Valerie could see her breath. She was trying not to think why someone would keep a doll refrigerated that like and worked to get the chill out of her bones. Samantha rose back up and slid inside the carriage to try and force the item out from both sides. After some pushing, pulling and shouts to pivot they were no further forward, until Samantha noticed a corner of the object was caught on the dolls foot. She tried reaching to unlatch the shoe and accidentally snapped the leg just below the knee in the process. It did the trick however as Valerie triumphantly tore the item from its confines holding it aloft for all to see. Their target was rectangular at about a meter tall and half a meter wide and was wrapped in fine brown paper with a distinct coat of arms featuring a chimera stamped on the corner. Both girls cheered and their sole onlooker got too excited as the dolls head rolled out of the carriage to land at Valerie¡¯s feet, its blank featureless face staring up at her accusingly. Samantha vacated the carriage and kicked the head underneath before casually closing the door like nothing happened.Find this and other great novels on the author''s preferred platform. Support original creators!


    ¡°Some freaks in the capital.¡±


    The huntress shuddered at the thought of what that doll would be used for. Looking around the storage area, Valerie tried to find a suitable exit, unfortunately the only points of egress were a shuttered gate and a pair of tall double doors that likely lead deeper into wherever they were. Turning to her co-conspirator she asked an important question.


    ¡°Where the bloody heck are we?¡±


    ¡°In the palace.¡±


    Samantha answered while facing away and fidgeting with something. Valerie froze, her eyes growing wide and panic beginning to set in. She stared at her friend hoping beyond hope she was joking and that they were just in some hoity toity rich guys mansion. Unfortunately, the shadow user made no such jest.


    ¡°Oh Bollocks.¡±


    She remarked, completely understanding the seriousness of the situation. This was not good, the huntress thought, stealing from a rich guy was pretty bad but not the end of the world. If they were discovered or found out later they could always flee the city and migrate to another country. They would lose their adventurer status and all the friends they made but in the grand scheme of things it was better than life imprisonment. Stealing from the Gentile Royalty however that was death, she was absolutely sure there would be no other options, likely not even a public execution just killed on the spot. The huntress failed to consider any alternative where the two teenagers were simply caught red handed and made to work off their mistake through community service or a hefty fine. Although that would be a miracle of an outcome as she was entirely correct in how the Gentile upper crust would handle the situation, perhaps even understating the severe consequences the two would face.


    Valerie marched back and forth trying to think of a solution while Samantha waited patiently turning the doll¡¯s broken leg over in her hands.


    ¡°There has to be a way out, there HAS to be.¡±


    ¡°Hey Val.¡±


    ¡°Not now Samantha, I¡¯m thinking.¡±


    ¡°But Val-¡°


    ¡°We could hide in the carriage and jam the door open. No, no, there¡¯s no space and someone will come for that doll eventually.¡±


    ¡°Val, there¡¯s-¡°


    ¡°Or what if we disguised ourselves as servants? With what? There¡¯s nothing in here to mask ourselves with and SOMEBODY would do something stupid to get us caught.¡±


    She levied a harsh glare at her friend and held up a hand before allowing them the chance to speak.


    ¡°Not now! I¡¯m trying to find a way out.¡±


    ¡°But what about the people at the door?¡±


    Samantha got out, breaking the huntress¡¯s contemplation. She had been so caught up in her panicked plans for escape she never realized there was a noise from the other side of the double doors. The handle shook while keys jangled in the lock and multiple voices all spoke over one another.


    ¡°Oh bollocks, Samantha why didn¡¯t you say something!¡±


    Without another word, the two thieves hid themselves as best they could, Samantha clinging to the ceiling while Valerie moved to the wall next to where the doors would swing open. She propped the package up in front of herself and crouched low hoping if someone glanced her way they wouldn¡¯t question anything. She finally hit a lucky streak as both doors swung open at the same time blocking her from sights. The door frame ground against the floor to stop a hairs breadth from hitting the package in Valerie¡¯s hands.


    Although she couldn¡¯t see them, she could hear a procession of people enter into the storage room, their hushed whispers filling her heart with dread. Meanwhile, Samantha did have a good vantage point to look down on the flock of palace residents as she concentrated on keeping her aspect under wraps. The gathered assortment consisted of several servants, guards and one very regal looking official. He was a tall human man with a porcelain white face and a frame so lean and skinny he could hide entirely behind a lamppost, that is if it wasn¡¯t for his extended olfactory unit. The man¡¯s nose was long, curved and could sniff out a poisoned dish before the man himself ever entered the dining room. His brunette hair was expertly combed back with the edges flaring out to give him an upside triangle shaped silhouette. Combined with the snozz of all snozzes it gave him the appearance of a rat, although he shared no kin with any beast men. Given the disdainful look he gave everyone and everything, he would sooner cut off his entire family from the neck down than be associated with vermin. If one couldn¡¯t tell from his demeanour, you could certainly tell by the rich frock and coat of arms across his back that this was the Duke of Moir. Neither Valerie nor Samantha were well versed in the comings and goings of Royalty but everyone knew of the Duke as the acting ruling head for the entire Gentile Kingdom and many blamed him for the country¡¯s current moral decline.


    Valerie leaned slightly out from behind the door to catch sight of the Duke who was inspecting the carriage and listening absently to a report on the missing guards immediate dismissal. He waved the concern away and approached the cart, his hand reaching out to the door as Valerie stared in horror. Then the Duke hesitated and snapped his fingers causing a servant to approach while presenting their handkerchief to the Duke. Looking derisively at the immaculate cloth, the Duke cautiously picked it up, dropped it on the ground and stamped on it with his beautifully polished shoes.


    ¡°Remove this urchin and have him replaced immediately.¡±


    He stated in a holier than thou tone while continuing to grind the mans handkerchief into the floor. The servant was carried off by a pair of royal guards protesting all the way and begging for another chance. The Duke ignored the desperate pleas and snapped his fingers for another servant to bring a clean cloth. With an exact replica of the first handkerchief in hand, the Duke covered his gloved hand and made to open the door to the carriage once again. As his hand rested upon the handle and began to turn, Samantha made a daring move. All at once the procession of royal attendees including the Duke himself froze in place, an all-encompassing fear stabbing at their hearts. From above Samantha dropped onto a guard at the back causing the man to fall over while she swiped a set of keys from his belt. Rolling off the disorientated man, she charged through the double doors catching one and slamming it in place. Confused but following her lead, Valerie emerged from behind the second door also closing it from the other side. Samantha fumbled through the various keys and eventually found one marked ¡®storage¡¯ shoving it into the keyhole to lock the befuddled group in place. For good measure, Valerie snapped the key still in the lock and turned to her friend about to ask what she was thinking. Before she could say a word however, Samantha held up her hand and announced in a loud, husky, male sounding voice.


    ¡°You¡¯ve been had by Iron Link the Swift and his compatriot V!¡±


    Lowering her voice back to a whisper, Samantha suggested.


    ¡°Okay, let¡¯s run.¡±


    And took off down a random hallway. Valerie stared after her retreating friend and for the first time in a long while wondered if it was better to have stayed at the cabin with her uncle. Shaking off the thought, she hoisted the package under her arm and pocketed the bundle of keys before sprinting down the same hall.

 Gentle Sword

    A pair of in training thieves were loudly racing their way through the bottom floor of a royal palace searching for an extent. The taller thief carried their ill-gotten gains under hand while reprimanding her colleague between breaths.


    ¡°What¡­ were you thinking?!¡±


    Valerie demanded as they rounded a corner to yet another lavish hallway.


    ¡°I didn¡¯t want them to find their doll missing a leg!¡±


    Samantha responded holding up the broken appendage for all to see. Valerie gawked at the black glass slipper still attached to the marble white leg in her friend¡¯s hand and became even more enraged.


    ¡°YOU BLEW OUR COVER FOR A LEG?!¡±


    Leaping over a food cart pushed by a servant dressed in white carrying carefully prepared cakes and pastries, Samantha snatched a muffin and took a bite as she deftly landed before immediately continuing her mad sprint. Between mouthfuls muffled by her mask she replied.


    ¡°It¡¯s a nice leg¡­¡±


    Valerie barrelled through the man and cart causing them both to fall over and spill the sweet treats. She charged after Samantha letting her boiling anger fuel her sprint and slowly close the gap. She didn¡¯t know what she would do once she caught up to her, but it would not be pretty. Coming to what seemed like a dead end flanked by doors, Samantha rapidly opened each until finding a staircase on the third try.


    ¡°Up here! Quickly!¡±


    She said infuriating the huntress even further, how much faster could she go? They clambered up the steps, Samantha going as high as they could before reaching the peak some five floors up. The door at the top was locked and she tried desperately to open it with all the meagre strength she had. Valerie, huffing and puffing, finally caught up pushing her friend out of the way and roughly kicked at the door which did not budge. Cursing, she fished the set of keys from her pocket and tried each one in quick succession finally unlocking it with the last key because why wouldn¡¯t it be. Entering a new equally resplendent hallway Valerie wheeled on her friend and demanded answers.


    ¡°Okay genius, where now?¡±


    Samantha looked around trying to find another set of stairs.


    ¡°We need to go higher. I¡¯ve got an idea.¡±


    This story originates from Royal Road. Ensure the author gets the support they deserve by reading it there.


    She then failed to elaborate before taking off again. Groaning, Valerie picked herself back up and jogged after the genius mastermind


    ¡°Oh YEAH, because you¡¯re full of GREAT ideas today!¡±


    She complained while they ran. The Gentile palace was a maze of hallways, stair wells and dead ends all surrounded by room after room of endless crap as the huntress would so eloquently put it. They passed three ballrooms, nine parlours, four studies, two libraries half filled with books and fifteen bedrooms and those were just the rooms they checked. They encountered servants milling about who, with clear practice, immediately moved out of the way of the dynamic duo. There was a scant number of guards however the word had yet to reach their ears of any intruders thus they were caught with their pants around their ankles. Both figuratively and unfortunately literally in one case as they interrupted a guard as he was in the lavatory. The ¡°expertly trained¡± and ¡°ruthless¡± regiment of guards were quickly and efficiently knocked unconscious, bowled over, tossed, slipped under and left to his business by a pair of teenagers. The honestly disappointing display worried Valerie that she panicked over nothing, and they might have been able to subdue the four original guards guiding the carriage instead of having to deal with all this. In the huntress¡¯s opinion, they seemed to be quantity over quality when it came to royal guards. Her thoughts suddenly and drastically changed upon encountering their captain.


    Valerie and Samantha crashed into yet another parlour while searching for the next set of stairs. Unlike the last dozen this one featured an occupant other than a servant. She was a slender woman though you couldn¡¯t tell it by the armour she wore which matched the other royal guard¡¯s sans a helmet which allowed the thieving pair to take in her extravagant Elven features. Her sharp face ended at a pointed chin giving her the silhouette of an upside-down rain drop, while her pointed ears featured several ornate earrings from lobe to end. Her eyes were a mossy green the same as her hair tied into a tight bun that let no strand hang free. The elven guard was caught mid tea break and scowled at the intruders before switching to mild confusion then deadly focus. Samantha and Valerie slowly backed out of the room and then quickly slammed the door shut as the woman reached for something nearby. Moving to either side of the door frame, the pair narrowly dodged a pair of arrows that punctured straight through the door to embed in the wall on the other side.


    ¡°Uh oh.¡±


    Both said in unison realizing exactly who they had just encountered. If you stayed in Capital City long enough you would eventually hear stories of the famous Fandrial the Gentle Sword, head captain of the Royal palace guards and famed for mastering five aspects in her long life. No one knew exactly how old she was or what all five aspects were only guessing that she had mastered the bow, bow mastery and arrow aspects as it was her primary weapon. Why she was called the Gentle Sword was even more hotly debated and she had been asked several times by foreign dignitaries as well as romantic courters alike to which she always responded by walking away. Rumours abounded of her skill, able to pierce an iron golems core from miles away, sight so keen she can see the ticks on a dog¡¯s fur coat, and feats so outrageous she was said to be capable of firing an arrow from her bow using just her feet. Exaggerations to be sure although she had secretly tried the latter rumour just to see if she could, and ofcourse succeeded.


    Coming across the very peak of ranged combat known across the continent was bad, very bad. Valerie and Samantha stared at each other unsure what to do until Fandrial forced them to act. The elf kicked down the door causing it to fly off its hinges and crash into the wall alongside her arrows. Not waiting for any other cue, the pair of thieves took off in different directions as they searched for the next set of stairs. Fandrial emerged from the parlour looking left and right, she blinked confusedly at the hooded one carrying some small hammer or something, curious as to why her eyes couldn¡¯t focus on them. The one running with the brown package however she had no trouble staring down. Knocking an arrow and drawing her bow she aimed at the thief¡¯s calf set to debilitate them. Slowly letting out a breath, she loosed the bows string allowing the arrow to fly down the corridor and strike her target at an outrageous speed. Unfortunately, she was too used to fighting monsters as of late and put too much force into the shot, her arrow struck home and then passed straight through her targets leg. The thief let out a surprisingly feminine scream, rolled on the floor then immediately shot back up and kept running, their blood splattering onto the tiles. Fandrial clicked her tongue and casually followed after the hobbling intruder, she would reach them eventually, even if they somehow escaped, she would find them. She wasn¡¯t the world¡¯s greatest detective; she simply had all the time in the world to track them down and none had escaped her yet.

 Knife to the throat and arrow in the knee

    ¡°Bollocks, bollocks, bollocks!¡±


    Valerie gasped between pained breaths with one hand clamped down on her gaping wound. Today was not going how she expected as she ran bleeding from the leg while being chased down by the deadliest woman in the capital, possibly the whole country. She desperately slammed into doors while trying to find the next set of stairs, her efforts bearing little fruit while her movements became sluggish. She had to keep going, had to find a way out. She didn¡¯t know what Samantha¡¯s plan was but right now she¡¯d trust anything to get her away from that elven demon. The clack of an armoured boot some distance away from Valerie caused her blood to run cold.


    ¡°Bollocks!¡±


    She yelled throwing herself at yet another door causing the latch to brake and swing open. She fell into a stairwell leading up and scrambled back onto her feet while trying to ignore the screaming pain in her leg.


    ¡°Come on Hunt, you¡¯ve been through much worse than this!¡±


    She said trying to pep herself up. The ghoul onslaught shredded her to ribbons, and she still fought on, the Spearahna were an unending wave of teeth and hunger, and she still fought on, even that infuriating monkey forced her to push her endurance and stamina farther than she had ever gone. She could do this; she could keep going. Hoisting the brown package up, she climbed ever higher unwilling to let their prize go this late into the game. A shatter of glass behind Valerie caused her to freeze for a second before she refocused her mind and pressed on. After climbing what felt like a hundred floors, she made it to the top of the stairs where another locked door stood in her way. Fear clouding her mind, she mindlessly slammed her shoulder into the door expecting it to resist but with a single shove it broke swinging open to reveal fresh air and the sky up above. Valerie rushed out to find she was somewhere atop the castle battlements; she could look down and see the whole of the Capital City sprawled out before her, an impossibly high drop from where she stood to the streets below. Before she had a chance to consider jumping, a sultry voice cut through the rushing winds and drew Valerie¡¯s attention.


    ¡°It¡¯s beautiful, isn¡¯t it? I come here when I need to think or simply want to take in the marvellous view from on high. It makes all my problems seem so small.¡±


    Fandrial announced her presence leaning up against the brickwork as she gazed at the city below. If anyone was to look back up to her they wouldn¡¯t be able to see the guard captain but they might notice a mysteriously shattered window several floors below her. Somewhere during the chase, the elf captain acquired and was now sporting a pair of quivers, one strapped at her side and another slung across her back filled to the brim with arrows. She dangled her bow on two fingers where the wood met string, the lazy display failing to disarm Valerie¡¯s nerves. She knew at any moment an arrow could be knocked and fired straight into her heart ending the huntress before she had a chance to register the lethal blow.


    ¡°The game is up, you¡¯ve lost. Return what you have stolen and face your crimes like a man.¡±


    The elf woman snickered.


    ¡°Apologies, like a woman.¡±


    Valerie¡¯s heart sunk deeper than she thought was possible. She looked from the Royal captain to the city below unsure what to do next.


    ¡°You could jump.¡±


    Fandrial suggested.


    ¡°I would not stop you. I would prefer you not however, your compatriot is still at large within the castle. He, or most likely she, may escape. She won¡¯t come back for you, thieves never do. So do the smart thing and give up, I can be merciful, kind even, but only to those who work with me.¡±


    The elven woman raised her hand out for Valerie to take.


    ¡°I will not ask twice, choose.¡±


    Her threatening tone brooked no argument. For a brief soul shattering moment Valerie considered taking the offer. Slowly setting the package down, she instead ripped a knife out from her boot, not her personal weapon as she couldn¡¯t risk losing it or having it traced back to her. Lowering her stance, she faked bravado she didn¡¯t have.


    ¡°Bollocks to that, you¡¯ll have to kill me Miss Pointy ears.¡±


    Fandrial didn¡¯t react to the jab, she sighed disappointed as she picked an arrow, set it in place and drew back. The quake in Valerie¡¯s boots was imperceptible to most bar the captain, just another factor to consider when taking aim.


    ¡°I gave you a chance, don¡¯t curse me for showing mercy.¡±


    With her farewells taken care of Fandrial released, the arrow flying straight and true aimed for the heart of the thief whom she never learned the name of. Everything appeared to move at snail¡¯s pace to the huntress, her sights focused entirely on the slim arrow that spell her end. How many times had Valerie been in this exact situation? Well maybe not this exact one but a near death experience against an opponent that outclassed, outnumbered or outmatched her in every way. It was starting to become a habit, yet it was in these moments she felt the most alive. Her mind stilled and the terror racking her nerves grew dull, it was honestly nothing compared to the persistent fear her friend gave off. It was strange, why had she ever felt afraid in the first place? She combatted death nearly every day and even if the elf before her was leagues above everything else she was still mortal and could be fought, beaten, hunted.


    Without realising, Valerie began to move on instinct letting the power of her aspects influence her as they had so many times before. She was suddenly aware how she misused her knife, using it only for attacking while she blocked with her body or simply relied on more offense. A knife could also be used to defend, to parry, to set up counters and strikes that couldn¡¯t be stopped. She had tried to use her weapon as a shield on numerous occasions but always resorted to more attacks and powering through. The aspect of the hunt was also woefully underutilized, she saw it as a boon to help her track and kill prey but that wasn¡¯t all it was. It represented the art of a hunt and the truest form was not just being the hunter, it was being hunted. Fandrial was a predator unlike any she had ever encountered, and Valerie was forced to become the prey helplessly running before lashing out when cornered. The reality of a hunt, she realized, was turning the tables, finding a path when none existed and clawing out her own victory. She was prey and predator, the only difference being when she decided to strike. In a flash of movement, Valerie swiped her blade into the path of the arrow knocking it off course and away from a killing blow.


    ¡°BOLLOCKS!¡±


    She screamed out between gritted teeth as the arrow slammed into her stomach, the head embedding itself into her gut. Just because she came to a realization of how she was misusing her aspects didn¡¯t mean she was immediately better at using them. Like any good weapon she needed to sharpen herself to truly become effective and there was no greater whetstone than her current opponent. Breaking the arrows shaft and tossing it aside, she stared into the perturbed elven woman¡¯s eye.This story has been stolen from Royal Road. If you read it on Amazon, please report it


    ¡°Is that it?¡±


    Valerie spat out, fighting off the pain in her leg and stomach while Fandrial stood disturbed one of her arrows was struck mid-flight. Knocking another one, the elven captain attempted to remedy her failing only to find Valerie rushing headlong towards her. In an instant a second arrow was fired, unerring as the first yet similarly knocked away to a glancing blow. The huntress charged, her blade a flurry of activity as she swept away arrows that came flying like locusts on the wind. She cut as many as she could midair but was hit all the same, the powerful arrow heads slicing at her as she ran through the onslaught. Slowly but surely, she was getting better as she approached entering a trance with nothing else capable of grabbing her attention. Her reactions improved and she was taking less hits that seemed to never end despite what surely must be a finite number of arrows. As she sliced an arrow in two and pivoted her weapon to block another, the huntress felt unstoppable, unfortunately she was up against the Gentle Sword. When Valerie was a foot away from Fandrial the elven captain flipped her bow and twisted around batting the insane huntress to the floor while shattering her knife against the wooden frame.


    Crashing helplessly to the ground, Valerie lay unmoving but sporting a content bloody smile. She tried to get back up, but Fandrial stepped onto her dominant hand and pointed a drawn bow in her face. It was checkmate once more, no revelation would save the huntress now, she hadn¡¯t even hit her opponent once and was now completely at her mercy. She began to laugh, a mirthless chuckle that caused the blood filling her mouth to spill and stain her mask. With her free hand she rolled the mask up slightly and continued to laugh like a maniac. Fandrial watched the lunatic giggle and guffaw at nothing, the blood coating her teeth disgusting to behold. She drew her bow back further and prepared to end it when her captive let out a whimpering plead between sobbing laughs.


    ¡°WAIT¡­ wait hehehe wait there¡¯s something I pfft have to tell you. Come closer please.¡±


    Slackening her bow, Fandrial crouched low despite herself, this could be a trap but to what end she couldn¡¯t say, the thief was caught and soon to be executed. She could at least hear her captive¡¯s final words before she croaked, out of respect for fighting to the bitter end. Turning her head to listen, Fandrial heard the thief¡¯s last whispered confession.


    ¡°This is it; this is the moment.¡±


    ¡°What moment?¡±


    Valerie¡¯s hand shot up and gripped the elf by the back of her head.


    ¡°This is when she swings in for the big finale.¡±


    She hissed into Fandrial¡¯s ear. A whistling sound drew the captain¡¯s attention, but she couldn¡¯t move from Valerie¡¯s iron grip. Turning to the beaten woman she received a splash of bloody phlegm spat into her face. Letting go, Valerie watched in amusement as Samantha came sailing in from out of nowhere to drop kick the elven captain. Disorientated and tossed onto her back, Fandrial tried to wipe the blood from her eye and catch sight of her latest attacker. What she found was the two thieves standing atop the battlements and holding onto their stolen goods, the shorter one saluted her then both leapt off falling out of sight. Fandrial raced to her feet and peered over the edge to witness the thieves sliding down a zipline of black chains, her knife wielding opponent using her mask to grip the line while the other used the white hammer looking thing. Fandrial brought her bow up and tried to focus on the pair, but her eye was still covered in blood and she couldn¡¯t focus on the line for some reason. She huffed and slammed her bow into the brickwork cracking the stones.


    ¡°A knife and a chain user hmmm?¡±


    She said to no one, committing everything she gleamed about the duo to memory. She would remember this disgrace and when these two next popped up she would be there waiting to have a chat.


    The next morning a bandaged Valerie and an unscathed Samantha sat in an office below a salon explaining the previous day¡¯s events to a stoic Darrian. They had, no pun intended, royally screwed up. Not only had they been spotted but they revealed themselves to the Duke and Guard Captain even showing the latter some of their abilities. When their story concluded Darrian had only one thing to ask.


    ¡°And the package?¡±


    Samantha hefted their prize off the floor and presented it to Darrian who tore off the brown wrapping to reveal the contents beneath. It was a painting of an immaculately dressed man holding a fruit up to his eyes. A tear ran down the kingpin¡¯s cheek as he beheld the majesty of the artwork while Valerie and Samantha stared back, their mouths hanging open.


    ¡°That¡¯s it? That¡¯s what we risked our lives for?!¡±


    Valerie shouted her anger overtaking the ache in her body. Everything they went through was for a painting of all things, and not a very good one at that.


    ¡°Your young doll, you don¡¯t understand the majesty. This is the famous ¡®Boy with Pear¡¯ it is older than this building and worth a pretty penny on the market. Speaking of.¡±


    Darrian set the painting down delicately like a newborn and brought out a moderately sized chest from under his desk. Lifting the lid, he revealed a host of glittering gold coins filling the boxes confines to bursting. Valerie and Samantha stared at the shimmering display intoxicated by its allure. The things they could buy with that treasure trove, the gear they could acquire, the meals it would cover. The spell was broken when Darrian slammed the lid shut and dropped a small coin pouch on top.


    ¡°This was gonna be your pay then you got caught, then you made a ruckus, then you nearly got capped by the scariest and most attractive woman I have ever seen.¡±


    Darrian listed off growing more agitated and angrier as he went on.


    ¡°Then you have the audacity to show up HERE at my door step the next day like nothing happened and expect to be paid in FULL?¡±


    He swiped through his hair and let out a long breath before tapping the bag.


    ¡°This right here? This is your pay. Take it and get out. I don¡¯t wanna see neither of your faces here ever again.¡±


    Leaning back in his chair, the mob boss lifted the painting once again to marvel at it leaving his former employees shocked. Sensing the coming storm, Samantha scooched off and hid behind her seat while plugging her ears for what was about to come. Instead of the violent rage she expected, her friend rose on her shaky feet, stumbled over to the desk and set her hands on the intricate woodwork.


    ¡°We risked ourselves for that painting, we put our lives on the line to get you that. No one said anything about the palace or the guards or the most dangerous cow on the planet being there. Here¡¯s what actually going to happen, we are walking out with our due payment. How many of us walk out of this room is another thing.¡±


    Valerie declared her voice stoney and promising violent retribution. The kingpin met her gaze and the two stared one another down. In the end, Darrian relented with a warm fatherly smile.


    ¡°Good, that¡¯s the kind of attitude I like kid. Don¡¯t accept what others think your owed, take what you know your owed. Go on take the chest, it was all yours anyway, just wanted to see how much you¡¯d fight for it.¡±


    Valerie was surprised how easy it was to convince the kingpin or maybe he didn¡¯t need convincing at all. She reached forward resting her hands on the chest only to be stopped again by Darrian.


    ¡°One last thing, you are all kinds of banged up and as a businessman I can¡¯t let an opportunity slip by.¡±


    He grabbed a bottle filled with a pink liquid from a drawer in his desk.


    ¡°A long-lasting potion, it won¡¯t fix you up immediately, but it will get you back to form after a good night¡¯s rest. If you two wanna keep adventuring or doing jobs, I recommend you buy a few. This one? I¡¯ll give it to ya for one coin.¡±


    Valerie looked at the unlabelled bottle, fished a coin from the pouch on the chest and tossed it to Darrian who deftly caught the gold. Sliding the potion over, he sat back a winning smile across his face.


    ¡°Good choice, fight for want you deserve but be willing to compromise. That¡¯s how you do business.¡±


    Nodding at the words of wisdom, Valerie hefted the chest under an arm and strode towards the door with Samantha following behind. The pair were just about to leave, when Darrian piped up yet again.


    ¡°It has been a pleasure working with you two and if you ever need some high risk, high reward jobs. You know who to reach out to.¡±


    With a flourish the kingpin produced a business card from out of nowhere and tossed it to the pair. With her hands free, Samantha tried to catch it, fumbled, then picked it up off the floor. The card had no details other than a magic sigil that when pressed would alert a sister card in Darrian¡¯s care after which the kingpin would be able to set up a meeting once again. He handed out similar cards to all his favourite contacts with the added benefit if anyone other than the owners tried to activate the sigil both cards would erupt into flame. He paid a substantial price for security like that, but it was worth it in his opinion. Waving the pair of girls off, Darrian sat back and stared at the painting once again. It truly was an ugly piece of trash, but it was highly priced and with the added benefit of being a one-of-a-kind stolen piece taken right from out of the Duke¡¯s grubby mitts the kingpin was sure he could sell it off before the week was over. Not only the painting, but he also got some nice dirt on the palace, info on a secret tunnel, a set of keys Valerie forgot she had, and firsthand news the Gentle Sword was back in town. She hadn¡¯t been seen in years on some spiritual quest or other nonsense but if she was back, it meant something was coming. The best was this tidbit on the doll the two had found, what exactly was it? What was the duke hiding? Why was ¡®Boy with Pear¡¯ stowed with it? He had a lot of questions and not a lot of answers but if there¡¯s one this kingpin loved it was a good mystery.


    Meanwhile, while walking out of the secret underground base Valerie was coughing and hacking up her lungs.


    ¡°I told you not to drink it one go.¡±


    Samantha admonished having actually encouraged her friend to chug the potion. Valerie could feel the mystical brew work its magic, her wounds weren¡¯t closing immediately but the pain subsided, and she found she wasn¡¯t limping around as much. It was truly a wonder of a drink, if only it didn¡¯t taste so heinous.


    ¡°What are you going to buy?¡±


    She said in a hoarse voice trying to get off the topic of her mistake. Samantha cupped her chin while she thought and walked. She snapped her fingers, once again annoyed at the lack of sound, and voiced her decision.


    ¡°I wanna get a painting done!¡±


    Valerie looked at her friend and asked the obvious question.


    ¡°Of what?¡±


    She beamed, answering with the grimmest possible answer.


    ¡°My death, duh.¡±

 Shopaholic

    Samantha pouted at her reflection while getting her hair cut in a fancy salon that did not feature an underground crime base, probably. She started the day so happy going out to see a painter friend of Albert¡¯s only to be cruelly let down. The price he quoted to even sketch her vision of the end was more than three times what her and Valerie earned last week on the ¡®Pilfering Palace Pear Plan¡¯ as the shadow user liked to call it. That one job was the equivalent of three to four months of adventuring work, but the specialist painter wanted at minimum a years¡¯ worth of coin for the whole piece. While she didn¡¯t quite understand the disappointment, Joanne tried to cheer up the portrait-less girl with some regular, everyday shopping and personal grooming.


    They first visited a cobbler who supplied military contracts and long-time adventurers such as the beast woman herself back in the day. After haggling on the price, Joanne was able to secure Samantha a pair of steel toed boots with a small, jagged spike at the heel and tip. If she was going to play the part of a mace she may as well be a lethal one, granted it didn¡¯t guarantee a kill but with time, effort and a whole heap of luck she could maybe scratch monsters to death. Next, they went to a local tailor who nearly dropped dead at the sight of Samantha¡¯s tattered cloak. They were forced to leave empty handed when the man was on the verge of tears begging the girl get rid of the cloak entirely. That exchange only added to Samantha¡¯s foul mood. A costly armourer was their next destination, but they also turned out to be a bust, she was simply too small and thin for any of his off the rack items so she would need something custom made which was wildly outside of her budget if she wanted to afford a painting within her short life span. The last stop on their mini-shopping trip took them to a salon Joanne frequented when having her nails done which really meant sharpening them to a fine point. She may not be an adventurer anymore but still had the strength and tools quite literally on hand to hold her own. Samantha¡¯s own manicure helped cheer the girl up somewhat especially after she opted to have her nails coated in a reflective black polish. They were also in luck as the salon owner¡¯s cousin had come to town. With the aspect of scissors and hairdressing, the traveling stylist was up to any challenge and excelled in giving hairdos that truly reflected a person¡¯s inner self. While the beast woman forewent any changes to her luxurious main, Samantha accepted taking any suggestion the stylist offered. With the hairdresser having to physically touch her, the shadow user was forced to use all her concentration to clamp down on her aspect. So far, she got by controlling her breathing and schooling her aura to ensure people could look in her general direction without cringing or avoiding her but as she grew that was becoming more difficult to manage.


    ¡°Aaaaaaand done, so tell me babes what do you think?¡±


    The stylist enquired. Samantha hadn¡¯t been paying attention to the haircut, reflecting on the disappointing morning and actively maintaining control of her powers. Taking in her new hairdo she couldn¡¯t help but grin from ear to ear. For the longest time her blonde hair had tumbled down her back like a waterfall, more often than not a nuisance than anything else. She once asked James if he¡¯d cut it, but her mentor refused on the grounds he tried with Valerie as a child, and she still had yet to forgive him for the abomination she became. Now however, with a truly skilled artist, Samantha was thankful she waited. The stylist chopped off more than half her hair bringing it to above her shoulders in what they called a ¡®shag¡¯ haircut. Her golden locks hung wild and crazy around her head, but it looked right, it looked and it felt like her.


    The sudden shift in her mood unfortunately caused Samantha to lose focus and her eery aura crept back out. Everyone in the salon suddenly felt an overwhelming sense of danger and their flight or fight response was on high alert. The stylist working on Samantha was no exception, dropping her scissors and backing away in terror from the girl. Joanne who had been checking over her nails while waiting for Samantha felt the shift as well deciding now was a good time to leave. Paying for their order and rushing out, Samantha was carried under the beast woman¡¯s arm while trying to apologize for the fright. She didn¡¯t take any pleasure in scaring people so tried to supress it whenever possible but there was always slip ups and cracks in her methods. They walked the streets, Samantha still carried under Joanne¡¯s warm furry arm and met up with Valerie who had been waiting in line outside the guild for some time. Their suspension ended unceremoniously as Valerie was forced to apologise to the offended adventurer who smugly accepted the fake regret. Reinstated, they began taking jobs again, regardless of their surplus of funds, they enjoyed the work and adding to their savings.


    ¡°Hey Val!¡±


    Samantha said cheerily as she flipped her new ¡®do back and forth. Valerie stared at her friend appraising the haircut, it was very her she ultimately concluded. The huntress opted not to join the pairs shopping trip and instead get a head start on submitting their latest contract report. It definitely wasn¡¯t because she felt awkward doing typically girly things with the beast woman, nope not a chance of that. After setting down the unshakable shadow user, Joanne bade farewell to the pair heading back to her restaurant for some much-needed dish prep and to remind her staff there was only one kind of smoking tolerated in her establishment. Squatting beside Valerie, Samantha played with her hair while the two waited in line. There was something peaceful about the sedate pace they maintained, creeping ever closer to the guild office. Perhaps too tranquil as Samantha quickly fell asleep her grip on her aspects control slipping once again. She was awoken when she fell face first against the hard ground from Valerie kicking her feet out from under her.Stolen content warning: this tale belongs on Royal Road. Report any occurrences elsewhere.


    ¡°Samantha you¡¯ve got to stop doing that, we¡¯re in public for Divine¡¯s sake.¡±


    With her aspect unleashed the people lined up nearby were forced to flee back, their instincts telling them something terrible was amongst them. Noticing the only two not moving brought a series of death glares directed at Valerie and her sleeping compatriot. The huntress sighed as Samantha rose back to her feet and regained control, the pervasive feeling of danger dissipating. If they could use that fear inducing affect to skip ahead in line Valerie would have been all for the girl¡¯s power being unfettered for all to see. Public decency and line etiquette however demanded they remain in the exact position they joined at, only moving up if someone was admitted to the guild or keeled over and so far no one was croaking.


    ¡°There has to be a way to fix your problem, you can¡¯t rely on the damn monkey¡¯s ways forever.¡±


    Valerie spat out, frustrated more at the idea that simian remained in her head rent free rather than her friends own problems. Samantha shrugged.


    ¡°Maybe Joanne knows someone who can help? She¡¯s been adventuring a long time.¡±


    It was actually a pretty good idea all things considered, yet Valerie knew if Joanne had someone like that she would have introduced them already. What they needed was someone well versed in adventurers, who had seen their fair share of them over multiple years and also had the means to get in contact with them. But who could possibly fit all those bills? As a loud call for next in line to hurry up rung out from the still distant guild doors, Valerie knew she had her answer.


    ¡°You want a what?¡±


    Margaretta asked her tone not all too pleased.


    ¡°An aspect aura instructor. Theres so many aspect users out there one of them has to share some similarities with Samantha.¡±


    Valerie re-iterated. They just got done handing in their latest contract details and receiving payment before Valerie asked the important question of the day to the old guild receptionist who was none too pleased. Margaretta pinched the bridge of her nose above her glasses.


    ¡°¡­and why, might I ask, do you think *I* of all people would know?¡±


    Valerie felt sheepish in her reply.


    ¡°Because¡­ you¡¯ve been working here a long time?¡±


    The receptionist scoffed refocusing her piercing gaze on the huntress.


    ¡°Do you want to know how many adventurers have told me the secret to their skills and abilities?¡±


    She held up a hand, her thumb and index making a circle.


    ¡°Zero, none, no one, not a soul. People don¡¯t want to tell the guild their secrets because then it becomes an open secret then it becomes common knowledge. You know how many enemies a guild member can have after only a year on the job? Why would anyone want to tell the guild let alone *me* their personal secrets?¡±


    The tirade ended with a long-drawn-out breath from the receptionist. Cooling her temper, she set her hands on the table like a disappointed teacher reprimanding a student for cheating.


    ¡°Look, I can¡¯t help you and I don¡¯t know anyone who can. And is it really that bad? She¡¯s standing right there, and I don¡¯t feel a thing.¡±


    Even if she couldn¡¯t make eye contact or maintain her gaze on the girl she could still be in the same room as her. Samantha looked at Valerie who nodded grimly. For just a second, she loosened her control flooding the guild office with her aspects entire eery aura. The effect was immediate as Margaretta¡¯s eye grew wide and her breath caught in her throat. When the sensation ended, she managed to cool her expression, but her hands still shook from the experience.


    ¡°Okay¡­ point taken. I am not prideful enough to admit¡­ that got to me. Don¡¯t do it again.¡±


    She said in a shaky voice hastily adding the last sentence believing once was more than enough for her old soul. The pair looked dejected which only made Margaretta feel more useless until a thought crossed her mind.


    ¡°Why don¡¯t you just get a class? That might fix it, no guarantee though.¡±


    The duo looked at the receptionist then each other. Samantha opted to take the fall and asked the question both were thinking.


    ¡°What¡¯s a class again?¡±


    After another tirade that boiled down to the youths many failings, parents not teaching their children and how we as a society are dooming the next generation both girls were unceremoniously kicked out of the guild while Margaretta went to lunch to cool off. Somewhere in the verbal assault she had thrown out how Albert wasn¡¯t doing his duty as a teacher either so both adventurers opted to pick the librarian¡¯s brain.


    ¡°You want to know what a class is?¡±


    Albert clarified after being told of the day¡¯s events so far. They found him where he always was, in the library with a book in hand. He was reading that same fiction book about the shadow aspect user for the fifth time in a row trying to gleam some new insight that could help Samantha. He already made subtle inquiries with his associates in the various academic institutions throughout Capital City with mixed to no results so far. His efforts were still ongoing however as was his research regularly bombarding Samantha with questions and asking for demonstrations of her abilities as they matured even in the short time the two had known each other. He too had experienced the full power of her aura lasting no longer than the guild receptionist but where she showed discomfort, he was the picture of glee asking for the same exposure several times since. As such he was not at all surprised to learn his tenant was finding the unbridled power a detriment to everyday life. If their understanding of the Shadow aspect was better, they could help Samantha and perhaps gaining a class was the best way to accomplish this. Before that however he needed to make sure the girls understand a very important fact about classes.


    ¡°Are you both sure you want a class? It¡¯s not something you can walk back you know.¡±


    The duo were dumbfounded as they often were when it came to Aspect theory, mechanics and generally a lot about everyday life. It both disappointed Albert and excited him. Disappointed that his lessons were seemingly going in one ear then out the other but excited that he got to discuss one of his favourite topics.


    ¡°Let¡¯s see, where to begin?¡±


    The old librarian said his elation barely contained.

 Aspects: the brief summation

    ¡°What is an aspect? That is the most important question and one we in the academia¡¯s have been asking for centuries, millennia even. The truth is we don¡¯t know. We don¡¯t know where aspects come from or how long they¡¯ve been part of our society. We don¡¯t even know why we call them aspects universally in every language and across all recorded history.¡±


    Albert began standing in front of a chalk board while teaching the girls about his favourite topic. Samantha listened earnestly if a bit absent mindedly while Valerie tried to just focus on what was relevant. Were either to take a standardized test they would undoubtedly fail.


    ¡°Aspects as we know them are bundles of power that can grant an individual strength in a particular field or talent. There are three main classifications of aspects: physical, magical and conceptual. The classic examples of each are the sword, fire and tool mastery.¡±


    Albert advised writing all three on the chalk board and circling them.


    ¡°For physical, the most popular option is the sword, we know that a user can gain power while holding a sword as well as proficiency in its use. This same basic idea carries across to all known physical aspects. Holding your named aspect makes you and the object itself stronger. Magic however is the understanding of an element such as fire and how to conjure, manipulate or unravel it. If there is an element within our world there is an associated magic and aspect to utilize it. These two basic ideas for physical and magical aspects are ofcourse cheats to some as you can learn the same techniques through study and hard work sometimes even exceeding those who gained understanding through an aspect. This is where we get into the most difficult aspects to obtain: conceptual.¡±


    Albert continued to write notes, draw arrows and add little diagrams to his chalk board while explaining the mechanics.


    ¡°A conceptual aspect is one that is founded not on a strictly real object but an imaginary one or one we ourselves have created such as mastery aspects or even job professions. You can gain power from the aspect of sword but not always skill in how to use a sword. Mastery however grants knowledge on how to use a sword but not necessarily power. Having both is a highly advantageous combination and many long-time practitioners of sword techniques do manage to acquire the set. Other concepts such as your aspect of the Hunt Miss¡­ uh Hunt provide other benefits not strictly on how to hunt. A myriad of conceptual aspects exists, more than we can really count as anything that can be thought of or practiced can be an aspect as far as we know. Yes, you had a question, Miss Hunt?¡±


    Valerie raised her hand to halt the man¡¯s rapid-fire explanation that seemed to fly by a number of ideas like how do you obtain an aspect, is it possible to avoid gaining an aspect and so on. The one Valerie concerned herself with was personal.


    ¡°What determines if a person will get a mastery or weapon aspect?¡±


    Albert clapped his hands happy for the question.


    ¡°I am so glad you asked. The answer is: you! Your perception and skill in a given discipline has been known to affect which aspect you can receive. Take Miss Trapper here, she has the aspect of the chain but no knowledge on how to use a chain as a weapon, so she didn¡¯t receive chain or whip mastery. She perceived a tool or weapon as an object of power and was granted an ability to manipulate chains which then combined with her aspect of the shadow and well, I¡¯m getting ahead of myself.¡±


    Perception determines aspects? That sounded odd to Valerie, but she wasn¡¯t any kind of expert. From a certain point of view, it made some sense, she practiced with her knife every day before accidentally obtaining her aspect but didn¡¯t follow any technique or set regiment. She saw it as a weapon, a means to make her stronger and ultimately she got exactly what she wanted out of it.


    ¡°Your perception also affects how that aspect will behave. Apologies Miss Trapper for using you as an example again.¡±


    Samantha waved off the concern while trying to balance a pencil on her nose.


    ¡°She has the aspect of shadow; we know very little about the mechanics of that aspect but in this dreadfully dull book I have been reading the main character uses shadows to pass between points as a form of teleportation. They are portals he can use to move from A to B and back again. The man describes ever so drearily that he ¡®looked into the shadow and saw his path to redemption¡¯ or some such drivel. It is not a good book.¡±


    The librarian admitted getting off topic. Wiping away sweat from his forehead he continued.


    ¡°Granted it is fictional and we have no way to verify any of the details however the idea exists and thus it must be possible. Miss Trapper manipulates shadows as physical objects, something the book protagonist never does or mentions. If we think on Miss Trapper¡¯s origins then we can posit that her environment determined her perception of shadows, not as an entry and egress point but as an all-encompassing domain where shadows have physical presence. She was surrounded by darkness at the point of obtaining her aspect and so her aspect allows her to surround others in shadows.¡±


    In essence, Samantha¡¯s creepy aura, ability to see in the dark and previous control of shadows was because she saw darkness everywhere and manifested a power to use the darkness to her advantage. Valerie followed along until she came upon a snag in the explanation.


    ¡°So, why doesn¡¯t she have the aspect of Darkness?¡±


    Samantha perked her head up at this having lost the plot somewhere in the explanation and started imagining riding a Duvolf into battle.


    ¡°Well, that¡¯s because it¡¯s impossible.¡±


    Albert stated as a matter of fact.


    ¡°No one can obtain the aspect of Darkness nor its sister the aspect of Light because no one can truly understand such concepts. Or rather we can only obtain them at the point of absolute darkness a.k.a. death and absolute point of life or birth but that is only a theory and we can¡¯t prove it because none exist or have ever existed who possessed either. The closest we have is Shadow, the obstruction of light, and Shine, the obstruction of darkness. Both exceedingly rare and if you ever do come across someone with the Shine aspect please do let me know I would love to study them too.¡±If you encounter this narrative on Amazon, note that it''s taken without the author''s consent. Report it.


    Valerie and Samantha shared a look, what were the chances they would meet someone with that rare an aspect? Getting back on topic, Albert continued with his lecture.


    ¡°Then we have the aspect of chain, a tool for binding others or so Miss Trapper has been taught to believe. Entrapped all her life she has known only the cold uncaring isolation and loss of freedom of chains to put it poetically. This is why I posit she lost the ability to directly control shadows upon receiving her second aspect. She could not break free from her bonds and as such could not manipulate them. That is changing however, I have noticed young Miss Trapper is slowly learning to control her shadows once again and move them freely. Not a lot at the moment but as her skills progress she will likely return to her full control soon.¡±


    Samantha cupped her chin and thought on it.


    ¡°Yeah that makes sense I guess.¡±


    She accepted the reasoning with no protest or further analysis.


    ¡°Turning to yourself Miss Hunt, you have the knife and the hunt aspects. From my understanding and your description of your adventures, you have described the knife as empowering yourself and hunt granting you knowledge on various monsters, correct?¡±


    Valerie nodded, not sure how her perception could affect such obvious corelations.


    ¡°Well Miss Hunt you are in the lucky position to have two aspects with centuries of data and examples to pull from. Did you know several Knife users have found their aspects to empower not themselves but the edge of their blade? Some able to slice through solid stone like butter with no discernible increase to their strength. As for the hunt, very few have recorded information being quite literally injected into their brain. No, most gain an understanding of a monster¡¯s attributes, able to tell how old a beast is, their gender, if their a runt or an alpha and most common of all a tracking sense. A tingle at the back of their mind telling them a monster is close or warning them of danger.¡±


    Valerie thought on the idea feeling like she had been rudely dissected. She did think of her knife not necessarily as a tool to cut but for rending, tearing, and striking monsters down. She saw it as form of power and part of her own strength like an extra limb or more muscle mass. The hunt made even more sense in hindsight, she enjoyed the thrill of a hunt not trivia or avoiding peril. Her aspect didn¡¯t give her power or foresight it simply told her what a monster was and what it could do, everything else she had to figure out for herself. She nodded along feeling she had a deeper understanding to herself and her aspects than ever before. It also explained her sudden revelation during her fight with Fandrial, in that moment she didn¡¯t have strength so her perception changed to needing defence, as a result her aspects accommodated allowing her to act and react with greater proficiency. It was a rare and recognized phenomena that great duress forced change and power from deep in one¡¯s soul. Feeling no duress, Samantha picked at her nose and flicked the booger away, her perception was she was bored.


    ¡°Now we all experience change, and your perception of your aspect is no different as you may have already come to realise. As you age you may find the power of your aspects is not so black and white, it covers many parts. Take fire for example, certain people have seen it as a tool for war and destruction then later in life found its purpose warming their home or cooking meals for the needy. You don¡¯t lose a part of yourself by changing but your abilities with the aspect are broadened. Unfortunately, change is not easy and thus it can take years to adapt, learn and improve yourself and your aspect. This is where classes become important.¡±


    Albert let the statement hang in the air, revelling in his students newfound interest. It was the idea that prompted his lesson so he had to build up to it properly.


    ¡°As I said, aspects are considered by some to be cheats for learning skills and classes are cheats to other aspects users. As you know aspects are exceedingly rare, most who acquire them will only ever gain one in their whole life. Those who, by some miracle, gain more than one can then have them combined and amplified into a class. A class will grant an individual power beyond their aspects current threshold or allow them to accomplish the seemingly impossible. Take for example a person who has the aspect of Sword and Sword Mastery.¡±


    Albert drew a crude drawing of a sword and warrior wielding it.


    ¡°With both you could become the Blade Master class, don¡¯t ask me about the name I didn¡¯t come up with it. The Blade Master has all the proficiency of their aspects and skills beyond comprehension. One of most the famous examples being the foreign Blade Master Kenshi, a man who has been documented so thoroughly and features in so many books, plays and tales that he has become a living legend. Kenshi¡¯s most famous move was the Quick Draw Slash, a manoeuvre where he would grip his sheathed blade and in the blink of an eye slash having appeared to never moved an inch.¡±


    Albert quickly ran to a bookshelf and took down a whole row of books some fictious and others factual about the swordsman.


    ¡°He has inspired so many sword master¡¯s that a class was even named after him and focused on his particular style: Quick Draw Kenshi.¡±


    The pair were intrigued by the idea, all new power just by getting a class? Sceptical Valerie asked the important question.


    ¡°What¡¯s the catch?¡±


    Losing none of his vigour Albert explained.


    ¡°Not a catch so to speak but a caveat, a stipulation, a restriction. If you gain a class you lock your perception of your aspect and can no longer gain a new one. You have two right now and if you gain a class you cannot gain a third. Unless you go through evolution but that¡¯s another issue entirely.¡±


    So that was the rub of it, Valerie thought as she put the pieces together, gain a class for a quick burst of power but at the cost of being unable to improve your core self over time. Samantha raised her hand this time, finally paying attention.


    ¡°Are people with classes stronger than those without?¡±


    Albert thought on his reply before answering.


    ¡°In the short term, yes. In the long term, well it¡¯s debatable. Classes will allow you to do incredible things but stunt your growth, not halting it but forcing it to a crawl. You could still change your perception, and it may affect your aspect but it would take a monumental amount of time or a drastic revelation. That is unfortunately where evolution comes into play.¡±


    Albert left the chalk board and sat opposite his students, tone growing sombre.


    ¡°Aspects are a part of life, and you cannot prevent yourself from acquiring one or changing your perception. Classes however are a man-made method to exploit power from your aspects at the cost of their natural growth. Evolution is the forceful addition of a new aspect when already possessing a class, but it is impossibly rare. For every one in a million that will gain a single aspect, one in ten million aspect holders will undergo a class evolution, and some would wish they hadn¡¯t. There was a swordsman, similar to Kenshi, who became a Blade Master but was blinded while finishing off a monster. The man was left incapable of fighting and fell into a deep depression. One day he picked up his sword and began practicing once again, for months and years he followed the martial training he received as a boy until his class evolved. He became the Blind Swordsman, the first of his class, able to fight as he did once before like he had never been blinded. He gained the aspect of Sensory Sight, not true vision but the ability to view his surrounding with his other senses.¡±


    Coughing Albert spoke in his chipper teacher persona again.


    ¡°It¡¯s an ultimately happy ending but came through great suffering and only a handful of cases end up better for it. A case study some decades back tried to recreate the scenario, and their candidate did evolve their class but in the opposite direction. Their aspects were locked in place and they couldn¡¯t alter their perception of them thus the warrior was left blind and in a worse condition than he began. This brings us back to my earlier question: are you sure you want a class? Doing so will stunt your progress into discovering yourselves but will make you more effective warriors.¡±


    Valerie thought on the idea, she already experienced the change in perception that allowed her to better understand herself and her power. Was it worth giving up her potential for immediate power? Samantha held no such qualms.


    ¡°I¡¯ll take a class.¡±


    Both Albert and Valerie stared at the shadow user prompting her to explain.


    ¡°I don¡¯t have time to wait and experiment so I¡¯d like to gain as much power as I can right now before I die. If it can help my freaky energy, then even better.¡±


    It was grim but sound reasoning even if Valerie didn¡¯t believe it likely the girl would die so soon. It also brought clarity to the huntress, she also didn¡¯t have time to wait, there was a threat out there that completely outclassed her and she needed to be better now.


    ¡°Hey Albert, does Fandrial have a class?¡±


    She asked, the old librarian looking shocked at the question.


    ¡°Not that I am aware of, she has lived for a long time and all her aspects were gained through effort and practice. I don¡¯t know if she would stunt that.¡±


    Valerie grinned maliciously, that was exactly what she wanted to hear. A predator was only so strong but if the Gentle Sword had years¡¯ worth of practice expanding her perception and the option to gain a class then she may just be the apex of apex. And Valerie would enjoy hunting the greatest challenge there ever was.

 A class of their own

    Valerie and Samantha stood outside a non-descript shack in the middle of Adventure Town the only notable feature being a steady stream of multicoloured smoke rising from a chimney. People milled about avoiding the pair thanks to Samantha¡¯s aura and made no attempts to approach or enter the building. Valerie scowled at the shack, then the map Albert had drawn up on a napkin, then back to the shack.


    ¡°Smitty¡¯s Smiths?¡±


    She read the name from the dangerously dangling sign that hung out front and appeared to be one bad gust of wind away from falling off right into a lawsuit. This was the magical place they could re-forge themselves and gain a class? It was a dump, the huntress concluded. Albert told them as they made to set off, that classes were a highly personal preference and as such it wasn¡¯t a lucrative service. Within the entire Gentile Kingdom the only place to receive a class was Smitty¡¯s but from the look of the business the only class they would getting is a lesson on how to get mugged. Samantha, as always, boldly walked into the establishment not considering the down sides. When her friend failed to reappear, Valerie walked in after her only to be taken completely by surprise at the building¡¯s interior.


    The inside of Smitty¡¯s was a large and cluttered mess of brass pipes with steam erupting from all sorts of valves and hastily welded additions that looked to be on the verge of snapping at any second. It gave the huntress the impression of a nervous system with all the pipes feeding into the back of the shop hidden behind a wall with a single chipped paint door. In front of this door was a receptionist with her feet kicked up onto a desk as she read a magazine. She looked about Valerie¡¯s age with short hair dyed in a rainbow of colours that shined like polished metal. She was beset with piercings like she took a live grenade to the face while tattoos ran down her forehead and disappeared under her clothes. Her outfit comprised of a dirty white shirt under overalls that shared alot in common with Samantha¡¯s rag cloak after being burned to cinders. The receptionist looked up over her magazine, rolled her eyes then stood up with a huff.


    ¡°Welcome to Smitty¡¯s Smiths, my names Becky, how can I help you today?¡±


    Becky introduced in a tone that could outmatch Margaretta for unenthusiastic and ¡®kill me now¡¯ energy. What was it about being a receptionist that attracted the least friendly people? Or what was it about being a receptionist that turned people into this? Valerie decided, if she could avoid it, she would never turn to receptionist work if they were strapped for cash.


    ¡°We¡¯re uh here about getting a class?¡±


    The huntress stated stepping towards the desk. Becky let out an annoyed groan that ran on for a solid ten seconds before she took a breath and then repeated the groan.


    ¡°Uuuuuuuuuugh Fine.¡±


    The teenage receptionist stated, stalking off down a set of basement stairs neither adventurer could see from behind the desk. From the depths they heard a series of crashes, bangs, glass shattering, horns going off, and the bleat of a sheep. While they waited, Valerie looked around the room again only now noticing it appeared far bigger than the outside, she was about to leave and double check when Becky strode back up. The receptionist lugged a ginormous leather-bound book with dust caking the exterior, she set it down on the desk eliciting a loud thud and shaking the pipes around them.


    ¡°Aspect?¡±


    Becky enquired of Valerie.


    ¡°The knife and the hunt.¡±


    Was her quick reply. Becky flipped through the pages that all seemed blank from where Valerie stood. She stopped on one page halfway through, flipped back a few more then turned to the back of the book. Finally, she stopped on the same exact page she began and turned the book around to face the duo.


    ¡°Here are your options, take your time, not like I have anything better I could be doing.¡±


    The receptionist sarcastically stated as she plopped back into her seat and picked up the magazine again. Valerie stared at the blank page confused until words and images began to appear, the ink rising up onto the page. It was a list of all sorts of classes, colourfully illustrated drawings and a brief description written in a folksy script. The blurbs didn¡¯t do a very good job of advertising the class and more often than not confused the pair.


    ¡°Hey uh Becky? Why are the classes written like¡­ this?¡±


    The receptionist glanced over her magazine and waved a lazy hand.


    ¡°Don¡¯t ask me, I just work here. The boss man says it¡¯s something to do with feelings more than statistics. A fisherman knows the best spot to cast his line by his gut above all else or something like that.¡±


    So, they were supposed to base their decision on a hunch, outstanding customer service. Valerie and Samantha looked over the options, flipping pages to an outrageous number of choices. The classes didn¡¯t just focus on the aspect itself but how you could use them or based on a persons build. There were classes tailored for humans, dwarves, beast man, elves and so on with numerous variations or specialties. There was one called ¡®The Most Dangerous Chef¡¯ who could use the knife and hunt aspects to cut down monsters in order to prepare them into incredible meals. It looked like one Joanne would appreciate but Valerie wasn¡¯t interested in becoming a cook. Another was described as ¡®The Bounty Hunter¡¯ a person who focused on facing bigger and grander threats, the level of danger helping to empower the class. She almost picked that when another caught her attention. She didn¡¯t know it was even possible but reading further she found the idea tantalizing. Turning the book back to Becky, Valerie pointed at her choice.


    ¡°This one, I¡¯ll take The Trophy Hunter.¡±


    From the vague details, it was a class that did not provide Valerie with an immediate increase in power but granted her the ability to take strength from monsters or so she believed. It had a colourful and barely explanatory description that went as follows.


    Where others seek rewards and recognition, you desire only the blood and beating hearts of your prey. Feel their power, feel their strength and use it to gut more of their kind. Monsters killing monsters.


    It wasn¡¯t exactly cut and dry on what it did, but she liked the idea none the less. Becoming a monster wasn¡¯t her goal but using a monster¡¯s own tactics or power against it sounded fun. She imagined the look on that elf¡¯s face if the two ever met again, Valerie would take her by surprise and snap the Gentle Sword in two. Becky looked at the class then gave the huntress a once over before snidely scoffing.


    ¡°Okay.¡±


    Turning to Samantha, the receptionist momentarily lost her apathetic attitude.


    ¡°And what about yooooo-ho-ho-Wow, freaky.¡±


    She looked the shadow user up and down without a hint of fear or any negative feelings whatsoever. It would seem she was unaffected by Samantha¡¯s aura and actually appreciated it which boosted the owners mood a smidge.


    ¡°Hi, I¡¯m Samantha, I have the aspect of chain and shadows.¡±


    She announced puffing out her chest and feeling on top of the world for once.


    The author''s content has been appropriated; report any instances of this story on Amazon.


    ¡°Chain and¡­ Shadow?¡±


    Becky responded, confusion written across her face. She lifted the book and turned page after page from start to end looking for something. Failing to find her target, the receptionist disappeared back down the stairs reappearing shortly after with three more hefty books and poured over their contents. Valerie felt a bit cheated as she only had one book to go through, she was happy with her choice but knowing there was more available would have been nice. After several minutes of searching, Becky finally stopped flipping through books and turned an especially old tome with crumbling leather pages toward the pair.


    ¡°Here¡¯s your option I guess.¡±


    Like before the page appeared blank and then a single block of text appeared, no pictures or other classes. The two looked at the entry then each other utterly befuddled at the lack of options.


    ¡°The Deep Jailer?¡±


    Samantha confusedly said. She read the description under her breath but found her voice began to rise as the lights in the room dimmed and her shadow grew longer.


    When evil lurks that has sinned beyond redemption, you are the judge, jury and executioner. For men and monster to whom death is a reprieve you are their eternal doom. You are no demon, you are no curse, no blight, no foul villain, no salvation, you are the Deep Jailer. Lock evil within your heart and be forever vigilant.


    Samantha stared at the words failing to notice the room return to normal. Looking up at Becky casually lounging in her chair she voiced her concerns.


    ¡°I don¡¯t get it.¡±


    The receptionist shrugged.


    ¡°Me neither, let me call my manager.¡±


    Still seated she turned to the door at the back of the room and respectfully called for her employer.


    ¡°HEY SMIIIIITTY! GET OUT HERE WE HAVE CUSTOMERS!¡±


    Valerie and Samantha stared at the door as a red glow that hadn¡¯t been there a second ago emanated from the gaps growing in brightness and intensity. The handle slowly creaked and the door was flung open, a torrent of steam rushing out to obscure the other side. The adventurer pair braced themselves while trying to catch sight of Smitty emerging from the inferno of a room. When the steam finally died down no one stood in the door frame or so they thought. A high-pitched voice drew the pairs gaze to rest on a short man with a pointed red had and soot coated apron. He had a well-groomed if slightly singed beard that he stroked while looking up at Becky annoyance plain on his rosy red face.


    ¡°Well, what is it? Some of us are busy you know!¡±


    The pair looked on with their mouths open at the unimaginably small man while Becky was unperturbed.


    ¡°Couple of losers want a class.¡±


    She said while pointing in the direction of their customers. Smitty huffed and turned back to re-enter his workshop.


    ¡°Can¡¯t get a good worker these days.¡±


    He whispered under his breath before addressing the waiting customers.


    ¡°Awfully sorry but we aren¡¯t accepting walk ins at the moment, you¡¯ll need to set up an appointment with my lovely receptionist here and we¡¯ll get back to you in four to five months.¡±


    Just as he was about to slam the door shut Becky came to the rescue.


    ¡°You¡¯ll wanna hear this one boss man, one of them has the aspect of Shadow.¡±


    Smitty froze and craned his neck, his head turned unnaturally to gawk at the waiting pair.


    ¡°S-shadow?¡±


    Like a starting gun had gone off, the tiny man moved in a flurry of activity, grabbing a step ladder from behind the desk and clambering up it to be just below eye level to his customers.


    ¡°Oh my, how could I be so rude. Yes, come in, come in. Rebecca grab some refreshments for our dear guests will you. Be useful for once. Now which one of you has the aspect of shadow?¡±


    Smitty asked rapidly while his receptionist made no attempt to move and simply sat back to watch the show. Valerie waited for Samantha to speak up only to turn and realize the girl was pointing at her. Smacking her hand away, Valerie clarified their situation.


    ¡°She does, she has the aspect of Shadow and Chain.¡±


    Smitty assessed Samantha also completely unaffected by her aura to the pairs mounting surprise.


    ¡°I see, I see. And the chain you said? An interesting combination, have you picked out your class.¡±


    Becky coughed drawing her boss¡¯s attention and pointed to the book. Smitty elatedly walked over climbing atop the book itself to view the contents, but a frown appeared on his face.


    ¡°One option? I haven¡¯t seen that in centuries. The ¡®Deep Jailer¡¯? Bit of a flowery description. Hmmmm.¡±


    He paced back and forth along the length of the desk while muttering theories and ideas. The pair of adventurers watched him for some time their eyes darting from left to right like they were seated at the worlds slowest tennis match. Eventually Samantha raised her hand and enquired of the business owner.


    ¡°Um Mr Smitty sir, what are you?¡±


    Valerie was about to admonish her friend for the rude question when Smitty laughed haughtily.


    ¡°A good question, I am Smitty the Gnome Blacksmith. Master of metalwork, woodwork, leatherwork, and most importantly Class work. You could travel the four corners of the world and never find a better craftsman than myself.¡±


    The gnome blacksmith paused awaiting applause only to be met with Samantha¡¯s completely unfazed follow up.


    ¡°What¡¯s a gnome?¡±


    Becky saw her chance and jumped in.


    ¡°It¡¯s a worse kind of dwarf.¡±


    Her employer snapped his fingers and pointed angrily without looking in her direction.


    ¡°Better, we are a better version of dwarves. We share a distant ancestor but where dwarves are brutish oafs, we gnomes are refined and elegant.¡±


    Clearly it was a touchy subject. Valerie interrupted Samantha as she was about to ask another dumb question and brought everyone back to the issue at hand.


    ¡°So, are we going to get a class or what?¡±


    Smitty cooled his expression and readjusted his cap.


    ¡°Yes, yes, ofcourse anything for the Shadow user! ¡­And I suppose you can get one too whatever your name is. Follow me.¡±


    Valerie decided she didn¡¯t like gnomes and preferred their much more friendly cousins. As the pair were led to the back they introduced themselves, Valerie¡¯s name going in one ear and out the other while Smitty was all over Samantha. The room they entered reminded the duo of granny¡¯s hot springs but without the soothing waters. Instead, they were inundated with suffocating heat and a putrid stench they could not escape from. In the centre sat a humongous forge that seemed to take up more space than was possible from the tiny shacks exterior and looked that much bigger with Smitty standing next to it. All the brass pipes from the previous room fed into here, transporting water and ejecting steam, though not very well given the condensation on everything. Clambering atop an anvil, Smitty requested to see the pairs weapons. Valerie presented her knife first much to the gnome¡¯s annoyance. He gripped the weapon that was like a broadsword to him and inspected every nook and cranny.


    ¡°Old, not very well taken care of, an edge that couldn¡¯t cut through air and just look at the handle! What have you been using this wonderful piece of history for?!¡±


    Valerie felt called out, okay so maybe she didn¡¯t replace the leather straps on the handles that often and perhaps she forgot to work on the edge every now and then, but it still worked. Smitty set the blade down while pointing a baleful glare upon Valerie. Next Samantha summoned a black chain from her own shadow for Smitty to fawn over. He inspected the black links, the skin across his little arms prickling from the odd feeling it gave him. His interest quickly faded however as he realized the article was entirely made of magic and while he could work with it having a base model was far easier. The gnome grabbed the end of the chain and set it upon his workbench before driving a nail through the gap in the last link securing it in place.


    ¡°You, Victoria, come here and pull on this will you?¡±


    Smitty demanded annoying the huntress further. She walked over to the workbench and gripped onto Samantha¡¯s shadow chain pulling it taut while ignoring the shiver down her spine. The gnome walked down the length of the chain until reaching Samantha¡¯s shadow where he investigated the origin. Straining his eyes to look closely he could just make out the slight ripples within the shadow like the chain was emerging from a still pond of water.


    ¡°Interesting, not exactly a solid or a liquid but something non-Newtonian.¡±


    Smitty analysed the shadow for several minutes while throwing out terms like sheer rate, viscosity and oobleck which completely went over both monster hunter¡¯s heads. After spending far more time inspecting Samantha¡¯s weapon than Valerie¡¯s, Smitty rose up and walked back.


    ¡°It¡¯s intriguing but I can¡¯t say much until I see the real deal. There IS a real chain in there, yes?¡±


    Samantha thought about it and walked over to Valerie while retracting the chain to keep it straight. Gripping the links alongside her friend she pulled, Valerie joining in on the effort. At first nothing happened as they pulled, the chain didn¡¯t move an inch nor did the shadow connecting it. Summoning all her strength and focusing on the image of her chain, Samantha began to sweat while her eery aura fluctuated growing in intensity and disappearing in quick succession. A trickle of blood flowed from the shadow user¡¯s nose as she let out a series of unladylike curses due to the exertion. The chain refused to budge until a creak began to leak out of the shadow and a rusted chain slowly emerged connected to the black links. They pulled until about ten links were exposed, Samantha looking sick from the effort. Smitty walked over and inspected the revealed weapon, his assessing gaze curious at the terrible state of the chain. It was the same series of links Samantha picked in the temple, she knew it was somewhere in her shadow but couldn¡¯t ever find where she put it. Pulling at one of her chains was a gambit she didn¡¯t know would work but felt it was worth a try. After a minute Smitty was satisfied and allowed the pair to let go, the rusted chain sinking back into darkness and the shadow one disappearing from reality. Samantha almost immediately toppled over and was caught by Valerie who helped her friend back to her feet. Smitty sat upon his workbench after returning Valerie¡¯s knife. He pondered and planned working out kinks for how best to serve his customers. Rising to his full height, which meant the pair only slightly lifted their eyes, he addressed the room.


    ¡°Miss Trapper, you have brought me a fantastic challenge today. I would be honoured to work on establishing your class for you.¡±


    Samantha could only offer up a weak thumbs up as her mind still felt like chunky soup.


    ¡°Victor, you are adequate, and I suppose I will help you as well.¡±


    Valerie on the other hand was about to lay into the disrespectful gnome, thankfully she still needed to prop up the disorientated shadow user. Without a second¡¯s hesitation, Smitty began listing of a series of requirements before he could work on their classes.


    ¡°I will need time to reconfigure my workshop for the task ahead and you two will be busy getting me materials. Miss Trapper, you fortunately will not require anything but to return here within a weeks¡¯ time. Veronica, you will need more help than I could possibly provide but as for your weapon we will need five, no ten jars of monster blood. Preferably they will all be different monsters, but I can¡¯t force you to be clever about it.¡±


    Clapping his hands Smitty dropped to the floor and began sorting through his belongings. Valerie was getting tired of small men and monkeys disrespecting her but that was something she could resolve later. Right now, they needed to iron out one last issue.


    ¡°How much is this going to cost us?¡±


    Smitty paused, considered it then threw the concern away altogether.


    ¡°Cost? Oh right money. Uh no cost. This is a new and exciting challenge, I don¡¯t want it bogged down due to your poor money management.¡±


    Valerie decided to ignore the last jab and accept the gracious almost insane offer. She didn¡¯t know how much this would have cost them but if their track record was any indication, it would have been a rough few months to foot this bill. As they walked out of the shack, Samantha was draped atop her friend¡¯s shoulder giving her time to ponder her strange power. Not the mechanics, implications or creepiness. After the benefits gained from Albert and now Smitty, she wondered just how marketable the Aspect of Shadow truly was.


    ¡°We¡¯re rich.¡±


    She numbly announced giving a half-hearted whoop of celebration.

 Preparation is the key to success

    In a dank dark set of woods, only mildly more interesting than others of its kind, an ogre strolled through its domain, the king of a bleak empire. The ogre was a twelve-foot-tall monstrosity of muscle, strength, little to no brain power and surprisingly eloquent foot work. It wore a simple loincloth that barely maintained public decency if the ogre cared for such a thing, this one did but would never share such an intimate secret. It had grey skin that was decorated with tribal markings showing it belonged to the Undertooth clan, which one could also gleam due to its massive underbite. Were someone to stand directly under the ogre in the middle of a storm they would find themselves almost completely dry up until the ogre smashed them to pieces and feasted on the mushy pulp. This particular brute was trapsing through its newly established kingdom following the disbandment of its clan. Disbandment being the generous word for slaughtered at the hands of a terrifyingly efficient elven woman who single handedly killed every last one of its brethren in the span of an afternoon. This ogre avoided an untimely death by virtue of falling asleep next to a river and failing to wake up in time for the unscheduled massacre. Without a clan or any guidance, the ogre became a wanderer moving from place to place until finding a new home. This set of woods would become just such a home, it had a comfortable cave, tough trees from which it could make clubs out of and a steady supply of deer it could bonk into submission.


    On this day the ogre was returning home, bloody tree trunk club in one hand and pulverized deer in the other. It was the third successful foraging mission in a week and the ogre had never been so full and didn¡¯t have to rely on scraps. It actually felt quite chuffed with itself, maybe if it found others just like it they could form a new clan with the surviving ogre as chief, that would be swell. Such a shame its dreams would never come to fruition. The ambitious monster was caught up imagining its life as a chief and failed to notice the pile of leaves that hadn¡¯t been there this morning as well as the black chain that suddenly rose up around its ankles. Tripping on the chain, the ogre fell forward as a figure shot out from the pile of leaves, their weapon pointing straight at the ogre¡¯s skull. With a titanic crash the muscle-bound meathead struck the ground and was stabbed just above and between the eyes, the relatively small blade cutting into its brain. The blow was shallow enough it didn¡¯t immediately kill the ogre but left it lobotomized, its last coherent thought being an aptly put ¡®oh good heavens¡¯.


    Valerie struggled to stand, the weight of the ogre¡¯s head causing her to sink into the loose dirt as her muscles screamed out from the effort. She pushed hard, her blade stuck into the monsters brain as she forced its head up at an angle exposing the neck.


    ¡°Anytime now Samantha!¡±


    From her left side, Samantha appeared darting under the monster and nimbly avoiding the drool that escaped its slack jaw. She dragged a dagger across the ogre¡¯s neck leaving an open jar behind to collect the deluge of blood that erupted from the wound. Sweating from the effort Valerie watched the glass container slowly fill with the foul-smelling liquid until it was nearly over-flowing.


    ¡°Get it! Get it! Get it!¡±


    She ordered, feeling her strength begin to waver. Dashing back under the monster, Samantha snatched the jar, sealing it and giving her friend a thumbs up as she crossed to the other side of the dead ogre. Job done, Valerie stepped back yanking her knife free and allowing the ogre¡¯s head to slam against the earth, blood and brain matter pouring from the hole in its cranium. The huntress flexed her sore arm trying to eke out the growing fatigue. She was stronger than most people her age and likely those in their prime by a far margin thanks to her training and aspect. Still mystical boosts could only go so far and she needed to keep working on improving her core self as much as possible. When was the last time she practiced her marksmanship or deliberately forced her aspects to stop assisting her? She had all but abandoned her uncles training regimen with the surplus of monsters filling in the gaps. Looking to Samantha, who was in the midst of wiping sticky blood off her clothes, Valerie felt bad that her uncle¡¯s techniques for dampening aspects couldn¡¯t work for the shadow user. If they had, then they might not be in this mess, collecting jars of blood for a rude gnome craftsman.


    She shook her head, Samantha¡¯s problems were another issue entirely, it was very possible they¡¯d arrive at this point no matter what. Someone would mentioned a class, or they may have hit a wall in their monster hunting career and sought ways to increase their power. Ultimately, they would have ended up exactly where they stood and it was better they got here sooner rather than later. Wiping off the gore and sheathing her knife, Valerie walked over to Samantha to check out the filled to the brim jar. This would make their ninth filled container since they began collecting monster blood, it should have been the last if Samantha hadn¡¯t fumbled one, dropping it and spilling the contents. Tightly gripping her prize, Valerie and Samantha trudged over to their makeshift camp some distance from the dead and decaying ogre. It wasn¡¯t exactly ritzy, with only a pair of thin bed rolls and a chest to store the jars into but it would make do.


    Prior to setting out the pair consulted several veteran adventurers, dungeon delvers, travellers and their favourite beast woman chef on the best location to find a number of varied monsters. While monsters could appear randomly anywhere due to magical distortions, corruption of local fauna and good old fashion curses they did follow an internal logic. A lava golem might appear in the snowy desserts to the north but it was highly unlikely as the magic in the region was not attuned to them. This same logic held true for all of Natar and the rest of the world with each land having a certain flavour of monster. Within the Gentile Kingdom monsters fit into the bestial or reptilian categories to stalk the multitude of forests whether they be interesting or not. Maroch to the south with their sandy dunes, rainforests and ancient ruins tailored their monsters to elemental golems, living vegetation and several avian varieties. The tundra of the Shurle States to the north featured numerous spirits and ethereal beings as well as the blighted region that spewed their most common monster within the last century; the undead. Lastly, Namhar island was overrun with ancient creatures from humongous insects, leviathans surrounding the island and the head honcho¡¯s dragons.Support the creativity of authors by visiting Royal Road for this novel and more.


    Compared to the surroundings countries, many believed the Gentile Kingdom a walk in the park for up-and-coming monster hunters. People who thought like this would quickly find their overconfidence shattered when encountering a hoard of beasts commanded by an intelligent alpha or ambitious humanoid monster like the currently rotting ogre. All nations that comprised the continent of Natar had their fair share of trouble especially when it came to monsters and no one country could say they were worse off than the others. Except for those currently under or still recovering from a Demonic invasion, as Shurle was. Several centuries back the Gentile Kingdom had been the host to an infernal occupation which resulted in the creation of their own blighted region ironically name Merryland Forest.


    This mist covered, grey tree¡¯d and festering mark on the tranquil Gentile kingdom had once been a haven for monsters to appear seemingly randomly in the hundreds before setting forth to attack anything and everything in sight. Requesting the assistance of all their neighbouring countries, the Gentile Kingdom was able to put their entire magic research into breaking the curse that held a choke hold on the region while the largest contingent of adventurers ever assembled held the line and contained the overflow of monsters. In the end the curse was not broken but significantly weakened leaving the woods a barren inhospitable waste to everything but monsters and for some reason aspect users.


    No one knew exactly why but possessing an aspect made one inherently resistant to curses, a fact that only further fuelled the idea aspects were divine in nature. A normal warrior could still enter the forest and face the surplus of monsters that formed from nothing, however extended visits would slowly poison the individual¡¯s soul and eventually lead to death or worse. Valerie and Samantha were actually warned away from the forest several times by almost everyone they spoke to including the few other aspects holders they encountered. Everyone except Joanne who encouraged the girls to take on the gauntlet and come out the other side stronger for it. Although they didn¡¯t know it, the beast woman only encouraged the girls to leave so she could try and distance herself from the pair, growing too attached was the last thing she wanted. It backfired however as Joanne had spent night after sleepless night worrying for the pair and cursing her own hang ups. She wondered how they were fairing and hoped they were doing alright.


    ¡°This is boring.¡±


    Samantha said hanging cross legged and upside down from a tree branch, a single black chain suspending her off the ground. She and Valerie were resting after completing their fifth duplicate monster hunt, the tenth and final jar empty without a unique creature¡¯s blood to fill it.


    ¡°Bollocks to you, we still have time so quit your crying.¡±


    Valerie spat back while lounging against a tree and tossing the last empty jar from hand to hand. She didn¡¯t exactly disagree with the girl, this set of woods was supposed to be the be all and end all of monster killing spots within the region. A place so dangerous it took the lives of rookies and veterans alike every single year, the ultimate challenge in their early adventuring career. They spent five days in the woods, killed two to three monsters everyday and had barely gotten scratched in the process. Perhaps they were just too efficient, the huntress mused. Or more likely Samantha¡¯s uncapped and growing eery aura was simply driving all the real game away. She didn¡¯t mention it, but Valerie got the sense her friends, power was expanding in scope and depth the more she used it. She noticed how the chains which once seemed transparent and like black glass were more opaque as well as steadily growing in strength. Her aura was the clearest example as Valerie had begun to find she was averting her gaze unconsciously despite being the most exposed to Samantha¡¯s power, constantly enveloped by it. She worried for her friend, not because she was getting too strong but because she may find herself all alone, not even Granny able to push through the miasma. It was fine though, they would both get a class and it should fill in the cracks in their powers, at least the huntress hoped so. Right now, however she had to make a dangerous leap and hoped her friend would be okay with it. Rising off the ground, Valerie dusted herself off and awkwardly brought up a subject she hoped to avoid.


    ¡°Yeah, so¡­ I¡¯m going to start walking in that direction and get us the last bit of blood we need.¡±


    Dropping from the tree, Samantha sidled up beside the huntress ready to set out.


    ¡°Okay, where we going?¡±


    Her bored tone remained despite hurriedly joining her friend. Valerie sucked in a breath through her teeth.


    ¡°Yeah, about that¡­ I am going to go it alone and find something to kill. You can stay here.¡±


    She braced for the metaphorical shatter of her friends heart at being left behind. Instead, the shadow user pouted for a second, shrugged and then waved her friend off.


    ¡°Alright, have fun.¡±


    Valerie honestly expected more of an argument and felt a little offended she didn¡¯t get one. What, she wasn¡¯t worth trying to convince, bargain, or threaten into allowing a tagalong? Then again, that wasn¡¯t Samantha¡¯s style. She would argue about trying something risky but beneficial or dangerous and underwhelming or over who got the last piece of toast at breakfast. When it came to monster slaying however, she had full confidence in Valerie and trusted her judgement completely only quarrelling when it came to doing something reckless but cool when planning a hunt. If Valerie asked her to stay put then Samantha would follow her orders to the letter, not like a soldier under a commander but one trusted friend to the other. The huntress hoped she was as good a friend to Samantha as the shadow user was to her.


    ¡°Thanks, I¡¯ll be back around sunset. If I don¡¯t return¡­ burn this place to the ground.¡±


    Many attempts had been made to completely destroy Merryland Forest with little to no success. Somehow though, Valerie believed that if Samantha put her mind to it she could tear the curse right out of this place and then incinerate the woods anyway.

 On the Prowl

    Valerie roared and tore her knife from a monster¡¯s neck rending flesh and bone in the process. As the beast slumped over dead, she toppled onto her knees while gasping for air, she had never been so tired in her life. Her arms were coated in numerous wounds, the Duvolf armour finally giving way and turned to shreds. A deep hastily bandaged gash leaked blood from her side turning the makeshift dressings a worrying shade of red. Her head rung from where a chunk of stone had struck her, tossed by some monster she couldn¡¯t picture anymore. She couldn¡¯t grip her knife with any modicum of strength, and it was only prevented from clattering to the ground thanks to her fingers clenched tight after fighting some lightning powered beast. Her hair was singed, one eye black and swollen, her left arm secured in a shoddy tourniquet. In summary she was battered, beaten, tired, on the verge of tears from the pain and worst of all coated head to toe in disgusting blood and monster bits.


    ¡°This is fantastic¡­¡±


    She heaved out between desperate breaths. Fighting on a razors edge for five hours straight without a moment¡¯s breath was exactly what she needed to feel challenged. Rising unsteadily back to her feet, Valerie doubled over on the verge of hurling, but a smile still adorned her red coated face. Despite all the pain, she felt alive, more alive than she had been in ages. City life wasn¡¯t for the young huntress, the comfort of walls and presence of safety simply wasn¡¯t what Valerie wanted. Out here, in the thick of it among the beasts and monsters was where she belonged. Travelling with Samantha all she had wanted to do was find civilization, interact with other people and find herself. Having seen her fair share, she realized it wasn¡¯t for her; she couldn¡¯t be bothered with the backstabbing behind closed doors, cut throat politics that affected even the guild and all the people, there was just too many of them. She liked a few and was glad to have met them but they didn¡¯t get it, the thrill, the rush, the ecstatic feeling she got being on a hunt, no target in mind just everything that wanted her dead skewered at the end of her blade. Joanne might understand but she quit to be a business owner, Valerie on the other hand couldn¡¯t see herself stopping, settling down or ever giving up the hunt.


    Shakily rising back to her full height, she swiped the mess that was her hair out of her eyes and looked at the fresh monster corpse, her expression twisting into one of utter repugnance. It was weak, she thought, its blood would be just as weak. Her aspect had told her what the name of this thing was, but she couldn¡¯t for the life of her remember, not due to any concussion but because it simply wasn¡¯t worth remembering. Stepping atop the dead mound of trash she scanned the horizon for her next kill. They were so gung-ho to attack her not long ago and now, drenched in their brethren¡¯s innards, they cowered, hiding just out of sight or running for the hills.


    ¡°Now that just won¡¯t do.¡±


    Can¡¯t have the morsels scattering before Valerie could get a taste. She picked a random direction and started walking, her boots leaving a bloody trail behind her.


    After trekking for some time, she found a small babbling brook with bright clear water that was quickly turned red when she dipped her hand in. Cupping a small handful, she plashed the refreshing river water against her face feeling a cool sensation spread through her body as the drying blood slowly trickled off. Eyes shut, she splashed herself several more times until enough of the grime had been washed away although the stench remained, but she could deal with that later. Rubbing the moisture from her eyes she opened them and froze at the sight before her. On the other side of the small stream, not even three feet away was an honest to goodness tiger. Her aspect did not flair to life confirming it wasn¡¯t a monster, but it was still an oddity. She didn¡¯t know a lot about animal habitats but did read somewhere that, similar to that wretched monkey, tigers were indigenous to the Maroch region. So then why was one here staring straight at the huntress hundreds of miles from home? Maybe it migrated, she thought, or perhaps the forest spawned it? That was impossible though the Merryland Forest only spewed out monsters and this was no monster. Although you would be forgiven for thinking it was given the iridescent smoke that poured out of its eyes and mouth. The black stripes along its fur coat were pearlescent and gave a sheen that was almost reflective just like the teeth that were bared right at Valerie. While she wasn¡¯t sure, the huntress was starting to suspect this particular feline was suffering from a curse, however the exact effects of the dark magic were unclear at the moment. One thing was for certain though, it was angry, at what who could say, and she was the perfect chew toy to vent that frustration.


    The cursed cat and the huntress continued to stare at one another, the former letting out a low growl and poised to strike while the latter knelt unmoving. Valerie would have liked a second to get in position for their tussle but wasn¡¯t given the chance before the tiger leapt forward. Claws extended and maw wide, it made to rend the seemingly helpless huntress limb from limb in a single strike. Unfortunately for this feline, Valrie felt on top of her game and was hopped up on adrenaline like never before. Throwing herself to the side, she narrowly dodged a swipe to her head before rolling into a crouch, her knife poised at the ready for a follow-up. Repositioning itself, the tiger stalked around Valerie its gaze never leaving her while the rising smoke only intensified. In the blink of an eye the tiger struck again, charging forth while raising itself up in an attempt to slash down with its razor-sharp claws. Valerie anticipated the move having encountered several feline-esque monsters as well as watching how the alley cats behind the library caught their prey. Tucking herself forward, she rolled under the strike and swept at the big cat cutting a tendon in its back right leg. The tiger roared in pain and tried to swipe at Valerie again, but she was already gone, out of its range and snickering to herself. This wasn¡¯t much of a challenge, she thought, with a single strike she¡¯d already debilitated the dumb kitten¡¯s movements and could easily-


    ¡°What the?¡±


    She spat out watching as the bleeding cut in the Tigers leg rapidly closed and sealed itself shut like it never existed in the first place. It would seem the curse affecting this pussycat made it regenerate at an incredible pace. The revelation briefly brought Valerie out of her adrenaline addled state to assess the situation properly. In summary, things were not good, she was in a bad state and if this creature could continuously heal itself then their fight could turn into death by a thousand cuts or more likely just death on Valerie¡¯s part. She wasn¡¯t even sure it had an upper limit to its healing ability, wondering if it could sprout a new leg if she cut it off entirely. Despite the dire situation, the corners of her mouth slowly tugged upwards as her own wide toothy smile appeared. Finally, she encountered a real challenge in this boring set of woods.


    Rolling her aching shoulders, she pointed her knife at the deranged animal, an invitation to try and take a bite. Not waiting for a second invite, the tiger suddenly leapt forth once again and received a vicious punch to the side of its head as a result. Valerie side stepped out of the way of the big cat, groaning in pain as her fist collided with furred flesh. Her left arm was still wrapped in a tourniquet and was in no shape to be used for any kind of offense, despite this she still struck the jumping kitty veering it off course and straight into a tree trunk. The tree shook violently, dropping a deluge of acorns onto the ground several of which struck the tiger to no real damage but aggravating it even further. Disorientated, the big cat tried to turn around and face Valerie but instead found the huntress climbing atop its back while plunging her knife repeatedly into its hide. Roaring in pain, the tiger shook and rammed itself against anything and everything to no avail, the cackling huntress would not let go as her knife stabbed up and down the cat¡¯s flesh. Rolling onto its back finally forced her off and freed the punctured animal from become a pin cushion. Valerie did some fancy footwork as she danced around the suffering creature whiling jeering at its pathetic state.


    ¡°Is that it? Come on! I wanted a real challenge but your all meow and no BITE!¡±If you come across this story on Amazon, be aware that it has been stolen from Royal Road. Please report it.


    Like a call to action, the Tiger heeded Valerie¡¯s words and spun around faster than any previous movements to clamp its jaws onto her leg. The huntress let out a guttural scream from the sudden painful attack. She pounded on the beast¡¯s face with her left hand while stabbing its neck with the right, neither seemed to work and the big cats grip tightened sending her into more bouts of pain. It finally let go when Valerie jabbed her thumb into the tigers smoking eye however she lost her grip on her knife which stuck halfway into the beast¡¯s neck. A torrent of blood ran down her injured leg and she found herself unable to properly move or stand on it. The tiger clawed at the foreign object in its side eventually ripping the knife free which clattered uselessly to the ground. The huntress stared the pussycat down while applying pressure to her agonizing leg injury. A brief stalemate formed as the cursed monster slowly regenerated its missing eye and closed the wounds on its back while Valerie barely stayed standing while trying to search for a way to reach her weapon.


    Chancing a look around she found the river, still babbling away, was now behind her. She edged her way closer to the water her leg screaming in protestation all the way. The tiger, now fully healed, stalked over to the huntress victory plain on its whiskered face. Sloshing into the river, Valerie stopped and waited for the tiger to approach. Sauntering closer, the large feline lowered its body ready for another pounce that would end it all. Pushing off, it sailed through the air claws extended and maw open just as it did at the beginning of the bout. When the feline was a foot away Valerie kicked up with her good leg, the sudden weight on her injured one nearly causing her to crumple into a pile. Water splashed against the tiger who didn¡¯t shift in trajectory but was left momentarily blinded. It landed with a thud on the other side of the stream, finding no injured huntress lying beneath it. Rubbing at its moisture filled eyes the tiger opened them to find a knife hurtling towards the nape of its neck. Unable to dodge or bat the projectile away in time, the knife struck home sinking deep into the beast¡¯s thick flesh barely scratching bone in the process. The tiger tried to reach up and remove the painful injection but couldn¡¯t get a paw high enough. While the cat was distracted, Valerie lowered herself and charged forward, her shoulder impacting the tiger¡¯s stomach. She wrapped her arm around the animal¡¯s side and lifted with all her might, the tourniquet on her left snapping from the pressure. She hoisted the monster high as it tried to swipe at her. With a mighty roar she tossed the beast against a tree causing the embedded knife to sink deeper and shatter bone. Collapsing into the water, Valerie erupted in pained sobs as the accumulated damage finally pushed through her adrenaline fuelled haze and the world went dark.


    After some time she woke up not knowing how long she had been out of it and felt cool running water flowing under her head. Rising onto her elbows, she winced from aches all over, the stress from her wounds having been the cause for her black out. Searching the area, she found the tiger lying next to the same tree it struck earlier. It didn¡¯t move but Valerie could still see the steam flowing from its eyes as well as its stomach rise and fall with every breath. Tears ran down her cheeks as she laughed painfully.


    ¡°That¡¯s what you get! All you dirty, filthy monster deserve is death! You should all¡­ all¡­ wait¡­¡±


    The victorious laughter petered out while her crying remained unchanged and heavy. This thing wasn¡¯t a monster, she finally remembered, it was just an animal, a cursed animal, but an animal all the same. She had never fought so hard in her life, and it was against a garden variety tiger, something that she could have hunted for sport had they both been in their right minds. Here and now however, neither was in peak condition. The tiger was afflicted with a curse that caused it to strike out in anger at everything. And Valerie? She was no better than an adrenaline junkie chasing the next high or dangerous challenge just to feel alive. She was unbelievably sore in every nook and cranny while blood ran freely from her punctured leg. How could she have let herself get so banged up? How could she have just ignored the clear signs she was not okay and just kept going? Her sobs turned bitter and frustrated as her one good fist smacked against the water. What was she doing out here? She and Samantha were just supposed to be gathering blood for her class.


    ¡°Oh, oh no Samantha¡­¡±


    She was alone, Valerie selfishly left her all alone in a den of monsters. Sure, her aura would keep some away but there was always a dumb or brave one that would try their luck. Her friend couldn¡¯t kill them, she knew that! All Samantha had was a dingy little dagger they used to cut open dead or dying monsters. Valerie tried to rise and found her legs wouldn¡¯t listen.


    ¡°Samantha!¡±


    She wailed, her pained cries ringing out among the trees. She forced herself onto her stomach and began to drag herself forward while ignoring her own agony.


    ¡°Samantha! Please, please be okay.¡±


    She shouted and yelled out, not caring if any monster heard her, if they appeared she would- She shook off the thought, she was in no condition to fight, that was the adrenaline talking or so she tried to kid herself. Crawling helplessly, Valerie felt the world spinning beneath her and the waning light from the sun dizzying her mind. She desperately fought against her mind shutting down to no avail. She made it barely ten feet from the stream before collapsing again, choking out a last call to her friend as she watched everything go black once again.


    The world swished and swayed beneath the huntress like she was atop the mast of a boat in a hurricane. The difference was, instead of howling winds, a consistent stream of expletives and grunts of effort bombarded the half dead huntress. Her mind teetered on the edge of sleep once more until she felt the indescribable and instinctual need to run away with all her might cut through the haze. Her eyes shot open, and she found herself draped in a ragged barely long enough to qualify cloak while a smaller than average girl hefted her down a dirt road. Valerie tried to speak but found she lost her voice and could only croak out an indecipherable series of garbles. Samantha took notice to the sounds and responded in kind for some reason. The mysterious language exchange only lasted so long until Valerie formed a cohesive one word sentence.


    ¡°How¡­?¡±


    Samantha turned her head slightly listening to the words of her friend before piping up.


    ¡°I¡¯m doing alright, thanks. Don¡¯t think you are though. Found you screaming in your sleep a ways away from camp. Oh shoot sorry, had to leave the blood behind and I couldn¡¯t find your knife. You need to lose some pounds; I can¡¯t carry the Trapper and Hunt team forever.¡±


    Valerie couldn¡¯t care less about the blood or the jab at her weight, thankful just that her one true friend was okay. She hadn¡¯t thought about it at the time but being away from Samantha and her eery aura made the huntress feel off, like leaving the house without your keys something just wasn¡¯t right. Surrounded by the terrifyingly pervasive atmosphere was more comforting than it really should have been and she clung on tight to the shadow user. The two fell into an easy silence, well Valerie was quiet and contemplative while Samantha continued to strain under the weight of her much larger and heavier companion her knees nearly buckling from the weight on her back. With time to reflect on herself, Valerie came to a painful realization.


    ¡°I¡­ have a problem.¡±


    She strained to say. It was the truth, since leaving her uncle¡¯s watchful gaze she had been overindulging in all the things she could never do more specifically monster hunting. She hated them with a passion but the zeal and vigour she showcased was beyond normal disdain and was borderline mania to wipe them out. How many times would the easier solution have been to simply not pursue? It worked out for them with the monkey and its handler leading them to Capital City, but she deliberately antagonized a passive creature when they could have simply waited. She stole that Rolloch kill from another adventurer just because she could and then antagonized the man for no reason risking their guild memberships in the process. And there was also all the monster hunting contracts they took, did Samantha even want to get dragged on any?


    ¡°I¡¯m sorry.¡±


    Valerie mumbled out the water works beginning once again. She had to admit to herself she was the problem not because of some weakness or need to improve, she just liked the feeling of an ever-increasing challenge. She also needed to accept she was incredibly jealous of her friend. People liked Samantha or saw her as a wonder case that had to be studied. Add to that she was slowly getting stronger by virtue of doing absolutely nothing and it was no surprise Valerie sought every chance she could to try improving even at the cost of her health. They took on monster after monster not for the rewards or the thrill of the journey but so Valerie could prove she was better than her friend but no matter what Samantha would just keep surpassing her. She unconsciously ignored her own gradual improvements, only capable of seeing the perceived gap between her and Samantha. These thoughts ravaged the teenage girls mind no matter if they were true or rooted in her own feelings of inadequacy.


    ¡°S¡¯okay.¡±


    Samantha replied cool as a cucumber. She then frowned and wondered aloud.


    ¡°Wait, what are you apologizing for?¡±


    Samantha didn¡¯t see any signs of contention in their friendship and honestly enjoyed spending all her time with Valerie. Even if she was bored, she could be bored with a friend and that was good enough for her. She knew she could be a tad foolhardy and didn¡¯t make the brightest of decisions but so long as the two were together they would manage. She had absolute faith in that. Samantha did not get an answer as the emotional girl silently cried burying her face into the straining pack mules golden locks. The shadow user had no clue what was going on and decided to ask Granny when they got back, she knew all kinds of things about tough emotions.


    And so, Samantha, with Valerie upon her back, walked the long road back to Capital City the silence occasionally broken up by the smaller human shaped carriage groaning with effort and nearly tumbling on several occasions. The Merryland Forest, famous for its high mortality rate, had not claimed either of their lives, but it had nearly broken one of them.

 All cats go to heaven

    ¡°You¡¯re late.¡±


    Smitty admonished after Becky announced the arrival of his latest interesting class forging candidate and her servant or whatever she was. Valerie looked at the gnomish craftsman and fought back the urge to be flippant.


    ¡°Apologies Smitty, we¡­ I was indisposed and needed some time to get better.¡±


    The wise beyond his appearance gnome looked over Valerie taking in the new set of plain clothes and visible scars up and down her person. It had been two weeks since he sent them away to gather blood and clearly something happened within that time frame that led the obtuse girl to show more respect to her betters. While Smitty would likely never know the full story his assumption was right on the money. When they finally returned to town, Valerie was immediately tended to by a priest who healed her up as best as he could. Unfortunately, with such a long gap between being hurt and seeking treatment, the huntress wouldn¡¯t come away in perfect condition, her many visible scars a testament to how severely wounded she let herself become. After being fixed up at a hefty price, the days trouble continued as she met with her trio of unofficial guardians at her behest. With Samantha for support, she explained her realization and ended up breaking down once again before them. The ex-adventure was well versed with Valerie¡¯s struggles and stuck close offering advice and insight although much of it didn¡¯t reach the huntress still too lost in her own issues. Mrs Bubba remained ever caring as always and for once worked alongside Albert without a single complaint. Samantha stuck with her friend through her ordeals still not sure how or why it was happening but felt it was a good idea to be available. After several discussions amongst themselves, the group agreed the huntress was more or less forbidden from taking on contracts for the moment. They were well aware they couldn¡¯t enforce it but hopefully some time away from monster slaying and some much-needed R&R would help the distraught girl. It was a painful conversation to have but Valerie did agree, until she could get a better handle on herself and her recklessness, she would need others more experienced to guide her. It was at times like this she thought about her uncle and missed him more than she ever thought she would.


    It was only a few days back the pair were finally let out of sight long enough to visit the Merryland Forest and gather their belongings. Luckily the chest had been undisturbed, and all blood samples still sat in their jars. Locating the river where the tiger was left proved difficult, but they eventually did find the feline in the exact same place it fell. Inspecting the surprisingly still alive animal further they found the huntress¡¯s weapons lodged deep into its spine, severing the nervous system and effectively causing it to become paralyzed from the neck down. Upon noticing its torturer, the tiger tried to lift itself in vain and roared out with hatred. Valerie was shook seeing the animals poor state, she wanted nothing more than to put it out of its misery, but couldn¡¯t, the curse was still in effect making it near unkillable. She thought up a stupid idea and before she could stop herself gripped the handle of her knife intending to free the beast. Yanking on the blade however only worsened the situation as her knife snapped at the hilt leaving the razor edge still within the tiger. In her delicate mental state, she almost collapsed into a crying fit once again from her failure, thankfully Samantha kept her friend from declining. They sat by the rage filled tiger for some time unsure what to do until the shadow user put forth an idea that was as idiotic as it was brilliant. They were overdue for their class assignment already and wasted no more time in arriving to Smitty¡¯s shack, blood filled chest in hand as well as an extra package.


    ¡°Hmph, I don¡¯t like pets, why have you brought his thing?¡±


    Smitty enquired, his opinion of Valerie dropping further and faster than ever before. The pair of adventurers walked into town with a live, if crippled, tiger on the huntress¡¯s shoulders intending to seek the craftsman¡¯s help. He was mysterious and somehow had the skills to manipulate a person¡¯s aspect so he would surely have some trick or tool to help the critter.


    ¡°We were hoping you would know how to¡­ heal it.¡±


    Whether he could extract the blade, cure its curse or help the creature pass on Valerie didn¡¯t care so long as its misery ended. Huffing, Smitty climbed atop the desk and inspected the feline while remaining wary of its claws and teeth. He let out a number of frustrated noises while looking the tiger over. He turned to Valerie his gaze hard and voice stony.


    ¡°Yes, I can help, however I can¡¯t save your kitty cat. The curse is far to ingrained and the only way to free it would be to exorcize the foul influence.¡±


    Valerie solemnly took in the answer expecting it but still disappointed. She caused this creature¡¯s suffering and now she couldn¡¯t undo it only eliminate the pain and its life altogether. Nodding, she accepted Smitty¡¯s answer and hefted the tiger back onto her shoulder.


    ¡°What do we do now?¡±


    She asked the perturbed gnome. Clapping his hands he turned to his workshop and beckoned everyone but Becky to follow.


    ¡°Now we get to work, bring the jars as well as your kitty and we¡¯ll get you your class.¡±


    Walking through the door into Smitty¡¯s workshop the pair of adventurers were surprised to find nothing was different. Not a brick was out of place or piece of equipment shifted even a fraction from where it stood the last time they were here. Samantha opted to speak up on their behalf.


    ¡°I thought you needed time to work something out for me and Val. What¡¯s different?¡±


    Smitty climbed atop his workbench tossing papers and delicate instruments to the floor. He answered distractedly as he searched for something in several cupboards.


    ¡°Hm? Oh everything is different, it always is. You¡¯re never the same as you were a second ago, it¡¯s a fact of life. Take a look at your friend here, last time she came in she was a petulant, unruly and quite frankly unappealing girl. Now however she¡¯s the same but more¡­ mature.¡±


    It was possibly the first compliment Smitty ever paid the huntress and it was still delivered as a scathing remark. The pair watched as Smitty searched through cupboard after cupboard in his workbench, occasionally walking into one cabinet and appearing from another. The gnome inevitably found his tool in the first cupboard he searched and returned to the girls ordering Valerie to place the tiger on a large table in the back. Clambering up the felines tail and onto its spine, Smitty slowly tapped around trying to feel out something.


    ¡°Interesting, rapid regeneration and a berserker rage. Usually only one curse manifests at a time but two at once? A rare find indeed.¡±


    The craftsman mumbled to himself a coy smile spreading across his rosy cheeked face. When he came to the knife partially sticking out of the tiger, he clicked his tongue disappointed that such a fine antique work of art was broken so easily. It did spark a flash of inspiration in the gnome as he looked from the tiger to the chest of blood jars sat between his customers. Grinning widely, he announced his genius idea.


    ¡°You are in luck, while not a monster the curse affecting this creature is close enough that it should work with your class. You can toss one of the jars we¡¯ll only need the nine and a sample from this unique specimen.¡±Reading on this site? This novel is published elsewhere. Support the author by seeking out the original.


    Valerie and Samantha shared a look, they only had nine jars, they thought they could get by with stretching the nine thin. Turning the chest away from Smitty, Valerie piled out the filled containers while announcing their contents.


    ¡°One Jacked-up Rabbit, one Silver Metal Fox, one Jerboa Constrictor, one Alphaca, one Dhampir Bat, One Snowl, one Billy the Goat, one Woodchuck-er, and an Ogre.¡±


    Initially the pair started their monster killing marathon gathering blood samples from each unique specimen they found which quickly filled the jars and took the sum total of a single afternoon. Unsatisfied with the selection, they decided to be pickier on what samples to acquire which ultimately meant gathering from monsters either girl thought had funny names or simply looked strong. First was the Jacked-up Rabbit, a hare that shared many similarities with their namesake with the added bonus of being incredibly fast. Magically boosted, the rabbits could be at rest then at the top of a hill a mile away and back in the blink of an eye. Normally a hunter would be unable to catch the slippery prey, but these rabbits had one fatal weakness: they were voraciously carnivorous. The monster hunting pair lured several of the rabbits with the mound of rotting carcasses from their first day of hunting. Caught in a feeding frenzy, the colony never realized they were being picked off by a well-aimed series of knife throws.


    The next monster, a Silver Metal Fox, was not actually made of metal but its hide was almost as tough. Having experienced a similarly durable exterior with the Duvolf, Valerie was able to capture the fox and search it from tip to tail to find the weak point, an act that was tantamount to torture in hindsight.


    The Jerboa Constrictor proved somewhat a challenge as unlike its miniature brethren this monster was many times larger and could use its elongated tail to squeeze the life out of people and prey alike. Wary of approaching the wily creature, Samantha used her chains to capture the beast and then hung it from a tree until it stopped moving. The concept of irony had to be explained to the shadow user and she still wasn¡¯t clear what it was.


    An Alphaca was an oddity as while it appeared passive, grazing through the forest, it actually had a secret ability whereby it would empower other monsters around it by virtue of just being absolutely adorable. Valerie genuinely questioned her aspect and its taste in what was adorable after receiving that monster brief. Given its amplifying aura, the Alphaca was constantly surrounded by other weaker monsters who took advantage of the boost and protected their leader/ mascot with their lives. They still weren¡¯t enough to stop the huntress and the monster¡¯s blood was added to her collection.


    A Dhampir Bat was a large leathery winged mammal that drained the blood of other monsters with enviable proficiency. Had the pair of adventurers that kind of advantage they wouldn¡¯t have needed to kill multiples of every monster so far. The Dhampir bat and its kin soon joined their brethren with their life blood fed into a jar although its killers had to be careful they only got Bat blood and not the rest of their liquid diet.


    Snowls, like the duo¡¯s favourite ice-cold snake, were frost white and could use various cold magic to trap or fend off attackers. Fortunately, they were nocturnal so discovering one perched in a snow-capped tree defencelessly asleep was quite the find.


    Billy the Goat actually found them instead and attacked shooting its horns with extreme precision, it then quickly regrew the keratin covered bones for another shot. Samantha was able to infuriate the goat by constantly dodging and insulting it that eventually the creature resorted to its base instincts and tried to ram the shadow user. One cracked boulder and a bonked head later the goat was killed and added to their collection.


    The woodchuck-er hadn¡¯t been Valerie¡¯s first or eighth choice for a blood harvest but Samantha found its name so funny and spent an afternoon trying to come up with a tongue twister around the creature.


    Lastly, there was the ogre, skewered and bled they finally reached their ninth jar of blood before Valerie made her idiotic departure. The huntress couldn¡¯t stop blaming herself for leaving Samantha alone despite the shadow user¡¯s nonchalant attitude about the whole situation.


    With blood samples organized and presented to the gnome craftsmen, Valerie and Samantha could do nothing but sit and wait for their next instruction. Getting right into the thick of things, Smitty heated up his furnace and attached a sticky label to the individual jars of red liquid. It really didn¡¯t matter how they were labelled or in what order he added them, he was just a stickler for organization which you wouldn¡¯t be able to tell from the mess that was his workshop. Neither girl had any experience on how to use a forge and couldn¡¯t guess what the gnome had in mind though Valerie made an attempt.


    ¡°So, what are you going to do? Take the metals out of the blood?¡±


    She heard somewhere that there were some metal traces in your blood, it sounded fake but was just the sort of wacky thing she expected the gnome to try. With the way he scoffed at the notion, Smitty did not agree.


    ¡°Extracting iron from blood, what do I look like an alchemist?¡±


    He was an alchemist actually, in his spare time and strictly as a hobby to produce certain beverages or substances for purely scientific research and not for recreational purposes, or so he told his nosy receptionist.


    ¡°You don¡¯t have enough blood to make a proper weapon anyway. No, what I am going to be doing is quenching your blade in the monster¡¯s essence.¡±


    It was not about making a new blade but reforging the base. Despite the ware and tear, the hunting knife was a perfectly fine specimen of craftsmanship that suited Valerie and as it held so many memories for the huntress the end result would become all the better. Magic was a convoluted thing that played by its own rules when it came to non-living objects. The thoughts and feelings you put into an item could give it an echo of something like an enchantment or, as some put it, a soul. It was referred to as internal magic as it was not possible to directly control or add it to an item, only through experience and connections could the elusive substance form. Internal magic could also be something of a detriment as it used the feelings put into an item to change certain properties which was why the knife snapped so easily after years of abuse. Valerie¡¯s emotions were transmitted to the weapon and caused it to become brittle but now that she was here and ready to take a step forward the blade could be restored to something greater than its origins.


    Smitty was well versed in internal magic, it was what made his services so exclusive and highly sought after. As the fires were stoked and the forge shone from brilliant orange coals, he turned to the tiger once more and held a small rune covered stone up to the stewing cat eliciting a roar as he drew nearer. The stone lit up a bright red, turned orange and then settled on green which satisfied the craftsman.


    ¡°Good. You! Come here, it¡¯s time to say goodbye to mittens.¡±


    Valerie was really trying to ignore the gnome¡¯s annoying attitude but if he kept it up any longer she¡¯d toss him into his own furnace. Approaching the disabled tiger, she knelt before it feeling hot breath waft onto her face. It was so angry and couldn¡¯t do anything to vent it, trapped in a body that wouldn¡¯t heed any commands. Dropping down beside Valerie, Smitty produced a dagger which he tapped against the glowing stone and handed to the huntress.


    ¡°Normally the best way to combat a curse is to kill the afflicted. For high-speed regeneration types like this one here you¡¯re going to need to overcome the curse. Magic usually does the job but considering your only option is you¡¯re far more interesting friends blunt shadows were going to have to go with an alternative. This dirk has been enchanted with an anti-curse effect that will specifically neutralize the corruption for a short duration. Make it quick and clean.¡±


    Valerie gripped the ornate dagger; she could feel her aspect form a connection with the blade. It wasn¡¯t right however, she needed her weapon and there was no way to get it until she finished the tiger. Leaning her head close to the tiger¡¯s ear she apologized and thrust into its throat. The fury filling the feline burned bright for a second then slowly withered as did the steam from its eyes until finally it lay dead and free from torment. Valerie stared into the animal¡¯s vacant eyes for a while and Samantha walked over to join her, patting her on the back she wordlessly did her best to comfort her friend.


    Smitty moved on, not caring for the tender moment, as he climbed atop the tiger once again with a pair of tongs and tried to fish out the embedded knife blade. With a grunt of effort, he yanked the metal free, a deep red and shimmering coating of blood clinging to the knifes surface. He ordered the huntress remove the dagger and a trickle of blood began to fall from the tigers open throat which the gnome quickly caught in a special container. Curses only exist in the living, or unliving in some cases, and would dissipate when the afflicted perished. The magical vessel however would preserve and purify the curse, greatly diminishing its effects but retaining the basic function. It was this practice that made cursed monsters a rare and lucrative find should an entrepreneur be able to capture, extract and sell off the dark magic.


    With ten blood filled jars on hand, the craftsman could finally get to work. First, he placed the knife into his furnace watching carefully for it to reach the perfect temperature without warping. While he waited, he fed the jars contents into a drum which he topped off with some other alchemical fluid. Valerie was made to stir the concoction while he gently requested Samantha hold her hand up to a panel on the side of the drum. The panel sucked at the shadow user¡¯s generous mana reserves leaving her dizzy like she¡¯d just given blood. The gooey concoction bubbled coldly while Valerie stirred trying her best not to choke on the fumes. Smitty observed the knife like a hawk only taking it out to cool and re-attach the broken off end from the handle. Following an hour of heating, cooling and looking over the red-hot metal, Smitty was finally satisfied the whole blade was set to just the right temperature. Walking slowly over to the blood vat, he carefully lowered the knife which rung out with an ear-piercing screech as the metal hissed and was infused with the diabolical soups properties. After holding the blade steady for ten seconds exactly, Smitty removed the knife inspecting it thoroughly before nodding at the results. The once red syrup turned a dull brown, all the mystical properties removed and transferred to the knife. Staring in amazement, Valerie took in the sight of her newly crimson hued weapon although she didn¡¯t feel different herself.


    ¡°Uh Smitty¡­ sir? Is that it? Do I have a class?¡±


    The gnome laughed wickedly and shook his head.


    ¡°Oh no, there¡¯s still one more blood sample we¡¯ll need, and you¡¯ve brought more than a jar of it.¡±


    ¡°Where?¡±


    Valerie innocently enquired to which Samantha rested a hand on her friends shoulder. The huntress looked at her companion, then the gnome and finally at her own hands.


    ¡°Oh, bollocks.¡±

 Forgemaster

    Valerie felt queasy and struggled to stay standing on her feet. Despite the litres of blood she lost over the course of her short adventuring career it was the sight of the comically large syringe filled with her life fluid that almost caused the huntress to faint. Smitty added the last ingredient to a separate container and quenched the once more red-hot knife allowing the blood to boil and become one with the blade. When all was said and done Valerie¡¯s hunting knife was not just repaired it was fundamentally altered while retaining an echo of its former self, enough that the huntress could still connect to it through her aspect and utilize the internal magic. Placing the finished knife onto a silk pillow, Smitty presented his work of art for Valerie and Samantha to behold. The crimson blade measured eight inches from tip to hilt with the handle adding another four to the total length. The edge was sharpened to such a fine point that it looked capable of cutting through solid steel with enough force. The back was serrated with enough spikes to make the toughest of saws envious. The original handle was discarded due to its battered form and replaced with a new varnished wood wrapped in strong leather straps and featured grooves that perfectly fit Valerie¡¯s hand.


    The huntress stared reverently at the shiny new knife but there was also a feeling of disappointment creeping into the back of her mind. All that effort and pain for her class and it was just a fancy new knife, not exactly the grand graduation she expected. That was until she picked up the weapon. Lightning coursed through her veins, completely eliminating the queasiness she felt earlier and electrifying her nerves. Her mind blacked out and she saw flashes of images, hunters and monsters locked in a battle of prey versus predator their roles constantly shifting. She saw visions of men obsessively chasing a creature that simply didn¡¯t exist, of women mourning the loss of their husbands and sons before picking up a weapon and completing the hunt. She saw animals and monsters in their natural habitats as young cubs forced to mature and adapt becoming the apex of their food chain only to be struck down by a younger generation just like them. Her mind rocked with the onslaught of images, sounds and smells that overtook her senses until finally it ended, and she felt the change.


    ¡°Wow¡­¡±


    She let out exasperated from the experience and nearly falling to the floor. To Smitty and Samantha it had only been a second but for Valerie she felt as if she had lived a hundred lives, survived a thousand hunts and perished from infinitely more. She felt the marks the flood of visions left on her soul and then something fill in the cracks. She was born anew and couldn¡¯t stop herself from announcing it.


    ¡°I am the Trophy Hunter.¡±


    A smile teased at the edges of her lips as she practiced swinging the scarlet knife. Her two aspects were permanently married into a union far greater than the sum of their parts and the result was her knew title. Just as someone was completely assured of the aspect they received; Valerie became aware of the class she had worked for and could feel the changes it made to her entire being. Her muscles bulged from the overflow of power and she could sense the normally imperceptible trickle of mana flowing through her body and into the knife. Everything about her had been enhanced to a whole new level and she felt she could take on the world. The thought quickly brought her back down as she cooled her desire for excitement and monster killing, however the yearning did not cease or rather it would be more accurate to say she had a new mouth to feed. She somehow could feel a desperate hunger for blood coming from her knife, it wasn¡¯t as if it would starve but the need to be satiated was all it wanted and spurred the huntress to fulfil this wish as soon as possible. It was curious to have the literal manifestation of her mental anguish resting in her palm and also empowering to know she could resist the urge.


    ¡°Thank you Smitty, it¡¯s¡­ beautiful.¡±


    She honestly admitted, bowing to the master craftsman while he worked to smother the fires of his furnace.


    ¡°You¡¯re welcome. While you may be a rough and troublesome girl that weapon of yours has formed a connection to you so palpable it would be cruel to separate you. Don¡¯t lose it and be sure to take proper care of it.¡±


    Valerie listened attentively while not so subtly cradling the sharp tool. She ran her fingers along the edge yet no matter what the blade refused to cut into her skin.


    ¡°Bit rude to call them an it isn¡¯t it?¡±


    Samantha cut in, surprising Valerie who was lost completely in the knifes reflective surface. She was surprisingly correct, Valerie¡¯s knife was no longer an ¡®it¡¯ they were an entity, not living or with any form of consciousness but like the monsters she fought and the tiger she slew it had a will and instincts.


    ¡°Hey Smitty, would it be alright to have an engraving added?¡±


    The gnome thought on the proposal, shrugged and walked over to his workbench waving for Valerie to follow. After quickly and efficiently marking the blade, Smitty handed it back to the huntress who held it up to the light, catching herself and the deceased tiger in the reflection.


    ¡°Tiger¡¯s Will.¡±


    She whispered confirming her knifes name and feeling she had truly become the Trophy Hunter. Whenever she looked at this blade or the many scars marring her skin she would remember her greatest fall and work every day to rise back up until she surpassed the person she was. Samantha applauded the name of Valerie¡¯s blade unaware of the resolve it instilled in her friend.


    ¡°Okay, my turn!¡±


    She said happily and excited to see what kind of shenanigans she would have to endure to obtain her class. Smitty stood atop his workbench while dawning a fancy looking pair of goggles and forcibly coughed to draw both sets of eyes towards him.


    ¡°Quite right, let¡¯s move on to the real highlight. Miss Trapper, if you would be so kind as to summon forth the true form of your chain?¡±


    Samantha did so, focusing her breathing and picturing the rusty chain from the temple she was able to force the metal links to coil out of her shadow and pile onto the floor. While out hunting and waiting for Valerie to recover, Samantha had worked to summon the true chain diligently eventually being able to conjure them on command though at considerable mental effort. Those links simply did not want to be exposed. Smitty grabbed the last link in the chain and locked into place on a low hook attached to the back wall. He then directed Samantha to stand some ways away with the chain wrapped around her arm and pulled as tight as she could. Valerie was not to interfere and just watch, the only help she could offer would be to turn off the lights and Smitty already had a workaround. Clapping his small hands the room suddenly fell into darkness. Through the dim, Samantha could plainly make out the gnome wheeling a large and adjustable anvil under her chain. Locking the chunk of steel in place, he climbed atop it while holding in his right hand an obsidian hammer so dark even Samantha¡¯s enhanced sight almost couldn¡¯t see it. Raising his tool high he struck down causing sparks to fly from the chain and anvil alike. He then repeated the action again and again working at the old chain which did not morph or bend from the repeated impacts. In fact, nothing appeared to be happening.If you encounter this narrative on Amazon, note that it''s taken without the author''s consent. Report it.


    ¡°Hey Mister Smitty, is there anything supposed to be added to, I don¡¯t know, make it more mystical?¡±


    Samantha asked unsure exactly what hitting her chains a bunch would do. Smitty ceased hammering to look at the girl before explaining his actions as gently as the annoyed gnome could.


    ¡°Well, you see Miss Trapper I am attempting to infuse the base chain with darkness or more accurately shadows. Over the past two weeks I have researched every known case of shadow classes and how they were crafted. While circumstances may vary, the common factor is a total absence of light. Now please do leave me to my work.¡±


    The craftsman really did not have a lot of evidence to go on, a grievance Albert knew all too well. Similarly, the lack of concrete information proved to excite the gnomes creative mind further which was why he not only improvised the shadow users class forging but also Valerie¡¯s own upgrade using an old technique he designed but never got the chance to use. The end results for the huntress were good thus Smitty was convinced he could work his magic once again for Samantha. Unfortunately manipulating the internal magic within her chain was difficult not just because she only had it for a few months but because she didn¡¯t use the physical chain itself. Her mystical tethers were a copy and did not carry the same weight the original did and as such couldn¡¯t be worked or altered. What he was doing was essentially tricking the chain into a trance or hypnotic state using repeated rhythmic vibrations with the end goal to bind it closer to Samantha. There was an issue however, the chain had something tied to it altering the internal magic and defining it like an irrefutable promise. It was most likely whatever stipulation came with the temple born object although Smitty never enquired what exactly the downside was. He would simply grind it out and replace it with something more amenable, but it was proving challenging.


    The expert craftsman continued his hammering, he struck the chain over and over, barely a second between hits, with sparks constantly flying. Samantha was unaware of the important work being done to her chain and could only agonize over her current position. Stuck standing in an awkward pose while holding onto the links with all her pitiful might. She really should have picked a better angle as her current posture was a tad inconvenient which, depending how long this process took, could become torturous. She envied Valerie who silently sat in a corner twirling Tiger¡¯s Will and getting a feel for the weight of her knife like it was the first day she grasped it all over again. After the first hour of hammering, Samantha was on the verge of calling it quits for getting a class entirely especially after she caught Valerie taking a nap. Although it may be accurate to say she was sleeping off the blood loss as well as the rush to her system from her class. Samantha tried to grin and bear it, but this was simply too boring and that hammering was gnawing at her mind making her unable to focus. Just as she was about to voice her frustrations and loosen her grip she received her own vision.


    It was not a dream of the future or her death once again, instead it was akin to the sights and scenes Valerie briefly described having. The difference was Samantha saw nothing. Well not nothing, to be more accurate she saw the absence of anything, no matter, anti-matter, scenes of other shadow users or anything at all. Pure blackness filled her vision to the point she thought she might have gone blind. It did little to help her boredom, but it was somewhat nostalgic. The lack of anything reminded her of her time in that isolated cave where she first saw her prophetic vision and achieved the aspect of shadow. It was not fun at the time but looking back she could only think fondly on how she transformed from a girl who feared captivity and dying a meaningless death to someone incapable of feeling fear and with a final moment that was worthy of being captured in brilliant illustrations. She still wanted that painters help and knew she needed to gather the funds quickly or else her death would come long before she could hang a copy up on the wall. First however, she needed to get this class thing over with and boy was it taking forever. How long had it been now? Two hours? Two days? Two years?! Okay maybe not that long but it felt like it. Maybe this is what Albert was talking about during that time about the thing and the other¡­ thing.


    ¡°My precipitation.¡±


    Samantha whispered, incorrectly remembering the word. Here she was, stuck unable to move and in complete sensory deprivation with just her thoughts to keep her company. Is this how she viewed her shadow and chain aspect? As a box or a cage? Perhaps a mine or maybe even¡­


    ¡°A prison?¡±


    Was she still trapped in that dark cave? Did she ever truly leave or was Samantha stuck in that mine? Maybe that was her own truth, Samantha was already dead and whoever escaped was simply another person entirely. No, that wasn¡¯t quite right. She was Samantha and she never escaped her confinement, her prison, the walls simply expanded. She viewed her vision of the future as a key to her salvation, that she was incapable of dying to anything else and thus had no reason to worry about her own mortality. It gave her freedom like no one else, but maybe that wasn¡¯t right, maybe it just became another prison, and the only release was her death or parole so to speak. Then what did it mean to become a Deep Jailer? Was it the solution or part of the problem? Did it have to be either, both or none at all? Even as a jailer she was still part of the prison and couldn¡¯t escape it, yet she was not beholden to it. As a jailer she made the rules, she chose who was locked away and why couldn¡¯t that include herself? She could be the lock and key and be neither at the same time, the inmate and the guard, the judge and jury, the convict and parolee. She was herself, she was Samantha Trapper, a name she was given and another she chose.


    ¡°The prison is me, and I am the jailer.¡±


    She was her own cage but she was also whatever she wished to be. She may be locked into a pre-ordained death but that didn¡¯t mean she had to play by the rules. She could end it all right here and now, completely derail whatever plan the divine had for her and take control for herself once and for all.


    ¡°Or maybe not.¡±


    Suicide was always an option just not one she would willingly take unless she had an alternative. Or if it would be a great punch line to a joke. Like if she was ever at a fine dining establishment and the waiter asked how she liked her meal she could do it then. Thoughts of a morbid end aside, if she was supposed to be a Jailer and everything was a prison then did that make everyone else a prisoner as well? As the Deep Jailer she could possibly free herself and everyone else but how though? She was locked up for life, and what a short life that would be, it¡¯s not like she could take everyone with her on her way out of the prion.


    ¡°Hm, well why not?¡±


    For the longest time she believed her vision was of her death alone, caught up in the midst of a fight she couldn¡¯t win but what if there was an alternative? What if it actually showed the end of the world brought about by Samantha? If she was the jailer what was to stop her from opening the doors and setting everyone free alongside her? Or better yet why not just set the prison on fire while everyone was still inside? No one would remember her anyway, but they would remember what she did and if the end came no matter what she might as well make it a grand finale like no other. As her newfound purpose was cemented within her soul, the corners of her sight began to clear, and the room was visible once again to see Smitty continuing to hammer away at the chain. Samantha knew his efforts were no longer required now that she achieved her class but who says the jailer couldn¡¯t abuse her position a little?


    Six hours later, Smitty hefted his hammer for the last time, dropping it and watched as the head snapped off clattering to the floor uselessly. He cursed, adjusting his night vision goggles and feeling the accrued strain on his shoulder from over seven hours of continuous motion. He had to be sure however, that chain just didn¡¯t seem to follow any form of logic and every time he thought it was improving it shifted back. Sometimes it looked solid then liquid, hard as stone and fragile as glass, it even warped into different forms of chains. Eventually it stopped giving off sparks altogether which worried the gnome, but he still persisted. That odd issue with the internal magic didn¡¯t disappear but seemed to be reinforced becoming fundamental to the chain itself. He thought Samantha would pipe up to advise of any issues or if the class forging was successful, yet no call came thus he endured. It was unwise to turn the lights back on now, but Smitty needed a long break before he could continue. Clapping once he was gobsmacked to find not just Valerie, but Samantha too had fallen asleep, the former still on her feet but with drool leaking out of her mouth and onto the floor. What followed next would best be described as the longest, most high pitch, uninterrupted verbal tirade to ever occur in Capital City as Smitty tore into the sleeping pair rudely waking them up in the process. It ended with the two being nearly kicked out of Smitty¡¯s Smiths and the gnome slamming the door in their faces. Valerie and Samantha stood in the middle of the road staring wide eyed after such a harrowing ordeal.


    ¡°What did he say?¡±


    ¡°I have no idea.¡±


    Along the way they stopped being able to understand a single word of the gnomes anger due to his squeaky voice. It was debatable if dogs could even hear it as the gnome reached pitches never before attained by mortal kind. As the two were about to head off, Becky cracked the door open slightly flooding the streets with her bosses unhinged outbursts once again.


    ¡°Yo, come back again soon when he¡¯s less upset. Said he wanted to discuss something with you two. Alright, peace.¡±


    She ended holding up two fingers in a gesture neither adventurer recognised before closing the door. As silence returned to the street Samantha turned to Valerie.


    ¡°So¡­ what do we do now? Should we go hunting and try out our classes?¡±


    Valerie smiled and looked down at her friend. Clasping her on the shoulder she walked them down a well-travelled road towards the highest rated restaurant in the pairs admittedly shallow pool of options.


    ¡°No, Samantha. For once, let¡¯s go get something to eat and take the day off.¡±

 Trial and Tribulation

    Valerie silently crept through the underbrush with Tiger¡¯s Will in hand and starving for the blood of monsters. The blade, not her at least she hoped. The huntress ignored her weapons bottomless appetite through great effort, giving in to the call wouldn¡¯t help her recovery process even if it was so tempting. There was a prey not far in front of her, a walking sack of blood just waiting to be ripped into. All she needed to do was walk right up and give it a little poke between the eyes. A loud smack rung out almost alerting her target, thankfully it was too busy contending with an infuriatingly hard to pin down blonde nightmare.


    ¡°Boo!¡±


    Samantha screamed in the Octolot¡¯s face before darting back, a shadow chain wrapped tightly around her waist dragging her just out of the monster¡¯s reach. An Octolot was a sleek feline creature with red fur broken up by purple splotches dotted across its back and eight suction cupped tails. It was an elemental creature who could spew an acidic liquid from its many tails debilitating and digesting prey for the not-a-cat to feast upon. Despite only coming up to about knee height, the Octolot was considered a high-risk monster due to its fast movements, quick reflexes and aforementioned spray of corrosive liquid. It was ill advised for melee focused warriors like Valerie to face the creature head on as armour was at best a hindrance with the acidic spray quickly eating through any protective layers down to the gooey treat inside. Not that Valerie had any need to worry about her armour being corroded, she wasn¡¯t wearing any after all and was still decked out in her civilian attire. Since the Merryland fiasco she had yet to acquire a new set of protective gear. Not because she couldn¡¯t, the funds from Darrian were still abundant, she simply hadn¡¯t found the time what with being in poor health and then acquiring her class. She would need to visit the write blacksmiths and armourers later, right now the hunt was still on for the Octolot and while she may not be a good match for it there was one annoyingly chipper girl who was.


    ¡°Here kitty kitty!¡±


    Samantha yelled as she flipped over the furious creature for the fifth time, patting its head affectionately as she passed by. Being a stealth focused combatant with excellent acrobatics and the power to yank herself out of danger meant Samantha was able to hound the Octolot relentlessly, always frustratingly out of range just as the half cat tried to get off a shot. She jumped, flipped and leapt from every angle, somehow never growing dizzy, and forcing the Octolot into a game of cat and mouse with the latter occasionally coming in with a steel toed kick to the monster¡¯s side. Dancing around the creature, Samantha was subtly directing it into the perfect position for Valerie to strike. The pair of adventurers opted to flip their usual tactics, and Samantha would take the vanguard while Valerie came in for the big finish.


    Rubbing at her freshly swollen cheek, the huntress had to admit there was a degree of excitement waiting for the right opportunity to spring forth, a moment that arrived right on schedule. The Octolot was just a few feet from the huntress¡¯s hidden position, and she watched as it hissed while swiping at Samantha who hung upside down from a tree branch. Blowing a raspberry at the monster, the shadow user dropped from her chain and rolled out of harm¡¯s way. The enraged cat opened its maw which separated into sections like a flower¡¯s petals. To this, Samantha unleashed her eery aura blanketing the area and causing the Octolot to freeze in sudden terror.


    ¡°Turnabout!¡±


    Following her friends signal, Valerie reared back and launched her upgraded weapon, the knife soaring faster than ever before into the frozen monsters many tails. With her improved weapon and slight increase in strength she was able to sever all the tentacle tails in a single attack, greatly diminishing the monsters combat options. Excruciating pain overtook the Octolot causing it to wake from the shock and twist around madly while a stream of acidic liquid poured out from the cut limbs. Without waiting a second longer, the cat launched itself at Samantha, who offered a friendly wave and was yanked once again out of harm¡¯s way. Unfortunately for the monster, this left it without a target to pounce upon, a problem the kind and considerate huntress remedied erupting from the bushes with her fist raised. Valerie¡¯s knuckles collided with the feline and sent it crashing into the earth just as her weapon finished it¡¯s around the world tour to land directly into her open palm. With a last grunt of effort, she thrust Tiger¡¯s Will into the monster¡¯s head before it could rise again finishing the Octolot off for good. There was a strange surge of something that travelled up Tiger¡¯s Will and through her arm immediately after the kill followed by the strangest sensation of a tension somewhere being loosened. Sidling up to her compatriot, Samantha looked down at the defeated monster.


    ¡°Hang in there kitty.¡±


    She announced much to Valerie and her own confusion, neither was sure where the slogan came from and agreed it would have been better used if she hanged the cat. Walking down the road on their way back home, both warriors fell into silent contemplation. Valerie examined Tiger¡¯s Will as she had done many times before, running her fingers along the edge and serrated back. What did she feel as she delivered the finishing blow to the monster? Was it the power of her class in action? She recalled the description that enticed her to the class and how it colourfully stated she would be stronger for killing monsters or something to that effect. She didn¡¯t feel any stronger, maybe it was a temporary boost that would empower her mid combat? That wouldn¡¯t be the most helpful though, what if she fought a weak monster on the way to a much stronger one? Would she burn through the power in an instant or have some time limit? This would require some experimentation, however that would need to be done gradually with Joanne¡¯s one monster contract a day rule. Valerie sighed, she knew it was for the best and hopefully only temporary so long as she showed improvements or better control. She respected Joanne¡¯s insights, there was possibly no one else she could turn to who knew exactly what she was going through.


    ¡°Doesn¡¯t mean I like it.¡±


    She abruptly said breaking her silence.


    ¡°Hmmm?¡±


    Samantha asked lost in thought.This novel''s true home is a different platform. Support the author by finding it there.


    ¡°It¡¯s nothing, nevermind. So, uh how is your training going? Figured out how to Deep Jail yet?¡±


    So far neither were making much head way in regards to their classes, they were undoubtedly stronger than before but what else they could do was still a mystery. The shadow user at least gained near full control of her eery aura, the only exception being if anyone stared into her eyes too long.


    ¡°It¡¯s fine, I¡¯ve safely jailed myself. Now I just need to figure out how to jail everyone else.¡±


    ¡°Ah still on the kill everyone bandwagon, how¡¯s that going?


    Samantha thought for a minute, her mind was overflowing with ideas and plans yet there remained a single problem: she didn¡¯t know how to end the world.


    ¡°Not well.¡±


    A positive attitude and drive to succeed was a good start but she needed real results, a plan of action, a lot of funding and political power if she was to ever topple the worlds governments plunging everything into chaos. How she was going to achieve all of that in her short lifespan was a mystery to the shadow user, but she was sure she¡¯d get their eventually. Once again, it all came back to her vision of the future, somehow, someway she was going to do it.


    ¡°And when I do, I swear to all that is divine. It. Will. Be. Epic.¡±


    She promised the world at large yet only her one friend heard and even she wasn¡¯t really listening.


    ¡°Uhuh, well when you do let me know and I¡¯ll find a gap in my schedule.¡±


    Evidentially spending so much time with Joanne was colouring Valerie¡¯s speech and turning her into a sarcastic huntress. The pair filled their time with idle banter while taking the long route home ending up back at the guild just before sunset with the completed contract in hand for Margaretta to sign off on. They took their pittance of a pay and began perusing through the next batch of contracts. Samantha noticed one, immediately snatching it off the wall away from the huntress¡¯s prying eyes.


    ¡°Samantha? What you got there?¡±


    ¡°Hmmm? Nothing nothing, just uh¡­ a napkin.¡±


    She made a show of blowing her nose into the sheet before stamping it onto the ground and roughly crushing it beneath her boot. Margaretta elected not to notice the clear destruction of guild property; it would just mean more paperwork. Besides she knew exactly what that contract entailed and after being brought up to date on the huntress¡¯s current issue, despite not asking, she didn¡¯t exactly blame Samantha. That Maroch dignitary would just need to accept his pet tiger was missing and would never be found. Finally picking a suitable job, the duo left to spend their paycheck on a nice hearty, filling, meat overloaded, meal at Joanne¡¯s. The beast woman in question welcomed her favourite and most frequent customers leading them to a booth in the back while they waited for their food.


    ¡°So, how we doing today girls?¡±


    Although the question was directed to both of them, her eye never left Valerie, a fact the huntress tried to avoid.


    ¡°Fine, it was fine. We just¡­ it was fine, okay?¡±


    Very convincing, Joanne thought.


    ¡°Mmmmhm, well how about you Sammy? Figured out how to end the world yet?¡±


    The beast woman¡¯s loud voice naturally carried itself throughout the dining area and many eyes turned in her direction.


    ¡°Not yet still stuck at the drawing board. Say, you wouldn¡¯t happen to know any mad mages trying to open a portal to the infernal realm and also looking for an intern?¡±


    Joanne laughed merrily before responding.


    ¡°Know your worth Sam, don¡¯t work for a twinkle fingers for no pay. If you¡¯re gonna destroy everything at least get paid for it. I know I would.¡±


    They ate and made small talk, Joanne appearing as lackadaisical as always yet her one good eye still lingered on Valerie much to the huntress¡¯s mounting annoyance.


    ¡°Will you stop that?!¡±


    She demanded just as a young waiter was bringing them their dessert menu. Joanne waved off her new hire who scurried back from his imposing superior.


    ¡°Stop what? I¡¯m not doing anything?¡±


    Despite the coy act, the air around the ex-adventurer shifted almost like a certain would-be anarchists own eery aura.


    ¡°That! Stop looking at me like that! I am not a kid, and I said I was fine. So just stop pretending otherwise, you¡¯re not my-¡°


    Valerie clamped her mouth shut before finishing her sentence, but the implication was already out there and couldn¡¯t be taken back. Both Samantha and Joanne sat forward while raising an eyebrow each at the huntress.


    ¡°Not what? Not your mother? You¡¯re right I aint.¡±


    Having kids was never on the table for Joanne, not that she couldn¡¯t but rather she didn¡¯t want them and was forced to turn down many a suitor because of it. She was her own set of problems and didn¡¯t need that passed onto a kid or two. Unfortunately, spending time with Valerie and Samantha, despite how short of a time it¡¯s been, was changing something in the beast woman. It did not mean she was going to be all gung-ho asking them to call her mommy like her dwarven business partner. Instead, she could be something better.


    ¡°I¡¯m your friend Valerie and as a friend I am worried about you. We both are.¡±


    She nodded to Samantha who gave a thumbs up, worry wasn¡¯t something she could manage but noticing a problem and wanting to fix it wasn¡¯t hard.


    ¡°So quit being a hard ass and lighten up. I¡¯m not going to mother you but if you need a shoulder to cry on you have two. And if you decide to keep it up, fine just means no more hunting for you young lady.¡±


    Valerie sat back stunned and lost for what to say except.


    ¡°Whatever.¡±


    She began to shrink into the plush seat trying with all her might to disappear. Too far Joanne too far, the beast woman admonished herself after her attempt at a joke failed miserably.


    ¡°Yeah¡­¡±


    They sat in awkward silence neither the huntress nor ex-adventurer making any attempts to reopen a dialogue. Samantha too sat awkwardly but that was because she did want to see the dessert menu and wasn¡¯t sure how to get the waiters attention. Surely a nice, sweet treat would liven the mood? Or how about.


    ¡°Hey Joanne? Why did you stop being an adventurer?¡±


    A nice story was bound to lift everyone¡¯s spirits was the shadow users thought process. She could be forgiven for not knowing the sordid past of the beast woman or that the many trials and tribulations she endured before making her exit was anything but a happy story. Despite all logic to the contrary, it did perk the depressed women up, Valerie staring on in expectation while Joanne reminisced on her own youth.


    ¡°You want to know why I quit? Well, it all starts and ends right here.¡±


    She tapped at her forehead and the useless piece of grey matter that lay within. Physically she was in perfect condition if you discounted the lack of depth perception. Mentally, she had even more scars than those adorning her frame. Many adventurers just like her could attest to the anguish and build up that led some down dark paths that couldn¡¯t be walked back. Luckily, Joanne got out just before all that and it gave her a unique perspective on guild work. Once again, if anyone knew what Valerie was going through it was her.


    ¡°You aint unique Val, plenty of adventurers got problems and I am no exception. Didn¡¯t quit because of them even though I probably should have. They just meant every paycheck I got was spent on fine dining and booze.¡±


    A rather downplayed explanation given the beast woman ended up conked out in just about every alley in Central City until Albert found her.


    ¡°I¡¯ll always be grateful to that knife eared S.O.B., helped me more than you two will ever know.¡±


    The elf librarian put himself into debt helping Joanne get back on her feet and despite paying him back and then some she never quite got over the genuine kindness he showed a complete stranger. She never said it aloud but if Albert ever came into financial straits again she would liquidate everything in a second to ensure the old man was taken care of. And if someone threatened him, well maybe she would just need to fish out old reliable and deal with the problem personally.


    ¡°Say that¡¯s an idea.¡±


    The beast woman announced while rising out of her seat.


    ¡°Us adventurers we don¡¯t resolve our problems with words, we do it with action. So, I got a proposition for you two.¡±


    Her audience stared up at the tall beast woman hung upon her every word.


    ¡°How would you like to have a little sparring match?¡±

 One mean B-

    ¡°I don¡¯t like this. Not one bit.¡±


    Mrs Bubba announced for the umpteenth time that day.


    ¡°Neither do I.¡±


    Albert agreed, unsurprisingly one of the few times the elf and dwarf ever shared the same opinion on anything. They alongside a priest sat in the peanut gallery of a local training hall as they awaited the combatants to take their starting positions. Some guilds had halls attached to their building allowing members to freely accept a contract or get in some early morning training within the one space. The Capital City branch was due to receive such a renovation until they were forced to scrap plans to rebuild. As such the guild had formed a deal with nearby gymnasiums and other sports facilities within Adventure Town offering their members reduced rates. The one Joanne rented out was a woefully underused space partially due to its relatively cramped confines being barely larger than a tennis court and more importantly for the ludicrous price. As a former member, she was no longer entitled to her guild discount and the girls weren¡¯t high enough in the organization to qualify. So, the beast woman rented the entire hall as well as the services of a priest from out of her own pocket although given her combat style and the collateral damage she could cause there was no doubt she was in for a tough few weeks of scrounging and saving.


    ¡°A-are you sure about this?¡±


    Valerie asked, equal parts excited and nervous at the prospect of taking on one of her guardians. She was aware Joanne was something of a living legend back when she worked for the guild but to jump right in after so long surely wouldn¡¯t be fair. The former adventurer laughed heartily causing her intricately decorated armour pieces to jiggle and clang against one another. Although she hadn¡¯t worn it in years, she still kept her old equipment in pristine condition just on the off chance she needed to break it out again. Due to her animalistic proportions a full set of heavy armour would prove more hindrance than help thus the beast woman opted instead for a mix of leathers and steel plates that covered her joints and vital areas respectively. She was well protected all except for her head, feet and a window from the nape of her neck to just above her heart, exposing her more attractive features while keeping just enough to the imagination. It was a lesson neither rookie had been taught yet, but adventuring was as much about killing monsters as it was advertising oneself and nothing caught the eye like a little sex appeal. Or a lot in the beast woman¡¯s case.


    ¡°Scared are ya? You can always back down. Course you¡¯ll have to admit you¡¯ve been acting like a brat and¡­ oh what the hell you¡¯ll need to work in the kitchen for a week.¡±


    The huntress turned pale, embarrassing herself was bad enough but working under Joanne? Her and Samantha were lucky to be friends with the slave driver because working for her seemed like torture, she expected nothing but the best.


    ¡°Not a chance! When we win you owe us a year¡¯s free meals!¡±


    Joanne smiled her typical toothy smile, that was a gamble she could take although there was a problem.


    ¡°We? I don¡¯t see your other half.¡±


    She could definitely smell her, but Samantha was otherwise nowhere in sight.


    ¡°Can¡¯t make it too easy for you. You¡¯ll find her when it¡¯s too late.¡±


    Valerie boasted and tore Tiger¡¯s Will from its sheath while lowering herself into a fighting stance. The beast woman sniggered, if that¡¯s how they wanted to do it she was more than happy to play along. She crouched down to open a case at her feet and slowly set out a series of metal rods as well as a dagger that bordered on being a short sword. Methodically, she pieced the rods together screwing each into one another until they formed a two-meter-long pole which she affixed a sharp triangular tip to. With her spear completed, Joanne held it close to her snout and whispered a few words into the weapon.


    ¡°Lass die Wut alles verzehren¡±


    A red wave passed through the pole causing etchings in the metal to shine and give of a faint red smoke. Her preparations complete, the ex-adventurer rose and kicked the case away. She set the butt of her weapon into the ground deep enough for it to stand on its own and branded her dagger at Valerie mimicking her stance.


    ¡°If you would be so kind father.¡±


    The priest in question stepped forth and raised his hand above his head.


    ¡°Let this bout be blessed by the divine and may all those involved leave better warriors. Amen.¡±


    With his last word, the priest lowered his hand and the fight began. Valerie immediately reared back to throw Tiger¡¯s Will.


    ¡°Turnab-¡°


    ¡°Too slow!¡±


    In the blink of an eye the beast woman was before Valerie, her left fist colliding with the huntress¡¯s stomach while her right arm raised up with the dagger poised to plunge into her opponents heart. Valerie still lacked proper armour so she was fully exposed to the attack that could rip her from head to toe. Thankfully the attack never struck as a series of chains flew down from the rafters to encircle the clawed appendage. This was too early, Valerie thought while falling over as all the air in her lungs was forced out of her. Samantha was supposed to come in at the last second not at the start of the fight, now their whole strategy had gone out the window. Having been privy to all the rookie adventurers many boasts and stories of their hunts, Joanne expected their usual tricks and decided to upturn their plans.


    ¡°Samantha! There you are! Come join the FUN!¡±


    She yanked hard on the chains wrapped around her arm snapping a number and failing to drag out the shadow user. Forgetting about Valerie and turning to stare into the rafters overhead, Joanne saw a myriad of shadow chains snaking around the beams and completely obscuring the roof. It was a good thing those chains broke as the ex-adventurer may have accidentally brought the ceiling down on top of them.


    ¡°C¡¯mon Sammy, you can come out. I¡¯ve heard all the stories; I know you¡¯re the real spine of your group. How many ¡°hunts¡± would have ended poorly without you? Not to mention, you got precious little Valerie to run away with you when she was too chicken to do it herself. I think its time to drop the dead weight and face me!¡±


    Mrs Bubba listened to the rude jab and was about to yell back at Joanne when Albert put his hand on the diminutive woman¡¯s shoulder while shaking his head.


    ¡°That¡¯s not very nice.¡±


    Samantha said from somewhere unseen, her voice echoing through the room.


    ¡°Not nice? You mean like Valerie? She left you to die, don¡¯t you remember. She was too busy thinking about herself and how much she wants to be ¡°independent¡±. She doesn¡¯t care about you. The second she can manage on her own she¡¯ll forget about you.¡±


    ¡°Hey that¡¯s¡­¡±


    A stern wolf like scowl from Joanne stopped the slowly rising huntress from uttering another word. The expression vanished as quickly as it had appeared as the tall woman adopted a carefree attitude.


    ¡°Val, sorry I¡¯m trying to talk to the real warrior hear so just do us a favour and BUTT OUT.¡±


    She demanded reaching her spear before quickly twisting on her heel and tossing the weapon directly at Valerie. The javelin travelled faster than the eye could follow and would have impaled the huntress had she not been kicked out of the way. A loud clang reverberated through the hall as Joanne¡¯s spear embedded itself into the wall with Samantha and Valerie falling to either side of it.


    ¡°Oh, that¡¯s gonna be costly¡­ but it worked. Finally, a real warrior has come to the stage.¡±


    Joanne¡¯s barbs continued even as she mentally calculated how much it would be to have the wall fixed up.


    The author''s narrative has been misappropriated; report any instances of this story on Amazon.


    ¡°Why are you doing this?!¡±


    Samantha demanded after using the beast woman¡¯s discarded weapon to stand back up. The red runes on the spear dimmed and a scarlet haze crept into the shadow user¡¯s vision. She felt angry, angrier than she ever had been, Joanne¡¯s words hadn¡¯t gotten to her before but now she couldn¡¯t tear her eyes off the person belittling her best friend.


    ¡°Why? Because you wanted this, because wittle Val here is weak and because you need to be taught what a real champ can do.¡±


    Getting back into swing of things, Joanne pointed her dagger at Samantha daring her to attack.


    ¡°You know what they called me in my adventuring days?¡±


    ¡°A rude mongrel!¡±


    Mrs Bubba couldn¡¯t help but interject appalled at the performance she was watching. The diva herself laughed merrily and stared her opponents down.


    ¡°Close, they used to call me ¡®The Bad Bitch¡¯ cause I took no one¡¯s crap and told it like it is.¡±


    Lowering herself once again, she beckoned her true opponent forward while completely ignoring Valerie still laid out on the floor.


    ¡°You! You! You¡¯re wrong!¡±


    The scarlet haze turned to a blinding red that infected the shadow user, and a deluge of vitriol began to pour forth.


    ¡°I don¡¯t know why you¡¯re doing this but you¡¯re wrong! You¡¯re wrong, wrong, wrong! She¡¯s a great warrior and she saved me! She¡¯s my best friend and she¡¯s amazing and could beat you or Fandrial or anyone! Even if she forgets me, I¡¯ll NEVER forget her!¡±


    It took a lot of effort to hold herself back from tearing up, but Samantha barely managed it. The display tugged at all but the priests heart strings seeing the usually calm and cheerful girl so consumed by her anger. Valerie especially was struck by Samantha¡¯s words and felt an ache in her chest.


    ¡°Ha ha hahahahahahahaHAHAHAHHAHAHAHAHA!¡±


    The beast woman however couldn¡¯t help but bellow out a laugh and wipe a single tear from her eye. Fury overtook Samantha and she rushed forward into danger.


    ¡°Samantha don¡¯t!¡±


    Valerie tried to call after her friend but was too late as the ex-adventurer and shadow user got into a melee. If you could even call it a melee, in reality Samantha used the many chains from overhead to spear down into Joanne¡¯s path always missing or being knocked away by her dagger. The assault ended when Joanne hopped into the air, twisted three hundred and sixty degrees and delivered a powerful kick to the shadow user¡¯s head. Luckily Samantha summoned a number of chains to come between her and the blow, but all this did was blunt the strike not stop it entirely. She was violently knocked to the floor disrupting her concentration and causing all her conjured chains to evaporate instantly. To add insult to injury the ex-adventurer rested her foot atop her downed opponent pressing lightly upon Samantha¡¯s chest and nearly chocking her in the process. Joanne clicked her tongue annoyed at the shameful display.


    ¡°Maybe you were right, maybe I was wrong Samantha. NEITHER of you is worth being an adventurer. I think I¡¯m gonna go and talk to Margaretta about getting your membership revo-¡±


    A thrown knife to Joanne¡¯s shoulder embedded itself between the armour plates.


    ¡°Nice knife.¡±


    She said admiring the expert craftmanship as she turned to face Valerie once again. What she saw instead was the white knuckles of the huntress as they made contact with her face.


    ¡°GET OFF OF HER!¡±


    The furious huntress demanded striking as hard as she could into the beast woman¡¯s noggin. The attack worked and sent Joanne sailing back a metre before she dug her claws into the ground skidding to a stop. Unlike the shadow user, Valerie¡¯s rage wasn¡¯t influenced by an external force and was all her own. Seeing her friend beaten down finally woke her from the shock of being cast aside and pushed her to act. Extending a hand to Samantha, Valerie hoisted her up without letting go. A bit of the red fog clouding the shadow user¡¯s mind vanished with the severe knock to the head, or maybe due to the concussion, she didn¡¯t know she wasn¡¯t a doctor. On stable footing once again, the pair stared down their guardian who looked down on them derisively.


    ¡°What now? Gonna use Sam as a meat shield while you cry and wail?¡±


    Joanne continued to egg the two on, they were making good progress so far and with a single opponent to focus their ire upon the duo were inching towards a revelation. The beast woman wasn¡¯t a genius by any measure, but she knew giving people a common insurmountable enemy brought out the best in them. From Valerie¡¯s next words her hasty plan was working.


    ¡°You aren¡¯t fighting one of us!¡±


    The huntress announced as a shadow chain shot out of the opposite wall knocking Tiger¡¯s Will free of Joanne¡¯s shoulder to fly straight into Valerie¡¯s waiting hand.


    ¡°You¡¯re fighting both of us.¡±


    The duo said in tandem while taking on posing dramatically side by side. The beast woman licked at her lips and showed off her impressive chompers.


    ¡°Good, good. Well? What are you waiting? COME AT ME!¡±


    Joanne dropped to the floor and dashed forward on all fours. The rookie adventurers barely dodged out of the way in time to catch their opponent tearing her spear out of the wall, the red runes glowing ever brighter and colouring her one eye scarlet. The fog completely left Samantha as she was hit with a feeling of vertigo and shook her head to try and dispel the nausea. With their original plan thoroughly eviscerated the pair were forced to improvise and use another from their playbook.


    ¡°Bang bang?¡±


    A sound mind Samantha asked to which Valerie nodded, a grin spreading across her face as she rushed forth. Joanne attempted to stab with her Spear meeting resistance as it collided with Valerie¡¯s backhanded knife. The huntress was barely able to push the attack off centre and towards the ground where she held it with all the strength she could muster. Samantha soon ran up behind Valerie to use her back as a jump pad. Leaping as high as she could go, the shadow user soared over head much to the onlookers and Joanne¡¯s confusion. It was all just for show really, the ¡®Bang Bang¡¯ manoeuvre only really needed one thing: a person or monster¡¯s full attention on Samantha staring right into her eyes. Raising a hand up and extended two fingers, she focused her entire being and partially opened the jail.


    ¡°Bang.¡±


    A concentrated invisible blast of her eery aura shot directly at Joanne who reeled from the sudden onset of fear overtaking her senses. In the brief moment of disorientation, Valerie moved up jamming her blade into the beast woman¡¯s arm and forcing her to drop the dagger. She would have gone for the other one too and completely disarmed Joanne but was forced to leap back as the beast woman recovered. She did however collect the dropped dagger while retreating and brandished both knives at her opponent. Joanne was about to lay down the pain train and get back her weapon when she realized she lost sight of Samantha.


    ¡°Hey, Bang!¡±


    Not for very long however as a voice to her side drew the ex-adventurer¡¯s attention and caused her mind to reel once again. It was an attack that could only last so long before she grew wise to Samantha¡¯s trick but that was all the duo needed. Valerie charged in wielding both weapons and feeling her aspect empower them. Using a dagger she was unused to and with no history felt like it diluted the power but that was alright for the time being. Slashing rapidly, she forced Joanne onto the defensive, the ex-adventurer using her spear as a shield to block the attacks as her mind re-focused. Before she could however, a shadow chain knocked into the back of her knee causing her to fumble slightly until the real attack came from Samantha attempting a drop kick. Due to the height difference, she wasn¡¯t able to reach the beast woman¡¯s head and instead struck her armoured side.


    Joanne was stuck, the flurry of Valerie¡¯s rapid strike commanding her attention while Samantha performed hit and run tactics kicking at her from all angles. The tide would turn in her favour however as Samantha was nowhere near strong enough to actually harm the beast woman and Valerie was wavering, her pitiful mana pool dropping rapidly. Or so she thought, just as Joanne was about to begin her counter offensive she noticed almost every slash from the huntress was directed to the same exact spot carving a gouge in the spear. She tried to re-orientate her weapon, but Samantha was suddenly atop her shoulders and leaned directly into the beast woman¡¯s line of sight.


    ¡°Bang!¡±


    She announced as Joanne braced herself, yet nothing happened. The shadow user then blew a raspberry into her face and leapt off allowing the beast woman to catch the shocking display of Valerie. She was definitely running low on mana, but that was because she was storing it up and now was about to unleash almost the entirety of it upon the beast woman. Both Tiger¡¯s Will and the stolen dagger shone brightly with brilliant light as the huntress struck swinging both weapons simultaneously in an ¡¯X¡¯ shaped slash. The combined force sliced through Joanne¡¯s spear and forced the beast woman¡¯s arms apart exposing her. She tried to block any follow up, but a chain wrapped around her wrists leaving her open for a finisher. Valerie charged into the opening and delivered a devastating uppercut to Joanne¡¯s jaw forcing the beast woman to stumble and then topple over. All fell silent for a second as Valerie backed away and Samantha appeared at her side.


    ¡°Ha, haha.¡±


    The ex-adventurer laughed and slowly rose to her to stare at the shocked pair. She rubbed at her sore jaw and felt a single tooth wobble.


    ¡°That was a good warm up.¡±


    Casually breaking free of the chains binding her, Joanne stood to her full height and cracked her knuckles.


    ¡°Shall we get started now?¡±


    What followed was a depressingly short fight as neither Valerie nor Samantha succeeded in landing another hit on the warmed-up beast woman. After a desperate five minutes, Samantha dangled from the ceiling wrapped up in her own chains while Valerie struggled valiantly beneath the massive rump of Joanne.


    ¡°You done yet?¡±


    She asked growing slightly bored from the uncomfortable seats constant bids for freedom. Pushing one last time and trying to reach for Tiger¡¯s Will that lay just out of reach, the huntress finally gave in and toppled to the floor.


    ¡°Yeah¡­ I¡¯m done. Please get off me.¡±


    ¡°Not yet, first¡­¡±


    The beast woman began waiting for her seat to finish.


    ¡°I¡¯m- I¡¯m sorry for being such a child.¡±


    ¡°Good enough.¡±


    Joanne rose up and offered a hand to Valerie who took it without complaint.


    ¡°Good you finally remembered you¡¯re a kid. It wasn¡¯t just something to rile you up.¡±


    She said smirking at the sore huntress


    ¡°I know that already, you didn¡¯t need beat it into to me that I¡¯m just a weak kid.¡±


    The ex-adventurer smacked her face dramatically, this was why she didn¡¯t want kids.


    ¡°It aint about being weak, it¡¯s about making mistakes. More importantly it¡¯s about making mistakes, owning up to those mistakes and being better. It aint enough to say your better or you¡¯re doing better or you¡¯ll get better. You actually have to, and you had best listen to this, be better. That goes for you too!¡±


    She shouted at Samantha who still dangled helplessly. Pointing at the huntress then to her accomplice.


    ¡°You were too in your head trying not to feed into your ¡®call to hunt¡¯ and she couldn¡¯t be honest to save her life.¡±


    Joanne knew the truth straight from the horse¡¯s mouth. Valerie and Samantha never split up even when the former thought otherwise. While the huntress fought the cursed tiger, Samantha was right there with her in the shadows and ready to pounce. It was killing Valerie to think she left Samantha all alone and wasn¡¯t a real friend but that couldn¡¯t be further from the truth. She did so much for the shadow user that she had become borderline obsessed with her even if she had no idea how to express it. Joanne didn¡¯t speak a word of it however as it wasn¡¯t her conversation to have.


    ¡°You two are both a bundle of issues that you could not pay me enough to fix. That being said, you are a damn efficient team and divine forbid if either of ya actually figure it out.¡±


    It wasn¡¯t simply flattery, Joanne heard all about their hunts and knew the pair worked well together but they were even better in tandem. Their fight against her hadn¡¯t been close at all but they had the potential to be so much more than she could ever be alone. What made her strong wasn¡¯t just her tenacity and strong physique but also how she used her own brand of spells. When asked she often described herself as an external berserker, forcing other people to fly into a rage if they came into contact with her weapons. It worked wonders on monsters causing them to lose focus and charge at the beast woman where upon she would skewer them. People too could be influenced although it was less effective with those who already used anger to fuel themselves like Valerie but for Samantha it was a killer. She may be immune to fear, worry, anxiety and so on but anger was another story altogether. Joanne too wasn¡¯t immune to the effects of her magic but had learned to harness it effectively and was near unstoppable once she got going. Although they didn¡¯t know it, the pairs ¡®Bang Bang¡¯ plan was the perfect counter to Joanne¡¯s magic as replacing her rage with unavoidable fear meant she couldn¡¯t focus her strength. She would explain all this later and give pointers for how best to improve their coordination however both rookies were pretty banged up at the moment and needed fixing.


    ¡°Oi father, need a healer over here. Work on the scary one first, think the bloods rushing to her head.¡±


    While the priest walked over to work his magic, Joanne picked up her discarded weapons disassembling the pieces although she probably didn¡¯t need to.


    ¡°Sorry about, cutting your spear in half.¡±


    A remorseful Valerie mumbled. After getting her knife upgraded and giving it a name, she saw a whole new world when it came to weapons and their owners.


    ¡°Eh its fine, barely use the thing anyway. Tell you what though, you can work on paying me back while you and Sammy are in the kitchen.¡±


    The huntress¡¯s face immediately dropped.


    ¡°Y-you were serious about that?¡±


    ¡°100% serious.¡±


    Joanne confirmed, resting a comforting hand on her Valerie¡¯s shoulder and gave her a not so friendly smile.


    ¡°Don¡¯t worry, you¡¯re going to look great in an apron.¡±

 A Secret Rendezvous

    Samantha yawned while groggily rubbing the sleep out of her eyes. She was having a wonderful dream of the sun exploding when she suddenly and violently fell out of bed. This time it wasn¡¯t because Valerie was trying to wake her up, no she had simply rolled right off the edge dropping like a sack of bricks into a heap. The past week of hard labour in Joanne¡¯s kitchen had thoroughly rocked the two¡¯s world more than any monster hunt. She still shuddered at the mountain of dishes that seemed to never shrink no matter how many they washed. Sufficiently awake to climb downstairs and grab breakfast, she passed by Albert sitting at a table enjoying a nice cup of tea with Fandrial. Blinking twice, Samantha put herself in reverse and caught sight of the two elves who met the half-asleep girls gaze with their own piercing eyes. Samantha looked to Albert, then to Fandrial then back to Albert.


    ¡°Morning.¡±


    She said greeting both in a tired voice before she continued her backwards trudge, clambering upstairs like someone had cast a reverse spell on her. Fandrial watched the odd display, a look of confusion adorning her face. Not because of Samantha¡¯s actions, well yes because of her actions, but also because she could look at the shadow user this time without her eyes wandering. Albert guessed the question on his guest¡¯s mind and took the liberty of divulging secrets if only to ease the awkward tension.


    ¡°She¡¯s been improving as you can see, they both have really.¡±


    The old librarian stated, nervously dabbing sweat from his bald head. Being sat next to a High Elf many times his elder was one thing but for it to be the Gentle Sword of all people only served to heighten the man¡¯s sense of unease. Fandrial held no such reservations and despite her status did not look down upon her junior, in fact she was quite pleased to find an elven citizen who had also been living in the city for some time. Their kind were secular and barely ever left the forest to which they all originated from, only the odd youth or exiled elf would venture outward seeking the company of humans or other races. In her many centuries of life, she had grown to realize how isolated her people were but could also see the downsides of interacting with single century entities. If an elf was to take a non-elven partner they would undoubtedly outlive their companion and be forced to experience an overwhelming loss for ages to come.


    She still met some who tried to make it work anyway and heard there was an elf who had several partners in his long life. It was not for her however, she simply didn¡¯t see the point of marriage nor finding a partner when other more important things drew her attention. The Duke tried on many occasions to use her as a political pawn and set her up with suitors which she always respectfully but firmly rebuffed. Thinking of that snivelling rat caused Fandrial to scrunch up her face in disgust just as she was taking a sip of the excellent tea. She hoped Albert hadn¡¯t seen and believed she disliked his brew that reminded her of home. He did see and did believe the worst though he wouldn¡¯t voice such a worry for fear of disrespecting the captain of the royal knights. The two sat in a tense silence as they waited for the young pair of adventurers to appear, which wouldn¡¯t take long considering the hushed voices she could make out overhead.


    Fandrial¡¯s senses were trained to their absolute peak and she could plainly make out the whispered argument from upstairs, the two reasons for her visit trying to decide what to do. The chain user, Samantha as she learned, suggested the pair sneak out a window, head to the local pub and wait for things to blow over. The knife wielder, Valerie, pointed out their room had no windows, and they didn¡¯t know where the nearest pub was. It somewhat intrigued Fandrial¡¯s old soul that this generation, or at least these two, had no desire to go out drinking the day away. After another five or so minutes of heated debate the stairs to the bottom floor creaked and the pair appeared, Valerie in the lead looking apprehensive. Walking into the library proper, the huntress glanced to Albert and then set her sights on Fandrial before addressing her landlord.


    ¡°Albert, she hasn¡¯t threatened you, has she?¡±


    The subtle promise of retaliation tickled Fandrial and she let out a soft chuckle. The laugh was met with a dreadful stare to the elder elf who noticed Valerie was wielding her knife back handed as if ready to plunge it into her heart at the breakfast table.


    ¡°No, no, there has been no threats. I promise you.¡±


    Albert announced trying to defuse the situation to no avail. Fandrial met Valerie¡¯s hate filled gaze with an easy going one. She came unarmed, no bow or quiver at her side yet it was obvious to all in attendance she was still the most dangerous one in the room. This didn¡¯t stop Samantha from sneaking behind the woman with a shadow chain gripped in her hands ready to strangle the elf.


    ¡°Please don¡¯t do anything rash Miss Trapper. I am only here to talk.¡±


    Fandrial said never taking her eyes off the huntress. Samantha froze, looking to Valerie she waited for her friend to provide some sort of signal to proceed with the strangulation anyway. What she received instead was Valerie sheathing her weapon and moving to sit beside Albert.


    ¡°You want to talk? Then talk.¡±


    Valerie¡¯s voice was dripping with venom although Fandrial wondered if she had ever done anything truly despicable to deserve such a reaction. To Valerie she did, they were both warrior¡¯s so retaliation was expected when she quite literally spat in her face. The Gentle Sword however didn¡¯t approach them like a warrior instead she came here to their home and indirectly threatened a friend. It forced them into a corner, neither Samantha nor Valerie could take on the elven warrior and keep Albert out of harm¡¯s way in the process. Not that either could defeat the royal captain even if they had time to prepare, the perfect venue or the advantage of Fandrial blindfolded, tied up and starved for a month. If push came to shove however facts and logic would not stop either from trying to gut the elf knight. Samantha shared the sentiment though not as gruesome or personal, she just didn¡¯t want to see Albert hurt after he¡¯d been so kind to the duo. If the world was full of people just like Albert or Joanne or Granny then maybe she wouldn¡¯t try to end it. Probably. Sitting on either side of Albert, Samantha and Valerie surrounded their friend while Fandrial lounged alone, a one-woman army.


    ¡°I¡¯m sure you¡¯re wondering why I¡¯m here. I¡¯ll cut right to the chase I require your¡­ assistance.¡±


    Three sets of eyes growing wide, two jaws dropping and one spit take were the immediate responses Fandrial received. It was expected, thought the elf, she would be just as flummoxed if a previous enemy had come to her offering an alliance. In her mind they were one-time foes but that was then, this was now, and she was far too old to hold onto grudges. At least that¡¯s what she told herself, a part of her still wanted to get the huntress back for spitting in her eye, an absolutely disgusting act. The gears were finally turning and just before the questions could begin flying, Fandrial put up her hand to halt the presses and allow her to continue.The tale has been stolen; if detected on Amazon, report the violation.


    ¡°At this time, no one is pursuing either of you two or your known associates. An investigation is being conducted for ¡°Iron Link¡± and HIS companion ¡°V¡±. The Duke is quite adamant I locate them as soon as possible so they may be tried for high treason and attempted assassination of her majesty Princess Eleanor Regalia the future Queen of the entire Gentile Kingdom.¡±


    Valerie and Samantha shared a look trying to process the information that had just been dumped on their doorstep. Assassination of who?


    ¡°As I am sure you know, the ¡®Mournful Princess¡¯ has been in seclusion ever since the king and queen died in an ¡°accident¡± several years ago.¡±


    Fandrial accentuated her words with air quotes that neither adventurer understood. They had in fact NOT known any trivia or gossip around the royal family nor could they have named the ruling party of their home nation. The only person they had heard of was the Duke for being a reprehensible stand in ruler and the royal captain herself due to her incredible skill. Before they got too deep into things, Valerie decided to voice her growing confusion.


    ¡°But we didn¡¯t see or meet a princess?¡±


    Fandrial smiled coyly and nodded to a shelf in the far corner.


    ¡°Really? Because it looks to me you have already had the honour of meeting her highness, in fact I¡¯d say you have a leg up on me.¡±


    The elf chuckled at her own joke as everyone at the table turned to look at the object propping up a series of books. It was the marble leg Samantha stole from the carriage and used as a zipline during their escape. Realization dawned on Valerie who whipped back round to the elf and made her deductions known.


    ¡°The doll is the princess?!¡±


    Now that was just too on the nose, a kingdom with its figure head being a literal puppet, talk about clich¨¦. Fandrial raised her hands in mock surrender.


    ¡°Don¡¯t look at me, I am just the messenger. You need not worry, the real Eleanor Regalia is still out there, somewhere, and the puppet has been used to keep the people none the wiser that their country is a sham. Some truly believe that when the ¡®Mournful Princess¡¯ comes of age she will ascend to the throne and work to better the kingdom.¡±


    Fandrial had to admit it was an ingenious scheme from the Duke. She had no idea if he played any part in the deaths of their previous rulers, but she wouldn¡¯t put it past him. Installing a mascot who was in perpetual grief for the loss of her dear parents was clever, however. He could keep the ¡°princess¡± sequestered wherever he so chose and only needed a convincing silhouette to trick the common folk. For any foreign dignitaries or potential rivals to the throne he could employ the puppet but dress it entirely in black and covered in a shawl so as to keep up the illusion while he worked to find the true princess. She wondered just how many were in on the scam to keep a nation defining secret for over a decade.


    ¡°At this moment, you two, apologies you three now, and myself are the only outside parties who are aware the princess is not real.¡±


    Learning she was a puppet to a puppet shook the proud elf to her core and forced her to reevaluate her position in human society disappearing for several years as a result. Ultimately, she returned as she adored this country too much to see it fall into decay and began working to uncover the whereabouts of the true princess. Sharing such a dangerous secret to anyone would only put them in danger or lead to her being found out, but a couple of nobodies was exactly what she needed. One such nobody asked an obvious question.


    ¡°Why not reveal the truth then? You can have the leg if it helps.¡±


    Samantha enquired causing Fandrial¡¯s face to drop as she let out a disappoint sigh.


    ¡°It would bring me no greater pleasure to bring this charade into the light and show everyone what a sham the Duke is. Unfortunately, I am one person and cannot change the minds of an entire nation with my voice alone.¡±


    It also didn¡¯t help that if she was able to somehow gain some traction and depose the Duke as well as his co-conspirators it would only end in a war for succession as all interested parties vied for the open position. The only way to avoid a blood bath would be to locate the princess and ensure she took her rightful place on the throne. An impossible task that required many pairs of hands and those with more freedom than the royal captain. Which is exactly what brought Fandrial to this dingy little library.


    ¡°Thus my visit today, you are aware of the situation and know the current princess is a fake and with your help we could-¡°


    ¡°No.¡±


    Valerie cut in, her tone unshakable and resolute. The royal captain stared befuddled as Samantha and Albert eased their chairs back to avoid the ensuing conflict.


    ¡°I¡¯m sorry¡­? What do you mean-¡°


    ¡°What I mean is: no. Not happening, no deal, absolutely not, negative, not on your life, no thank you and my personal favourite: bollocks to that.¡±


    Her lessons with Albert were showing their benefit as Valerie was given an opportunity show off her expanding vocabulary. Fandrial didn¡¯t appreciate the rejection evidenced by her stormy face and ice cold voice.


    ¡°I am not sure you understand the gravity of the situation.¡±


    Valerie shot of her seat, slamming her hands on the table which failed to startle the elf.


    ¡°No, I don¡¯t think you understand! You come into our home, threaten those close to us, and then expect us to help you? Who the heck do you think you are?! You don¡¯t get to ask for favours or make demands because you are in no position to request anything of either of us!¡±


    A pent up anger that had been simmering within the back of Valerie¡¯s mind was finally given a chance to erupt forth.


    ¡°You know what I think? I think you can¡¯t prove me, or Samantha were ever at the palace. Like you said, it¡¯s your voice against many and I can guarantee at least a dozen people would all testify that we were miles from the Capital.¡±


    More likely any investigators would receive multiple different accounts for where the duo of adventurers were on the day further complicating their investigation.


    ¡°You¡¯re not asking us because you need or even want us. You¡¯re asking because we¡¯re all you¡¯ve got. Well, you can take your little royal request and shove it where the sun doesn¡¯t shine. You want to make a change? Then you should¡­ I don¡¯t know! Samantha help me out here.


    ¡°She could burn it all down.¡±


    Suggested the apocalypse obsessed girl.


    ¡°Exactly! Burn it all down! You¡¯re supposed to be the strongest woman in the country, prove it and take the throne for yourself. Otherwise, you can get out and leave us alone!¡±


    Valerie huffed breathlessly following her outburst. Her onlookers sat in either righteous indignation, fearful resignation, or, in Samantha¡¯s case, simple elation. The shadow user let out a whoop and clapped at her friends outstanding performance. Fandrial meanwhile was trying her best to school her expression and failing miserably. The thought to forcibly usurp the current ruling party crossed her mind more than once however she was loyal to the crown and country that had been her home for half a millennium, she would not betray it in a coup. She wanted to argue against the much much younger girl, but it would ultimately be for naught, Valerie had made her decision before Fandrial ever spoke a word. Where the huntress went Samantha was sure to follow and Albert would be of little assistance on his own thus the royal captain was in a bind. Breathing deeply and letting it out slowly, Fandrial rose from the table only slightly overtaking Valerie in terms of height.


    ¡°Very well.¡±


    She said and turned to walk out the door. Albert piped up for the first time since discussions began hurriedly calling after the elven woman.


    ¡°If we were to come across the princess, how would we know it was her?¡±


    Although he himself wouldn¡¯t be travelling to any far-off places he still believed if they could help they should and knowing how to was the first step. Fandrail halted her march out the door and faced the librarian, ignoring all other onlookers.


    ¡°She would have her father¡¯s auburn hair and her mother¡¯s gentle smile.¡±


    Valerie scoffed at the description.


    ¡°Maybe if you stopped looking down from your high perch you could take a walk among the little people and find you¡¯ve just described half the city!¡±


    The elven woman made no attempt to retort and simply walked for the door stopping once again when a gentler voice called out.


    ¡°How did you find us?¡±


    Samantha asked genuinely curious how her expert deception as Iron Link the Swift was seen through. Without turning, Fandrial explained her deductive genius.


    ¡°I am not above using spies to gather information, and the guild is not as secure as you might think. All I needed to know was if any girls with either a knife or chain weapon were members and wouldn¡¯t you know it two matching that description registered on the exact same day. The rest¡­¡±


    She twisted her head to stare at Valerie.


    ¡°Was quite literally child¡¯s play.¡±


    And with that she was gone, the library door closing behind her. Valerie knew if she charged out to confront the elven woman all she would find is an empty street and not a single eyewitness account for where she had gone. The huntress was not too prideful to admit she was prone to outbursts, but that woman was on another level when it came to pushing her buttons. Slamming the table again and nearly shattering it in the process, Valerie marched upstairs while calling after Samantha.


    ¡°Get ready! Were going hunting.¡±

 Alpha of the Pack

    Among the many requests an up-and-coming adventurer can accept while job searching in their local guild there is one that has been hotly debated for its relatively low rank threshold but potentially excessive difficulty. Unlike the extermination contracts which require at least one rank higher than rookies, the Alpha Elimination brand of job has no such restrictions and could be taken day two of a member¡¯s adventuring career. The first contract is almost always a boring, tedious or forgettable request by design although no guild affiliate would ever admit to the unwritten rule.


    Alpha Elimination contracts are, as the name suggests, the subjugation of a monster who has grown too powerful either through a mutation or by gathering a hoard of other monsters under its employ. Most often these monsters are the result of an external curse granting them new abilities or drastically increasing their size. The far more dangerous variants are those who are biologically similar to the base species but were born with a genetic abnormality. For beast type monsters it could be a difference in fur colour, a heightened sense of smell or the addition/loss of limbs and appendages. While sometimes minor, these changes could make the Alpha stand out to appear a more attractive as mate however typically these differences would cause ostracization leading to the affected monster becoming a runt or exile from their pack, more often they are simply eaten at birth. A living example was one Maji the Battleboon, current mentor to a prince of Maroch and long-standing ally to house Reynaldo. The simian¡¯s heightened intelligence and longer than average lifespan meant he was able to live alongside the Reynaldo¡¯s for almost five decades while learning their particular fighting style. Although the Maroch native was an exceptionally docile monster compared to most Alpha¡¯s any that survived their first few weeks of life would soon grow into a menace. Growing amongst their peers, these monsters would learn to utilize the changes that make them different, make them better and eventually leads to their status as Alpha.


    Monsters are not an independent race by nature and have been documented to form ecosystems when left to their own devises. Alpha¡¯s upset this ecosystem due in part to their abnormalities, but also because it is a fundamental fact that monsters cannot help but expand and destroy. If left unattended, an Alpha could amass power and followers allowing it to conquer entire regions which it would then populate with its own spawn who in turn could produce an Alpha of even greater strength. This concept is known as the Mamoulian Cascade, after a famous monster researcher who posited a theory of ever-increasing threat of annihilation. The theory follows that, in a closed environment with no outside factors, monsters will eventually produce Alpha¡¯s who in turn will produce greater Alpha¡¯s and so on until reaching the Omega, a creature of such gargantuan power nothing beyond the divine could combat it.


    It was this concept that helped to push the Adventurers Guild into a world spanning organization and lead to the longstanding rule that Alpha¡¯s must be killed no matter the cost and also forbade the active breeding of such creatures in captivity. For highly dangerous or widespread Alpha¡¯s, a raid would be organized gathering numerous adventurers into a militia to combat the threat. Alpha¡¯s that were sighted early into their development or after suffering a major blow in the course of their rapid expansion could potentially be eliminated by a single adventurer or team however the Guild would need ample proof of skill as well as a thoroughly documented history of monster subjugation. Valerie and Samantha technically fit both of these categories.


    Prior to the pair of adventurers heading out for the elimination contract, a scout party had gone ahead to survey the suspected alpha citing. That team had been specifically contracted just to observe and report on a local Duvolf packs size by the guild itself, they were not to make any attempts to combat the monsters unless absolutely necessary. Thankfully no such altercation occurred, and the team was able to report the pack was some twenty to thirty strong with the majority being a number of young tended to and raised by the collective. It was this reconnaissance that revealed the presence of the Alpha which confirmed the Guilds suspicions and led to them posting the special request. There was a certain degree of haggling when it came to most jobs, this one however was fully funded by the guild and was non-negotiable. Valerie and Samantha didn¡¯t mind about the pay, decent as it was, they were just concerned with the difficulty rating and how involved they would be. From the look of the Alpha¡¯s hunting grounds they were certainly in for an interesting hunt.The narrative has been stolen; if detected on Amazon, report the infringement.


    The Creeping Hollow was an area neither was familiar with but marvelled at the scenery. Unlike the many uninteresting, horrendous smelling, or even cursed forests they had worked in this one was a genuine sight to behold and a regular tourist destination. The hollow was a region of great towering pine trees that grew on average to around seventy metres in height. Their dark bark seemed to soak in the light creating a bleak and dimly lit expanse which when coupled with the persistent gentle mists that obscured the earth formed a landscape that looked as inviting as a bear trap. Samantha loved it, not just for the spectacle but also because her aspects were able to flourish and truly give her a chance to experiment with her new class. Valerie meanwhile couldn¡¯t see the monsters for the trees and imagined all the hiding spots on offer to the vile beasts. Thankfully they didn¡¯t have to rely on hunting at ground level.


    With Samantha¡¯s help, the huntress was able to climb up the sturdy bark reaching the fifty-metre range where the tree¡¯s branches began to appear. She couldn¡¯t make out the ground below her but that wasn¡¯t needed when their initial reconnaissance began. They first tried to scout the Alpha¡¯s home but ran into a problem, given the forests large landscape, there was no way they could locate it on their own. It took them a day¡¯s journey by cart to get to the town near the forest and then another few hours to walk the rest of the way. The Creeping Hollow consumed more than half the province and the two adventurers would be old and grey by the time they surveyed all of it. Luckily, they didn¡¯t need to find the Alpha directly, they just needed to follow a single Duvolf¡¯s trail to their home.


    The monsters believed they were the uncontested kings of this forest and were undoubtedly going to act like it. After a full day of observation, they found a lone hunter as it searched for a suitable meal, the confident gait with which it strode around disgusting the huntress. Tiger¡¯s Will on the other hand felt unrestrained desire as the knife¡¯s hunger grew at the sight of the monster, a feeling that was directly transmitted to Valerie and coloured her thoughts red. She was forced to stifle her own desires to gut the filthy mongrel even if she knew how good it would feel to let out all her pent-up anger. Being visited by the Gentle Sword left the huntress furious and she needed an outlet desperately. Still, that did not excuse wanton massacre or reckless endangerment of herself or Samantha just because she was a little cry baby who couldn¡¯t manage her emotions. The Gentile Kingdom lacked any concept for therapy but if it did exist and Valerie had gone to a session she would most likely be considered a ¡®problem child¡¯ with abandonment issues who needed to take costly prescription drugs daily.


    ¡°I am spending too much time with you.¡±


    The huntress said to Samantha shaking off the perplexing thought. Having a completely non sequitur idea was the sort of thing the shadow user would do and clearly she was rubbing off on Valerie more than she liked. How long until she ended up getting her own cloak?


    ¡°More like not enough.¡±


    The ¡®problem child¡¯ of all problem children whispered under her breath as they continued to monitor the Duvolf scavenger.


    ¡°What was that?¡±


    ¡°Nothing! So, about the puppy?¡±


    Expertly deflected Samantha, both thought although the shadow user fully believed it. Valerie gave the issue no more consideration as she focused again on the Duvolf, barely visible within the mists. Even if she was trying to restrain herself, there was a hankering she couldn¡¯t quite get rid off not just from Tiger¡¯s Will. All that time working in Joanne¡¯s kitchen made the huntress desperate for just a single monster killing outing, to feel the rush of gutting one of the disgusting beasts. She would have gone mad had the former adventurer not promised to consider taking Valerie on as a disciple in return for a few favours. She just hoped it wouldn¡¯t involve learning how to cook or dress like a girl for the opposite sex to gawk at.


    ¡°I really need to kill something.¡±


    Valerie announced which Samantha whole heartedly agreed with. Which was an entirely normal thing for a pair of teenagers to think and any argument to the contrary was simply untrue.

 Whitebone

    The stray Duvolf searched around the Creeping Hollow for a meal, with Valerie and Samantha watching from on high the whole time. It checked under fallen trees, crept up to noises in the underbrush and even snapped at a passing bird, yet every time it came up empty. After a few more hours of fruitless searching, it turned and warily marched back home, the pair of adventurers hot on its tail leaping from tree to tree. The sun had already fallen by the time all three reached their destination: the back of a mountain side with a jagged cave entrance hidden under an awning of toppled rock. Surrounding the cave entrance were numerous other Duvolf of varying sizes and fur colours that were busy tending to their young, some of which had patches of white although all featured the standard two heads. That was except for the enormous one who exited the cave entrance, a brutal and unforgiven creature of ghostly white who only possessed a single head upon its titanic body. Its humongous frame would put elephants to shame and captured the attention of all monsters in the pack who cowered in fear. Upon seeing the creature who was very clearly the Alpha, Valerie¡¯s mind flared to life and she was suddenly made aware of the monsters chosen name.


    ¡°Whitebone?¡±


    Although a regular Duvolf did not have the intelligence or need for a name, this Alpha had developed something of an ego and picked a moniker based on its favourite past time. That being tearing the flesh from prey to expose the pearly bones beneath. Whitebone strode into the middle of the open area and glanced around at its steadily growing family then settled its gaze on the scouts. The Duvolf the adventurers followed as well as five others sat, or more accurately knelt, before Whitebone. Half the beasts had some fresh kill either dragged behind them or clenched in their teeth, these the pack leader snorted at and allowed the offerors to leave its sight. The remaining three it stared at, judging them, searching for weakness. The Duvolf on the far left couldn¡¯t handle the stress and hacked out a cough which brought its leaders full attention down onto the nervous monster. Whitebone stared directly into the eyes of the scared stiff beast before finally letting out a huff that sealed its fate. In a flash the other hunters descended upon their kin, biting and tearing at the skinny flesh like it was the first meal any had had in months. A not entirely incorrect statement given their emaciated frames. Whitebone did not stay to watch the slaughter and simply picked out the largest carcass offering which it dragged back into its den allowing the others to fight and argue over the scraps.


    ¡°Poor pooch.¡±


    Samantha announced breaking the silence. Valerie sat back against their tree trunk with her legs dangling precariously over the edge of the branch she used as a seat with a single rope tether tying to the huntress to the wobbly bark.


    ¡°Don¡¯t feel bad for it, they¡¯re just dumb monsters.¡±


    Was what she tried to tell herself, but that Alpha and the fact her aspect considered it a threat big enough to tell her its name worried the huntress. Whitebone didn¡¯t share his brethren¡¯s weak point with only one head and didn¡¯t have to deal with the inevitable different directives two brains would have. Essentially it was just a big bad wolf but with a monster¡¯s strengths, a fact that would appear inconsequential on paper, but Valerie knew the truth. That thing was all pros and no cons. She wondered how to beat it without the weakened neck area and turned to her comrade in arms for suggestions.


    ¡°Any ideas?


    The huntress enquired of her teammate after explaining the monsters overwhelming advantages.


    ¡°We could always string it up and choke the life out of it while its family watched?¡±


    A completely unhinged and absurd thing for anyone to say yet it was not even in the top ten weirdest statements from the shadow user. Valerie contemplated the idea but threw it out, Samantha¡¯s shadow chains were tough but assuming they were stronger than that abomination was just asking for trouble.


    ¡°Don¡¯t think it would work, any other ideas?¡±


    ¡°Fires good, everything¡¯s weak to fire even fire. Let¡¯s burn the big one down or¡­ OH! Let¡¯s trap him in his cave and suffocate him with smoke from the fire!¡±This story is posted elsewhere by the author. Help them out by reading the authentic version.


    Well¡­ it wasn¡¯t a terrible plan and might be one for the playbook another day but the logistics of gathering firewood and somehow trapping the Alpha were another host of issues.


    ¡°Pass, next?¡±


    ¡°What if we¡­ dropped a big boulder in front of the cave and starved it? Or maybe it would suffocate!¡±


    ¡°What is up with you and choking things?¡±


    The shadow user shrugged, she didn¡¯t have many options for killing monsters and the most effective means of helping was to tie them down while someone else finished the job. Wrapping some unholy beast in her chains and choking the life out of it was the best and only method Samantha had at present.


    ¡°Whatever, we can¡¯t do that anyway unless you can pull a big rock out of your pocket. You did give me an idea though, one that just might work. Thanks Samantha.¡±


    The huntress¡¯s mind was already grinding away trying to think of ways to implement her plan thus she did not notice the all too creepy smile of satisfaction her compatriot wore. If they wanted that mongrel dead and to completely eradicate its offspring at the same time, they needed a plan that would hurt all of the pack. If even one of those white patched puppies was allowed to live, then all their efforts would be for naught. There were also the five scavengers, fending off the Alpha while they backed it up was suicidal but if they were no longer an option then the entire pack would suffer without their main providers. Valerie grinned savagely; it was time for some good old fashioned siege warfare. If they couldn¡¯t kill the Alpha, they would starve it and force the big white mutt to feast upon its own kin. Two birds, one stone.


    ¡°Get some sleep Samantha, tomorrow we¡¯re going hunting.¡±


    And so they did, at the crack of dawn, while still perched in their tree, they awoke to observe the Duvolf pack in their morning routine. The pups played and fed on leftover meat picked off the cannibalized scavenger. The remaining hunters plus a new young addition all left the den heading in different directions. Valerie and Samantha picked one at random and followed after using a series of tightrope chains that made no sound to pass seamlessly between trees. The Duvolf they stalked searched for prey using both of its powerful noses which unfortunately picked up on the pair of adventurers nearby. Looking up to stare at its pursuers, the Duvolf barked and howled as it clawed at the trees trying to find purchase to climb. The pair beat it to the punch however and descended, Samantha first as a distraction swinging on a chain towards the ground only to roll into a ball at the last second. The Duvolf¡¯s two sets of eyes stared down the much smaller girl as it prepared to tear into her flesh. It never got the chance however, after the full weight of Valerie came crashing down into it, her knife poised and sinking deep into its exposed weak point. She dragged her weapon along the creatures back splitting it wide open like undoing a zipper. The scavenger barely had time to realize it was outclassed as it become food for Tiger¡¯s Will, the hunger slightly satiated.


    ¡°One done, five to go.¡±


    The huntress confirmed tearing her blade free and accidentally splashing her friend with the monster¡¯s viscera. Samantha barely reacted, responding with a thumbs up and then quickly scampered up a tree. Looking down at the dead monster, Valerie got another heinous idea and decided to mimic her companion¡¯s bloody style. Cutting as cleanly as she could, the Duvolf was skinned from duo heads down to the pair of tails. She then wrapped the disgusting and blood dripping pelt around herself using the leg fur as ties to bind it in place. Not only would this cover offer some protection but the smell coming off it would mask her own scent and allow Valerie to get the drop on the other monsters. All she had to do was ignore the horrid stench and feeling of blood soaking into her clothes. You would think she had grown used to the sensation by now especially having been coated in her own blood numerous times, she was not and some part of her hoped she never would be used to it.


    The rest of the day was spent searching for, observing and ultimately executing the other Duvolf hunters, ending with the young one who hadn¡¯t even known the huntress was near. Strangely, Valerie noted no change in Tiger¡¯s Will from this or the last kill, it seemed it was full for the moment, what that meant she didn¡¯t know. At least the pull at her mind was finally gone with the blade calmed down, although it only now dawned on her how draining that near constant hunger was. She felt a little bad for denying her weapon the sustenance it demanded and would be sure to treat the knife with a healthy serving of Alpha blood.


    After a successful day of hunting, Valerie and Samantha ascended to the canopy overseeing the Duvolf camp to witness the damage they had wrought. Nothing happened the first night, Whitebone emerged, scowled menacingly at the absence of his hunters and then marched back into his cave, the hungry wines of his pack falling on deaf ears. Samantha was disappointed at the display and voiced her concerns.


    ¡°I don¡¯t get it, why didn¡¯t the siege work?¡±


    Valerie smacked her forehead, dragging her palm down her face to exaggerate the motion. How many times did she have to explain this?


    ¡°Samantha, you know I love you, but for all that is divine shut up asking that. The siege IS working, we are going to wait out the Alpha until it kills and eats its people and then wait some more until its feeble and weak before we swoop in. Got it?¡±


    Valerie read about the concept in a book and once asked Albert for more details on the idea. It was quite ingenious and cruel at the same time. How anyone could come up with the idea to combat other humans and live with themselves would forever be a mystery to the huntress. Doing it to monsters however, well that was fair game as far as she was concerned. Not to mention it was by far the safest option and kept both out of harms way while Valerie worked on her reckless behaviour. Samantha pouted, there were quite a few Duvolf still around, more than reported, if they had to wait for all of them to be eaten then this was going to take a while. She wasn¡¯t concerned about the time taken really, more just how unbelievably boring it would be. In perhaps the greatest understatement of the century, Samantha concluded that sieges were no fair.

 Trophy Hunter

    Four days of gruelling, back breaking and tireless work from Valerie later and they were still just sitting around and waiting. Despite her efforts, Samantha barely lifted a finger due to the huntress¡¯s ruthless efficiency and controlled but still rampant monster murdering mania. Laying on her stomach across one of their favourite tree branches with a leg dangling below, the bored shadow user tried not to fall asleep from an absolutely tedious siege. The first couple days saw more Duvolf being sent out to hunt although they quickly met the same fate as their predecessors. With each subsequent group they got younger, more inexperienced and hungrier as the den descended into further starvation. Fights between Duvolf broke out, all of which ended with a frustrated howl from Whitebone who was clearly growing more outraged by the hour. On the third day, the Alpha made another appearance examining the whole pack and selecting a random Duvolf to follow into the cave depths. The fear ridden monster heeded their leader¡¯s orders and was never seen from again.


    On the fourth morning, Samantha awoke to no change, the monsters howled, Valerie vigilantly watched, and she was bored. The pair of adventurers were set to wait out another week or so with provisions they brought as well as cooking up some of the Duvolf meat which was just barely edible. Samantha wondered, after being treated to the miracle that was Joanne¡¯s cooking, if she was beginning to become a bit of a food snob. Back in the mine they were lucky if the days gruel had the echo of a memory of taste and yet, here she was turning her nose up at perfectly adequate Duvolf jerky. Her boredom was also incomparable, just a year back she spent nearly every day practicing and figuring out her escape from the mine while dreaming of the outside world.


    ¡°A year huh.¡±


    It dawned on Samantha; it had been almost a full year since her escape. Her sense of time was still severely off but, they were just a single season away from a full year having passed. It was, all things considered, quite a bountiful and exciting period when compared to the rest of her life. Ever since leaving the mine she experienced innumerable and unforgettable moments starting with meeting Valerie, training under James, moving to Capital City, becoming friends with a host of people who truly cared for her and getting a job as an adventurer.


    ¡°Suppose that makes me sixteen.¡±


    She muffled out, her cheek pressed into the rugged bark. Papa always stressed the importance of birthdays as milestones to show how mature one was and all the things they could accomplish. Samantha wasn¡¯t exactly sure when her birthday was, the only dates she cared about were the kind you could dip in chocolate. Still, it had probably passed already, Papa was very good at numbers and stuff like that although she couldn¡¯t remember when exactly he said her birthday was anymore. Samantha sighed, wondering how her Papa was doing or, if he was dead, how his bones were doing. Was it wrong that she didn¡¯t feel sad about him disappearing? Probably, she thought, but what was there to do about it? One day he was there and then the next he was gone such was life. It¡¯s not like it matters, come the end of the world everyone would be gone and who knows who would inherent the land next. Maybe it would be monsters like Whitebone or perhaps fish people, probably fish people. If the world was going to end, then why did any of this matter? Why did she need to be here? To be an adventurer?


    ¡°I want to enjoy life.¡±


    Samantha announced out of the blue. Ultimately, she did want to see the world before it ended, to experience new things and try new foods. Who knows she may even find love like in the cheesy books Albert kept hidden away in a drawer at the back of the library. The bored girl turned her gaze towards Valerie who stood atop a higher branch dutifully surveying the Duvolf den without a hint of boredom.


    ¡°Hey Val, do you want to get married?¡±


    The odd question broke the huntress from her vigilant watch. She would have given a non-committal or sarcastic answer like Joanne had done each time a patron or Granny asked her, but Valerie had no reason to lie.


    ¡°I don¡¯t know, probably. If I found the right one I suppose.¡±


    She shrugged and returned to her watch duties.


    ¡°We could get married.¡±


    Samantha said not clear on the point of marriage bar a legal agreement of some kind, but aware people placed a great deal of importance around the milestone. It was not because she wanted to have people shower her in gifts. It wasn¡¯t, okay? Spending more time with her best friend was also a bonus plus the jewellery, those fancy rings people wore were real snazzy in the shadow users opinion. The statement caught Valerie off guard however and she laughed not at the idea of marrying her best friend but of any life they could have as newlyweds.


    ¡°Only if you take my last name.¡±


    She giggled out. Snapping her fingers, without make a sound, Samantha pointed a finger gun at Valerie and replied.


    ¡°Not on your life.¡±


    Samantha Hunt? As if. What was wrong with being Mrs Valerie Trapper? A fine, respectable, DIGNIFIED name that anyone would be happy to have. The two fell back into a resigned silence as the hours ticked by. At around noon Samantha got up and stood on her branch, a rope tether and shadow chain keeping her from toppling. She leaned out trying to see if she could peer into the cave and catch sight of Whitebone or his, hopefully already rotting, corpse. Valerie caught sight of her friend and tried to warn her off leaning at such a steep angle.


    ¡°Careful Samantha, you¡¯ll snap the branch if you go too far out.¡±


    As if on que, a creak emanated from between the pair. They had used this single tree as a vantage point during the entirety of their siege and it seemed the bark was finally giving out. Valerie and Samantha locked eyes, trying to guess which of the two was on sturdier ground. Unfortunately, the huntress¡¯s height and weight advantage proved detrimental as her perch was the one to finally give out. A loud snap was the only warning Valerie got before she was tumbling to the ground, the rope connecting her to the branch pulling her down with the heavy log. Samantha acted quick and shot a shadow chain out towards her friend while using her limited control to force the chain to reach for her hand. The momentary shock wore off and Valerie gripped onto the lifeline with her free hand while ignoring the shiver that coursed down her arm causing goosebumps to appear. She tore her knife free from the sheath using it to slice through the rope in one smooth motion.The author''s tale has been misappropriated; report any instances of this story on Amazon.


    Free of her added weight but still falling, she placed her knife between her teeth, biting down and feeling the serrated back rub against her tongue. She held onto the chain for dear life and prayed to any divine above that this would not be how she died. The branch shattered as it collided with the ground, thankfully Valerie was saved from such a fate slowing down and stopping withing inches from impact. She floated off the forest floor with her momentum arrested for a fraction of a second. Long enough to make out the shape of a snail who looked up at her with complete indifference like this was the least exciting thing it had seen that day. In the next instant her shadow tether pulled her back up, springing like a bungee cord.


    ¡°I got you!¡±


    Samantha yelled out, straining against her chains to pull Valerie back up. She unfortunately, succeeded, wrenching the huntress through the air at high velocity. It was at this time that Samantha¡¯s branch also decided to give out having been forced to bear the sudden weight of two monster hunters. Due to the angle of her pull, the sudden upward force and then immediate slack, Valerie was not yanked above the tree line but instead sling shot away. She flew horizontally through the air while the shadow chain dissolved in her hands, she tried to reach out and grip onto anything but moved too fast to find any purchase. She saw death coming towards her in the form of a low hanging tree branch poised to skewer her. Time froze for the huntress as she rocketed towards certain doom.


    ¡°I¡¯m going to die.¡±


    This thought passed through her head not for the first time in so any months. Like Samantha, Valerie felt overwhelming discontent dying a pointless death. She wanted to do so much, see so much and kill so many monsters.


    ¡°If I was faster. If I was better.¡±


    Her last thoughts drifted to her own inadequacies real or not didn¡¯t matter when the end drew closer. Or so she thought, as her wishes were granted by the crimson blade between her teeth glowing and filling her veins with power. Before colliding with the spear like branch, she thrust her hands out grabbing onto and twisting away from being impaled. She forced herself up and over the branch before kicking off as her momentum reduced but was not entirely negated. She leapt from tree trunk to trunk, never staying longer than a hairs breadth while gradually losing speed and height as she fell with style. Landing in an open area, Valerie tucked into a sideways roll before rising back on her feet completely fine.


    Flabbergasted at what she had just done, Valerie checked over her body like it wasn¡¯t her own. The way she moved it was like she had the agility of a cat. No, not a cat, she realized, of an Octolot. It all made sense now, this was it, this was the power of her class, to take some trait from a monster and apply it to herself. The Octolot had been as quick and lithe as a normal cat and now Valerie could copy that same dexterity. It exhilarated the girl so much so that she failed to notice where she landed. A low growl from all around ripped Valerie from her reverie and she was finally able to notice the pack of starved Duvolf that surrounded her. She had hopped, skipped and jumped right into the middle of their den, wearing the bloody pelt of one of their own no less. Many eyes focused on her and she felt an overwhelming sense of danger which she summarized in typical Valerie fashion.


    ¡°Bollocks.¡±


    She vaguely cursed; her knife still clenched between her teeth. A serene quiet fell upon the den for a brief second as neither Valerie nor the monsters made a move. Then a young upstart with patches of white surged forward, their yet to be honed instincts driving them forward to try and rip Valerie¡¯s throat out. Without a thought the huntress dropped to the floor, her feet still on the ground while the rest of her fell backwards stopping just before hitting the dirt. The young Duvolf sailed over head, its underbelly exposed to Valerie. Taking the opportunity, she spit out her knife, expertly grabbing it and forcing the weapon up to drag across the Duvolf¡¯s stomach. It did not puncture through the creatures think fur however, even at a young age the pelt was strong enough to resist weapon strikes. As the Duvolf landed, Valerie smoothly rose back to her full height and stared the offending beast down. With how she was now compared to when she first fought one of these things she was undoubtedly the more dangerous combatant. In a one-on-one contest she would come out on top almost every time. Ofcourse these were monsters, they did not play fair.


    Several more Duvolf lunged for Valerie and the huntress was forced on the back foot, relying on her instincts, skills and the Octolot boost to evade. She bobbed, weaved, and pivoted on her feet always coming away by the skin of her teeth. She shot out with attacks of her own, yet none were ever able to pierce the pack. After tossing away a scraggily monster for the umpteenth time there came another leaping through the air towards her. Valerie tried to dodge but felt sluggish, the power of the Octolot vanishing as a slight hunger formed within Tiger¡¯s Will. She had a time limit, what an absolutely fantastic moment to find out. With the beast rapidly approaching she fell back on an old classic. She tossed the skinned Duvolf pelt at her attacker sacrificing defence for a quick distraction. Rolling out of the way she avoided the wild scramble of the leaping Duvolf as it fought to untangle itself. Without a chance to catch her breath, she caught sight of another beast charging straight for her, both heads foaming with fury and hunger. It wasn¡¯t an easy shot, but it was straight enough she could throw her knife into the monster¡¯s weak point and maybe debilitate or, if she was really luck, kill it entirely.


    Flipping her knife and rearing back, she focused hard and hoped her strength would be enough, she would need a lot more to finish this fight. Once again Tiger¡¯s Will answered her call and glowed just as she sent it flying. In the blink of an eye the spinning blade was soaring through the air faster and with more force than it had ever been injected with before. The charging beast was struck directly in its weak spot as the powerful blade continued spinning unimpeded by any flesh or bones in its way. Tiger¡¯s Will landed with a resounding thud, sinking itself partially into the ground as both sides of the bisected monster landed around the huntress.


    ¡°Holy Sh-¡±


    Valerie tried to say but was cut off with the emergence of another Duvolf. Lacking a weapon, she could old pivot out of the clumsy strike and retaliate with a punch to its flank. The admittedly half effort swing pushed the monster back several feet and cracked bones at the point of impact. Valerie stared in amazement while the rest of the attacking Duvolf suddenly grew wary, backing off slightly from the sight of one of their brethren halved and another crumpled like an old tissue. There was an influx of strength bulging out from the huntress¡¯s muscles and drastically increasing her lethality. The hunger within Tiger¡¯s Will had also been satiated again after killing the Duvolf. If the Octolot granted her speed and agility, then the Duvolf hunters she killed increased her strength by several degrees. It was only temporary but if one could give her the edge to split the double headed beast in two, then she had more than enough fodder around to finish off the pack, or so she hoped.


    Things would not be so easy however with the arrival of their leader emerging from the cave mouth to tower over Valerie. Its far meeker followers backed off to give the white wolf space to strut their stuff. The beast and the huntress stared each other down, one hopped up on hunger and righteous fury for the death of its kin while the other was feeling empowered by those same dead beasts and would use every ounce of her strength to tear the alpha down. A faint rational voice in the back of Valerie¡¯s mind told her she still may not be enough, it was a good thing then she wasn¡¯t alone. An ear-piercing screech arrested the attention of all monster¡¯s, bar Whitebone, as Samantha swung in from out of nowhere dipping low to rip Tiger¡¯s Will out of the ground. At the peak of her swing, she let go of her ¡°rope¡± and flipped mid-air landing heroically next to Valerie. The shadow user tossed Tiger¡¯s Will up for the huntress catch and unintentionally strike her own heroic pose. All that was missing was an explosion of fireworks to complete the outrageous entrance.


    ¡°Together?¡±


    Samantha asked.


    ¡°Together.¡±


    Valerie affirmed as she pointed her knife at the mutant Duvolf. If there was one thing the pair learned combatting Joanne, it was they were far greater together than apart and they would make sure this Alpha knew exactly how good they were.


    ¡°Whitebone!¡±


    Hearing its name for the first time ever vocalized perked the monster¡¯s ears up. Valerie wasn¡¯t sure where the words came from, but she was absolutely confident it would be a killer way to start the fight.


    ¡°You might be the Alpha, but us? We''re the Apex!¡±

 Apex Hunters

    In the middle of the slightly interesting forest known as the Creeping Hollow, a pair of hunters were facing off against a mutant monster in the middle of its den in front of all its kin. It was not often done but if ever there was an instance of calling a monster out on their own turf, in front of their squad after capping their homies this was undoubtedly one of the most egregious to ever take place in the Gentile Kingdom. Whitebone stared down at the hunter still dripping in his kins blood and the other one that was clearly wearing a burnt-up version of their pelts. In the Alpha¡¯s entire life it had never known hatred, it had known anger, fury, a splash of irritation but never hatred, until now that is. These two humans were invading its territory, killing its subjects and flaunting themselves around like they owned the place. Whitebone may have actually thanked the two under different circumstances as it found a purpose in life. It would not simply expand and reproduce as its instincts demanded, well it would, but it would also hunt down and devour every last human it could get its claws upon, starting with these two morsels.


    Howling a rage filled cry, the great wolf surged forth, its jaw opening wide and aiming to clamp down on the pair. Valerie immediately pushed Samantha out of harms way, sending the girl flying, as she ducked out of the monster¡¯s path while swinging her knife in a wide arc at the beast¡¯s lower jaw. Her blow connected but unlike the young monster it did not break through the tough fur. It did however still carry the full force of Valerie¡¯s enhanced strength which pushed the monster off balance. Samantha, who had tripped and toppled over, got back to her feet and shot out a shadow chain beneath the stumbling beast for Valerie to latch onto. Catching the chain, she was forcibly dragged beneath Whitebone where she stopped just under its stomach. With her back against the ground, Valerie bent her knees and kicked up landing a devastating blow on the creature¡¯s stomach causing it to rise a few feet off the ground. She was dragged once again escaping just before the Alpha crash landed. Disorientated, knocked off balance and then gut punched, Whitebone was filling with a fury it had never known before.


    The Alpha tried to open its jaws for another howl at the girls but was shut up when a pair of chains looped around the wolf¡¯s snout and then yanked the creatures head down to smack against the ground. The ¡®Cold Snap¡¯ manoeuvre, as Samantha liked to call it, might have been able to dislocate or shatter the beasts lower jaw if it was not an Alpha but breaking the beast wasn¡¯t the shadow user¡¯s job. Following up the slam, Valerie rushed forth aiming her blade for another much harder to reach weak point. Catching the wolf as it tried to rise from yet another smack against the ground, the huntress stamped down on the monsters captured muzzle. She locked eyes with the beast long enough to show it a sadistic smile and then shoved her knife into one eye. Roaring out in pain, Whitebone broke free from its binding which forced Valerie to back off and leave her blade in the monster¡¯s profusely bleeding eye socket. She felt her strength begin to sap returning to normal and tried to call forth another shot of stored up Duvolf power but realized she couldn¡¯t with her weapon not in hand.


    ¡°Samantha! Hammer Toss!¡±


    Understanding the code word, Samantha produced a chain from her own shadow directly connected to her person and threw the other end to Valerie across the battlefield. Catching the chain, the huntress twisted on her heels and pulled, yanking both it and Samantha in a spiral that forced the much lighter girl to become the human flail she was always meant to be. Valerie spun once again and prepared to launch Samantha in an Olympic hammer throw. Eying her target, she released her grip and sent the human morning star hurtling towards the rage filled Alpha as it tried in vain to claw out the foreign object lodged in its eye. If anyone had taken a snapshot of the moment they would have seen the manic grin on Valerie¡¯s face, the confused expression on all spectating Duvolfs and the friendly wave a completely horizontal Samantha gave Whitebone as she passed by its blinded side.


    Positioning her feet forward to land onto Tiger¡¯s Will, Samantha ripped the knife from the damaged ocular organ as she sailed by, sending Whitebone into new bouts of pain fuelled anger which it focused solely on the huntress before it. Howling, Whitebone charged, razor sharp teeth and foaming maw at the ready to tear flesh from bone. What it failed to see, as had all raged filled beasts in its position, was the black chain that rose up around its ankles. Tripping under its own weight, the alpha skidded along the earth, its face in the dirt while its rear was in the air. Using the furry ramp, Valerie climbed atop the Alpha and called for Samantha.


    ¡°To me!¡±


    Samantha responded wrapping her chains around the knife and whipping it around towards her friend.


    ¡°To you!¡±


    The chain collided with Valerie¡¯s arm and coiled around the exposed appendage until Tiger¡¯s Will smacked into her open palm. Before the Alpha had a chance to recover, the huntress set both hands upon her weapon and aimed directly for the top of the beast¡¯s head. She summoned not just the power of one Duvolf but consumed all the stored-up power she could causing her blade to glow a blinding red as her muscles bulged to the point of bursting. She roared and with one downward thrust plunged the knife into Whitebone¡¯s brain, the force of the impact not just killing the monster but detonating its head. The Alpha¡¯s brain matter flew all around and a mini crater formed from the shock wave that threw the huntress back. The sudden and enormous burst of energy resulted in Valerie briefly blacking out, luckily Samantha rushed forward to catch her. Catch being a kind way to say became a crash matt for the far heavier huntress. After landing and regaining her senses, Valerie rolled off her crushed compatriot and stared wide eyed at the dead creature before them.This story has been taken without authorization. Report any sightings.


    ¡°We¡­ we did it?¡±


    She recalled how so many at the guild warned them of the dangers of Alpha¡¯s and how lethal they were. Despite these claims, they had taken on an Alpha by themselves and without receiving a single scratch, bar the self-made explosion and the blunt force trauma Samantha was still recovering from. Admittedly this was a very young Alpha from a generally unimpressive monster type who was also suffering from mild starvation but still a flawless kill was still flawless.


    ¡°We did¡­¡±


    Samantha confirmed in the midst of her own shock or possible brain damage cushioning her friends fall. They looked at one another and Valerie raised her hand in a high five which Samantha quickly met, the two grasping hands as they had done for their first hunt all those months ago. This wasn¡¯t just victory; this was complete and utter domination. They faced a supposedly advanced and dangerous foe emerging the uncontested victors. It also reaffirmed exactly what Joanne was trying to tell the oblivious pair and brought new light to how James had taught them. Apart, they were formidable. Together, they were unbeatable. The elation they felt was contagious for everyone but their onlookers. A low growl filled the area as the surrounding Duvolf all looked towards their leader¡¯s assassins. Valerie met the hateful gaze with a bored expression, who cared for the small fry after they just killed this behemoth?


    ¡°Samantha if you would be so kind. Expand and Encircle.¡±


    Valerie asked of her friend using a familiar code word that was almost nostalgic to the duo. Samantha grinned from ear to ear and stepped forth, she liked the name but preferred her own, non-copyright infringing, code word. Clapping her hands, she spoke aloud with her voice dropping an octave and chilling the soul.


    ¡°Domain Expansion.¡±


    Suddenly, the surrounding area was engulfed with her creepy aura. Normally this would spark a fight or flight response from the weak critters, however Samantha wasn¡¯t going to give them the chance. The trees surrounding the den had chains erupt from their shadows and encircle the hoard of monsters. Even the cave mouth sealed up with a net of chains preventing anything from escaping into it. The remaining Duvolf were left petrified and unable to move as they had no means of escape nor resisting the all-encompassing fear that rocked their souls. In reality they did have one out which would be to distract or interrupt Samantha however none knew this or could act upon it with their leader¡¯s killer looming over them. The surviving Duvolf were no better than fish in a barrel and Valerie was the loaded gun ready to pop off. Licking her lips, the huntress felt somewhat guilty, not for the wholesale slaughter that was about to commence, that she held no qualms about. No, she felt bad because she was indulging in her reckless tendencies once again, but that could be forgiven surely, addicts always struggled with relapses after all.


    An hour later, Valerie and Samantha were trapsing through the Creeping Hollow to head back home and report of the Alpha and his packs defeat. A gentle and all together incorrect way to describe the massacre that served no purpose but to fill up Tiger¡¯s Will and grant Valerie even more power to draw from. She would need to figure out the mechanics of her class but was already beginning to get a sense for it. The fundamentals were, she had a time limit and set number of monsters she could use to empower herself. Whether that could be improved in any way she would need to find out over time. Samantha meanwhile made no improvements or head way in her class despite the environment being perfect for her to test herself. Oh well, thought the shadow user, thems the brakes can¡¯t get upset over spilled milk and other metaphors to say she wasn¡¯t bothered. She wasn¡¯t, okay?


    ¡°Unfair¡­¡±


    She mumbled under her breath clearly bothered.


    ¡°Hmmm? What¡¯d you say Samantha?¡±


    Valerie enquired too lost in her own feelings of success and progress to notice her friend was upset.


    ¡°It¡¯s unfair, you got to figure your class out and I¡¯m still no better than before.¡±


    She said surprising the huntress. Valerie had no idea her friend would or even could worry about this which only served to make her feel terrible for not noticing sooner. Perhaps that ¡®no fear¡¯ and ¡®no worry¡¯ part of Samantha wasn¡¯t as surefire as she liked to believe.


    ¡°I¡¯m sorry Samantha, I wish there was more I could do to help. If it¡¯s worrying you that much maybe when we get back we could talk to Albert or even Smitty and find out if they have any updates on your power?¡±


    Samantha¡¯s eyebrow rose in confusion.


    ¡°Worried? I¡¯m not worried. I just want to do cool stuff too!¡±


    Valerie stopped.


    ¡°¡­what?¡±


    Samantha kept walking while making exaggerated hand motions as she spoke.


    ¡°Yeah, you got to be so cool back there and I was just the same me I¡¯ve been for ages. I wanna do something awesome or get a cool new power like zoom, zap, zabow, zip zoopity bop. Y¡¯know?¡±


    Valerie shook her head feeling stupid for ever worrying about her friends¡­ worries. That girl was a wonder.


    ¡°This is exactly why I¡¯m not going to marry you.¡±


    Valerie said catching up to her friend who feigned offense at the audacity and disrespect she had just been shown.


    ¡°How dare! I would make a great wife! You on the other foot would be at best an adequate Mrs Trapper.¡±


    The two continued to banter and fake argue as they made their way out of the Creeping Hollow. The numerous rotting corpses left behind already out of mind and forgotten for the pair of adventurers.

 Experimentation and Assessment

    Valerie sailed over head as she delivered another powerful strike to the Cockatrice who wailed and screamed with furious vigour. It swept its long tail towards the huntress who caught the scaled appendage with one hand and then severed it altogether with Tiger¡¯s Will in a single cut. The chicken headed beast yelled again and tried to peck at Valerie who nimbly dodged out of harm¡¯s way while the monster chased after her, stabbing its spear like beak with reckless abandon. Valerie feinted right, dodged left and roll under the half reptile beast while slicing at the tendons in its three toed feet. The cockatrice stumbled then fell, its shredded and torn wings pushing at the ground to rise back up. That Valerie could not allow, stamping her boot directly upon the monsters damaged wing and tossing her knife into the other pinning both down. The huntress stood smugly behind the cockatrice as it tried to turn its head in her direction but didn¡¯t have the flexibility. Such a pathetic and pitiful display tugged at Valerie¡¯s heart strings and she decided to help out. She stepped onto both wings straddling the beast and delicately gripped on either side of the cockatrice¡¯s head. Her fingers dug deep drawing blood as she pulled on the chicken¡¯s face forcing its neck to curve backwards until it was staring upside at the huntress. She blew it a little kiss and then twisted her hands snapping the beasts head before letting go allowing it to slam back against the ground with a wet thunk. The cockatrice twitched and jerked with the last of its strength but ultimately fell still, its body ravaged, disrespected and broken. The huntress meanwhile giggled sweetly while revelling in the kill until she realized her mistake.


    ¡°¡­Oh Bollocks.¡±


    She cursed climbing off the dead bird and grabbing her knife. She was supposed to kill it with Tiger¡¯s Will only then would she absorb any power. Shrugging, she stared down at her latest foe, the high of the hunt waning faster than she liked. The strength she absorbed from an ogre was also disappearing and she quickly brought out a pocket watch she borrowed from Albert clicking a button to stop the timer.


    ¡°About twenty-eight, maybe twenty-nine seconds.¡±


    She loudly announced to Samantha who noted the time down in sloppy handwriting. The two had been performing tests on Valerie¡¯s class all afternoon and were slowly starting to figure out the mechanics. From their experimentation, a Trophy Hunter could store up to five monsters worth of power if they were directly killed by users weapon. Any additions after the cap were reached would do nothing to change the powers already stored and would not replace them. They could also pick and choose which stored monsters¡¯ power to use based on a situation or what their instincts told them. It seemed to only work on physical attributes such as a monster¡¯s strength, durability or speed and never the full package just a multiplier to the owners original prowess. At least this was all true for Valerie and she might be a special case or a poor example, they would need to find more out about the Trophy Hunter class to be certain. Then again, that would mean talking with that gnome and dealing with his petty attitude. The hard way it was then, figuring it out one monster at a time.


    Valerie was already getting a feel for the power through Tiger¡¯s Will¡¯s hunger and cravings, the blade was insatiable but a little picky too. She wondered if with enough samples she could absorb more from a monster like an elemental ability such as a dragons fire or a ghosts intangibility. Her blade was also surprisingly good at time keeping as she could only use the power for approximately thirty seconds, give or take, but each stored power was measured independently of the others. She tried using the speed of a Jacked-up Rabbit and found if she applied the five stored powers on herself in series she could run incredibly fast for two and a half minutes. For the same type of monster, she could also burn through all five to amplify the effects and make herself even faster, stronger and so on. For different kinds she could still use them in tandem, but they wouldn¡¯t directly influence each other. She tried to avoid using more than at most two at a time as it drained her mana and gave her a wicked headache. If she wasn¡¯t careful, she would drain too much and end up with Mana-Sickness and if she kept going could very well kill herself, unsurprisingly she wanted to avoid this outcome. Thus, why she and Samantha were currently testing her limits in the Merryland Forest.


    Convincing their guardians to let the huntress back here had been a herculean task, thankfully a timely intervention from Granny saved Valerie from being locked away or worse: put back on kitchen duty. The dwarven matriarch argued that Valerie needed to train her new-found power lest she misuse it in the heat of battle and end up some beasts dinner. Mrs Bubba wasn¡¯t exactly all for killing monsters but couldn¡¯t help seeing any of her grandchildren go without. Thus, the dynamic duo were allowed out on the condition they return before nightfall and limited the number of monsters they killed lest Valerie fall back into old habits. The pair accepted the condition, secretly agreeing what happened in Merryland stayed in Merryland as they faced far more than their fair share of monsters since arriving. Well Valerie did, her power making the ferocious and deadly abominations into little more than playthings as she found the limits of her class. They did need to take occasional breaks while Valerie slowly restored her mana, a process that required rest and time above any active skill. During one such rest period, after killing the Cockatrice, Valerie relaxed dipping her sore feet into the cool waters of a small pond. She felt serene and in heaven, her tired muscles aching while a pounding migraine threatened to knock her unconscious, yet the freezing pool drained all that fatigue away. She felt she could fall asleep here and awake in a thousand years.


    ¡°Aaaaaaaaaaaaaagh! Oof-¡°


    Unfortunately, her adventuring partner wouldn¡¯t let her drop into a coma as she was busy trying to expand her own capabilities. Samantha was occupying her time in the age-old sport of tossing herself into solid objects to see what happened. She was actually throwing herself at the deep shadows cast upon the surrounding trees and outcropping of rocks. She worked on a loose theory that if the man in Albert¡¯s book could pass through shadows then maybe her new class could let her too. As she ran full sprint into an immovable wall of rock obscured by darkness she was disheartened and disorientated when she bounced off the hard surface to land roughly against the dirt. Undeterred, she picked herself up, dusted herself off and got right back on the saddle.If you encounter this tale on Amazon, note that it''s taken without the author''s consent. Report it.


    ¡°Aaaaaaaaaagh! Owowow ah-¡°


    The saddle being another shadow covered wall. Despite the fact Valerie was the one combatting monsters it was Samantha who was developing more bruises, her skin becoming a tapestry to her growing annoyance and lack of progress. The huntress might have suggested Samantha stop slowly bludgeoning herself to death, but a sick and twisted part of her enjoyed the spectacle. Envy and jealousy were not so easily removed and while she would regret the satisfaction she felt later, right now she was happy to encourage her friend.


    ¡°Come on Samantha! You almost had it that time!¡±


    The battered girl looked up at Valerie from where she was hunched over and breathing heavily.


    ¡°You really think so?¡±


    ¡°Totally, go for it!¡±


    Valerie lied trying desperately to hide her grin. Emboldened, Samantha stood up, dug her heels into the ground and charged forth.


    ¡°This one¡¯s for the all the marb-OOF!¡±


    She was cut off when her meek body struck the wall yet again with little to show for it. Valerie cheered and applauded her friends latest attempt claiming she almost saw her go through that time. It was petty and childish, but Valerie was always the one on the front line taking all the hits, it was only fair to share the pain every now and then. Following several more failed attempts Samantha opted to shelve her training for the moment and take a dip in the cool pond.


    ¡°Fifty-seven!¡±


    Which really meant she completely submerged herself in the shallow waters and practiced holding her breath yet again. She was getting quite good at it, Valerie mused, up to nearly a minute and getting better all the time. Why exactly she did this the huntress wasn¡¯t sure.


    ¡°Hey Samantha, why do you do that?¡±


    Samantha twisted in the waters until she was facing her friend, a completely calm toad resting atop her head.


    ¡°Do what?¡±


    She croaked out.


    ¡°The breathing thing, why are you practicing that?¡±


    Samantha scratched the top of the toads head in thought wondering how best to word it.


    ¡°Because I need to? How else am I going to see the bottom of the ocean?¡±


    What an absolutely Samantha-esque reply, thought Valerie. She supposed that visiting every corner of the world from the highest mountain to the deepest sea trench was also part of Samantha¡¯s bucket list.


    ¡°You do know they sell enchanted broaches that can help you breath under water right?¡±


    A highly expensive broach that is, the price of one alone would cost most nobles an entire branch to their household. Samantha blinked somehow in tandem with the toad though neither could directly see the other.


    ¡°You really trust those capitalist made trinkets designed to fill the purses of the money grubbing bourgeoisie?¡±


    The completely out of left field communist statement told Valerie Roy the lizard man was in town and Samantha was being influenced yet again. His and Joanne¡¯s business venture was proving very lucrative for the beast woman while the reptile man begrudgingly accepted his substantial cut. Valerie had heard talks that Joanne already recovered from the training hall incident and was thinking about opening a second restaurant soon, no doubt she would call it ¡®Meat, Meat, More Meat and Meat Again¡¯. One had to wonder what kind of capital it would take to get in on a venture like that. More than either of the adventurers had to offer that was for sure. Their legitimate work accrued a decent, barely liveable, sum which was quickly eaten up by daily expenses. A financial planner would have suggested the girls cut back on eating out every night and constantly having their clothes professionally washed, to which the pair would ignore the helpful advice and most likely leave a bad review of the professional. The not so legitimate gains the two had safely tucked away were still abundant but noticeably shrinking as the days went by. Forbidden from taking on too many contracts, their options were limited and they may require the assistance of the slick and greasy kingpin if they were to stay afloat in living in luxury. They would rather avoid that however considering how terribly their last job went not to mention the ease with which Fandrial found them out. If someone with a real grudge and lacking in morals had the same connections the two would be done for. Neither was cocky enough to think they would get away with it twice not to mention there was the very real possibility of their friends and family being targeted.


    ¡°Hmmm family.¡±


    There it was again, Valerie thought. Family came back to the fore front of her mind, but it didn¡¯t hurt as much this time. She and Samantha both were surrounded by people who cared about them, took an avid interest in them and tried to help them. She wasn¡¯t sure if it was the same but, in a sense, she could say each had their role in their everyday lives. Joanne cooked them meals, taught them how to prepare said meals and passed along life lessons as well as an abundance of fashion tips. If that didn¡¯t qualify her as a de facto mother Valerie wasn¡¯t sure what did. Albert and Mrs Bubba were like a pair of grandparents, an idea that would annoy the two of them to no end. They doted, they spoiled, they offered wisdom and insight shaping the girls developing minds to consider things big and small. There were others that fit into loose categories too, Margaretta was like a rude neighbour, combative most days but always watching to make sure everyone on her street was doing okay. Darrian was a sleazy cousin that people tolerated at the best of times but could rely on during the worst. Roy, from the little interactions they shared was like a fun wacky uncle who kids loved to annoy. All that Valerie was missing was her real uncle, who was like her own father given all he did for her. She hoped James was okay and that she got the chance to meet him again and apologise for running away. It had been the best decision for her, she would never regret that, but she still left without a goodbye. When that day came and she found him again she would finally be able to say she was exactly where she wanted to be, surrounded by family and doing what she loved. Valerie stared up at the sky and found all the aches in her body and especially around her heart felt so distant, so small and insignificant. With a weight of her soul she stood up, her feet still submerged in the pond and addressed Samantha.


    ¡°That¡¯s enough waiting around Samantha, lets g-OOOH!¡±


    She tried to announce but tripped on something in the water and fell face first coming back up muddy and spluttering. Samantha, who had become a living statue covered in toads, stared at her friend, the many amphibians also turning their gaze to the fallen warrior. She burst out laughing, a raucous sound that was accompanied by many croaks imitating the noise. Valerie stewed in the waters and let the embarrassment roll over her. She knew this was karma for urging her friend to charge headfirst into the rock wall again and again. It was alright, she decided, a just reward for her selfish attitude. She would still get revenge ofcourse and it would be oh so sweet.

 Rank Up

    On the second floor of the Adventurers Guild in the Gentile Kingdom Capital City, a pair of monster hunters sat in vaguely comfortable chairs while a panel of high-ranking officials were seated opposite them judging their fate. This was a long time coming and had been put off several times with the branch¡¯s restoration, but finally the time had come. Every three months guild organizers would submit requests with their governing board to examine adventurers or adventuring teams and determine if they were suitable for a highly sought after rank-up. Once the request was received an in-depth investigation would be conducted on the respective adventurers, double checking their background information and monitoring their guild activity. After the investigation was completed, the panel would convene bi-annually to interview the up for promotion individuals not only to weed out potential problem characters putting on a charismatic act but also to confirm the guild member who recommended them hadn¡¯t been bribed or otherwise coerced. Margaretta had on many occasions been threatened, begged, cursed at, promised favours, and surprisingly enough proposed to all just to receive her blessing. She, ofcourse, turned them all down as she was known to have quite a reputation for being a stickler when it came to recommending adventurers for rank up, so much so her superiors forced upon her a yearly quota of candidates to put forth.


    When it came to Valerie and Samantha, she recommended them within the first few months of their adventuring career shocking many higher ups and causing a more thorough investigation to be undertaken. Unlike the vast majority of her forced submissions, she saw a real talent within the pair that if properly fostered could lead to the rise of two new household names. Margaretta did not inform the duo of her recommendation until receiving confirmation they were up for the interview stage. There was no point getting their hopes up on a whim. The giddy screams and bear like hug Margaretta received upon letting the pair know almost made the old receptionist regret her decision. Thus, Valerie and Samantha¡¯s current predicament, seated in well used and barely plush seats while facing a group of Guild officials who seemed to scrutinize every breath the duo made.


    The panel was made up of five people all sat along one side of an extra-long table which allowed them to look over documents and observe the girls in equal measure. The head panellist, one Roland No-last-name, as he did not give it out, was a dwarf with chiselled tattooed muscles hidden beneath an expertly tailored if too tight suit. His full head of ginger hair was tied into a braid that fell down his back while his long well-maintained beard was similarly styled and gave the impression of a tie funnily enough. Although neither girl laughed due to the hardened brown eyes that bore into the pair of adventurers.


    ¡°So, Miss Hunt and Miss Trapper, we have looked over your documents as well as your guild record and we have some questions we would like to ask.¡±


    He said in a professional voice that was as commanding as it was inviting. Although neither could put it into words, he gave off the impression of distilled whiskey which coincidentally was a favoured drink of the dwarf. His eyes focused on Valerie, internally noting that despite the pressure most in her position felt she was calm and collected like, well, a hunter.


    ¡°Miss Hunt, I can see from the relatively vast number of requests you two have completed that it is always you who is formally accepting contracts, submitting once complete and then receiving payment. Conversely, Miss Trapper is writing the reports herself in¡­ colourful detail. Can I take this to mean you are the leader of your two-woman group? And that your fellow guild mate is relegated to a scribe? How did such a dynamic come about?¡±


    Valerie looked into the lead panellist¡¯s eyes and answered confidently.


    ¡°In a manner of speaking I suppose that correct but we share responsibilities, I pick the work and Samantha writes.¡±


    The dwarven official smiled beneath his thick beard and pounced on the answer baiting a trap.


    ¡°Is that so? Then you have coerced your companion here and her only roll is to do as you say?¡±


    ¡°Hey that¡¯s not-¡°


    Samantha tried to butt in but was halted by a raised hand from Roland.


    ¡°Miss Trapper this question is for Miss Hunt, I would kindly ask you refrain from any interruptions during our line of questioning.¡±


    Samantha sat back in her chair feeling told off. Unfazed Valerie met the dwarf¡¯s gaze again and explained their dynamic.


    ¡°I haven¡¯t forced Samantha to do anything. Everything we do, we do together because that¡¯s what we want. We both joined of our own accord and everything we do within the guild we do as a team. I accept the contracts, but we decide on them together and more than once we have argued over the best one to fulfil as Margaretta can attest to.¡±


    Valerie was very happy she practiced her ¡®interviewee persona¡¯ with Albert prior to the actual meeting. Roland turned his sights on Margaretta who was preoccupied filing her nails in a corner. With a subtle nod, she confirmed Valerie¡¯s statements although it wasn¡¯t required as the panel¡¯s investigations had already revealed as much. Still words on paper were nowhere near as insightful as calling out the adventurer in question, many in the huntress¡¯s position might have shown more anger at being called manipulative. Roland respected the tactful way Valerie avoided his pitfall, but the afternoon had just begun, and he was an expert at sniffing out liars and cheats. Roland The Adjudicator was more than a fancy title; it was the man¡¯s class and gave him more insight than most when it came to finding out the truth. Subtle shifts in a person¡¯s body language, the way their eyes moved, even the scent of their sweat could become the dwarf¡¯s weapon in slaying metaphorical monsters. As well as literal ones having been an adventurer himself in his youth using his class well throughout his life and, while a small part, assisting the dwarf in securing his current position.


    ¡°Thank you for your answer. Moving on, my colleagues and I have noted a steep decline in the number of contracts you have taken over the past few months. Would there be any reason for that?¡±


    Past experience told the panellist that when an adventurer began slowing down the number of fulfilled contracts like this it was indicative of several ongoing issues. The least worrisome was simply the adventurer settling into their new career and didn¡¯t feel the need to show off anymore. There were also some who felt a responsibility but no longer had the drive and would eventually quit altogether. The worst possible outcome was the few who found other less reputable forms of employment and only used the guild as a cover. Valerie and Samantha looked at one another, an awkward tension growing until the former spoke up.


    ¡°Well¡­ my, one of our¡­ guardians forbid too much work due to¡­ problems on my part, sir.¡±


    Roland nodded easily accepting the answer. It was not hard to forget a lot of adventurers were children being sent out to fight battles they may never return from. A worried parent or guardian was bound to put their foot down eventually and had every right to do so. Roland himself knew the exact kind of problems the work could instil as did every panellist in attendance, they all lost something fighting monsters eventually.If you discover this narrative on Amazon, be aware that it has been stolen. Please report the violation.


    ¡°I see, Miss Hunt, we appreciate you sharing this with us and please trust we will not pry or take this matter further, unless we are forced to. I have to ask however, these issues you have experienced will they come to be a detriment in your time with the guild?¡±


    ¡°No!¡±


    Valerie hurriedly answered before schooling her outburst.


    ¡°No, it won¡¯t. I¡¯m getting better and have a lot of support.¡±


    Roland raised an eyebrow and stroked his beard as he stared at the pair. He was fully aware of their living situation and of the company they kept. Joanne in particular was a familiar name and one he was sad to see leave the guild despite completely understanding her reasons. These two likely didn¡¯t know it but they were very lucky to have her as a friend. Ultimately, he believed Valerie¡¯s answer, not just because of his years of experience but because his class would alert him to any falsehoods with mixed results. It was not a completely foolproof lie detector as it could be fooled by both parties¡¯ perception. If Roland wanted to believe and Valerie truly did think she was speaking the truth, then any lies would fall through the cracks. It also couldn¡¯t work on those the man couldn¡¯t focus his full attention upon such as the cloak wearing girl who hadn¡¯t blinked once the whole meeting.


    ¡°Very well, then let us move on. Miss Trapper, might I enquire how you and Miss Hunt first met? If the matter is too sensitive you need not disclose the full details, we are simply looking to learn more about yourselves.¡±


    In actuality, they were trying to learn anything about the pair. From various accounts, eye-witness testimonies, and a statement from a rather pudgy border guard the guild was able to craft a rough timeline of events. The duo arrived several months ago under false pretences accompanied by a mysterious foreigner and his pet monster. From there they acquired immediate lodging with old Albert the librarian whom many in the local branch respected. Next came meeting Joanne who unabashedly confirmed she convinced the pair to join for some quick and easy cash. Ever since they have been avid and trustworthy recruits fulfilling more than their fair share of monster contracts. The guild is not in any way a law enforcement agency thus they can look past some of their members less than law abiding actions such as the two¡¯s magically appearing yet no less official citizenship papers. Anything else that wasn¡¯t performed in the guilds name or while wearing their recognizable insignia was neither seen nor heard in the upper echelons. So long as an adventurer killed monsters and respected their fellows then there was no need to dig deeper into the matter. That being said, a pair of highly trained, outlandishly lethal and shockingly young warriors arriving out of nowhere would raise a few eyebrows no matter what. Whether Samantha told the truth of their meeting or provided any insight was neither here nor there, the guild simply wanted to ensure they were employing trustworthy individuals and not anyone the divine or fate had its eye on.


    ¡°¡­and that was when Valerie punched me in the face and I¡¯m pretty sure I nearly died.¡±


    Both Roland and Valerie rubbed at their foreheads for entirely different reasons following Samantha¡¯s long-winded explanation. Rather than use the pre-prepared story where the two grew up in the same village and left after a monster attack, the shadow user opted to describe her entire origins from start to finish including the mine and her acquisition of the aspect of shadow. Before she could continue spilling all of the pair¡¯s secrets, Roland held up his hand interrupting her.


    ¡°THAT¡¯S- that¡¯s quite enough Miss Trapper, I believe we have the gist of the matter. Thank you for your contribution.¡±


    Valerie, stared daggers at her friend from behind her palm while the fountain of knowledge that was Samantha sat with a smug grin like she had just gotten the wool over the panellists. After confirming a few more details regarding the duo¡¯s journey to Capital City as well as throwing out a couple traps that were finely avoided, the five officials agreed they had enough information to begin deliberations.


    ¡°Miss Hunt, Miss Trapper, thank you very much for your time. My fellows and I will need a few moments to go over all the details provided, could I ask you please wait outside while we discuss matters?¡±


    Without another word both girls left the room closing the door behind them which barely muffled the loud smack and crash as something cloak shaped slammed back into the door.


    ¡°I told you they were nuts.¡±


    Margaretta chimed in as she continued to file at her nails in the corner. Roland had to agree, not just because of the cloaked ones disturbing aura and depressing past. Valerie, while presentable and approachable, was a veritable psychopath when it came to her love for killing monsters. Looking down at a selection of reports, the Adjudicator noted several descriptions in terrible, if slowly improving, handwriting describing the vicious ways in which she slew monsters. Gutting, skewering, skinning, hanging, impaling, decapitating, bisecting, exsanguinating, and good old fashion mutilating were just some of the colourful and in no way exaggerated methods utilized by the duo. There were also the numerous accounts of the huntress arriving back to town completely covered in blood and viscera from who knows where. After a while, adventurers learned to avoid messy situations yet to get the job done Valerie would wade through the foulest mirk.


    ¡°Crazy indeed.¡±


    Remarked Roland.


    ¡°It is not first time we have crazy members.¡±


    Said a broad-shouldered human panellist to Roland¡¯s left while his compatriots reservedly agreed. Crazy sometimes came with the job when all they did everyday was kill living creatures for coin.


    ¡°True, but there¡¯s crazy and then there¡¯s¡­ those two.¡±


    A mine out in the middle of nowhere digging up Dragon¡¯s Teeth, Roland heard all about that story in the Capital Chronicle following the arrival of the escaped workers. It was a large scandal that saw several wealthy merchants and nobles taken into custody, though whether they faced any real punishment was another matter. Samantha was just another of those poor people, yet she didn¡¯t seem to have any of the trauma or rather she turned whatever trauma she may have suffered into power. Valerie as well, the complete disdain and contempt she held for monsters was borderline sadistic. Neither was anything particularly new within the guild¡¯s long history and yet whenever Roland looked at those two he saw something troubling. It truly made him wonder what Margaretta saw that he couldn¡¯t.


    ¡°Tell me Maggie, what is it about those girls that caught your eye? Why recommend them over the myriad of other candidates?¡±


    The dwarf official expected a long-drawn-out moment of silence while Margaretta thought on her answer, yet that wasn¡¯t the case at all.


    ¡°Because they¡¯re good at what they do and don¡¯t care about your flimsy morals.¡±


    The room fell silent following the rude comment that was entirely on brand for the receptionist. She was too old to care if they kept her or fired her, she just did the work because she too was good at it.


    ¡°Could you elaborate?¡±


    A cat faced beast woman panellist asked.


    ¡°Monsters are monsters, do you think they have any moral quandaries about killing us? No, they show up, do what they want and don¡¯t care who or what they destroy in the meantime. For years I¡¯ve seen promising adventurers quit all because they got into their own heads that the multi-headed monstrosity they were supposed to kill reminded them too much of Fido. Then in come a pair of consistently annoying and consistently successful adventurers with not a single monster forgiving bone between them who can get the job done no matter what. If you think them being crazy is reason enough to stop them from taking on more ferocious, more sinister and more terrifying monsters then maybe you¡¯re the insane ones around here.¡±


    Although she never raised her voice, Margaretta¡¯s speech still carried across the room stunning all the panellists including Roland who was many years the woman¡¯s senior in position and age.


    ¡°Point taken¡­¡±


    Was all the dwarf could say in response to the rousing sermon although a small part of him wanted to point out it was Margaretta who first brought up the duo¡¯s mental state. After a further half hour of deliberation, the gathered officials reached a decision and called the waiting pair back into the room. They took their seats, Valerie trying to remain stoic and confident while Samantha clutched a wet towel to her head covering a mark no one would call out. Despite appearances, Valerie did not in fact punch her friend in the face yet again and was the one who got the shadow user her cool cloth. What really happened was Samantha walked out of the room, tripped on a frayed piece of her cloak and slammed face first into the opposite wall kicking the door in the process. The truth didn¡¯t matter however as the implication simply fed into the panellists already formed opinion of the two.


    ¡°Miss Hunt, Miss Trapper, thank you kindly for waiting. We have discussed the matter in depth and come to a decision regarding your position within the guild. Before we give it however we do have one last question for you both.¡±


    Valerie felt her heart skip a beat and a tightness clamp down upon her, if they lost their job now then they were done for. Well not done for, they could always become mercenaries for hire, work with Joanne or go back to Darrian but those were outcomes the pair would prefer to avoid.


    ¡°Put simply, we want to know just what you expect out of the guild. What do you both hope to achieve in your time with us?¡±


    The pair slowly turned from the branch officials and began an impromptu huddle discussing their answer. The panellists wilfully ignored the mention of ¡®starting an apocalypse¡¯ and ¡®ending the world¡¯ as they patiently waited. Coming to a decision, Valerie counted them down as they faced the five officials announcing their answer in tandem.


    ¡°We want to see the world.¡±


    A stock and well repeated response, but a welcome one all the same in Roland¡¯s opinion especially as he felt not a hint of a lie in their words. Smiling beneath his well-groomed beard, the Adjudicator stood alongside his fellows.


    ¡°A fine answer indeed. Now, I am not one for ceremony so thank you for your time ladies and congratulations Team Apex on your promotion.¡±

 Team Apex

    ¡°Team Apex?¡±


    ¡°Team Apex.¡±


    Samantha confirmed without any explanation as she and her confused teammate sat in the guild lobby while waiting for Margaretta to get back. The receptionist was off grabbing a new set of documents for the duo to sign to complete their official promotion to the next Adventurer rank. Why she didn¡¯t have them prepared in advance when she was the one who recommended the pair was a mystery only she could answer which she didn¡¯t. It gave Team Apex a chance to soak in the news of their promotion or it would have had the unofficial leader not been too busy questioning their lovingly picked title.


    ¡°But why?¡±


    ¡°You called us it when we fought the big white dog, I just submitted the paperwork.¡±


    Valerie smacked her forehead and exaggeratedly dragged her palm down to further emphasise her incredulousness. While the noun was used in numerous teams it was always followed up with another word such as ¡®The Apex Legion¡¯, ¡®Apex Ascendant¡¯, ¡®Apex Anonymous¡¯ and ¡®Upex, Wepex, Apex¡¯. Simply ¡®Team Apex¡¯ had yet to be claimed and thus the approval came relatively quickly following the Alpha hunt. The huntress did not care how quickly the name was accepted however, she simply despaired at the poor moniker itself. If it were up to her she would have called them something far better like¡­ Team¡­ okay she didn¡¯t know what to call them but given time she surely would come up with something clever and snappy. It wasn¡¯t like they had to be Team Apex forever they could always change the name at a later date especially if they got more members who could add their two cents. They had discussed the idea on a number of occasions to find more people for their two-woman band to help shore up their weaknesses. They were overflowing when it came to offence and support roles thus they just needed a defender or some kind of spell caster, preferably one who could heal injuries. That was the advice the guild offered new recruits trying to form teams, unfortunately the pair suffered from an acute case of ATW, otherwise known as: Avoid The Weirdos.


    Quite a few new guild members suffered from the condition due to their rookie status and in some cases sense of self-worth. It didn¡¯t matter how many tutors you had or who your parents were when a monster was trying to gobble you up. The duo suffered from their own variant of ATW due to one of them being a walking repellent exuding fear and the other a manic psycho with a perpetual scowl. This isn¡¯t to say they weren¡¯t approached several times with generous offers however this was mainly by young men who thought having a couple of girls within his party would lead to something more intimate. That was Valerie¡¯s assumption at least and the main reason as why she never gave the offers much consideration although she was trying to be more sociable due in no small part to Joanne¡¯s influence.


    ¡°Being an adventure comes down to three things: networking, advertising and monster killing in that order for what will get you paid the most.¡±


    Was what she said after finally agreeing to take the duo on as disciples provided they fulfil whatever demands the beast woman made of them. Sacrifices had to be made and if joining the ex-adventurer for a mani-pedi session was the price then they would pay it, better than another week in the kitchen that was for sure. One of the first pieces of wisdom she bequeathed unto the two was about how to advance in the guild and, in their opinion, they were not too far off. They had monster killing down to an art while advertising was a little bit trickier given their knack for turning heads in the opposite direction, it still made them stand out and that was better than nothing. As for networking they were at a complete loss, almost no one would give them the time of day or try to interact with the girls without ulterior motives. It was a common disadvantage with rookies, you only ever worked with who you knew already or who you grew up with. That was all about to change however as they were now a level higher on the pecking order.


    Margaretta soon returned while the two were hashing out ideas for a new team name and set down a small stack of papers before falling into her seat exhausted like she had just run a marathon. She had done the exact opposite as the reason she was gone for so long was because she took an impromptu break telling nobody and letting everyone wait on her return. After signing more documents in their gradually improving but still chicken scratch handwriting, Margaretta unceremoniously handed them their new guild insignia. The new badge was similar to the first but made of stone rather than wood and where the previous featured a simple dragon silhouette with a sword sticking out of it the new one was much more detailed with lines and etchings that made the image pop. The guild ranking system went from wood to stone, metal, gem and finally mithril with each position affording various benefits in and out of the guild. Very few had ever reached Mithril, the standards of which were set by the founder, but for those that did they were treated like royalty especially by royalty.


    ¡°Congrats, woohoo and whatever. You are now Stone Ranked Adventurers and can take on all requests available on the job board. Your names will also be featured within the official Adventurer registry so any shmuck looking for a hunter or a freak can specifically request you two.¡±


    Margaretta announced unenthused and ready for her shift to be over already. Before then she would do the minimum required of her and reached into her desk drawer taking out a folded sheet of paper with the two¡¯s names written on the back.


    ¡°Speaking of, congrats you two have a request, already making waves.¡±


    She held the folded letter out to the pair who stared reverently at their first new rank request. Valerie extended a shaky hand out and took the parchment, however upon opening it she frowned at the contents.


    ¡°What does Smitty want with us?¡±


    The sparse letter only had the pairs names, a request to come to his store and a guaranteed reward of one gold coin, total. Margaretta massaged her temples while answering.


    ¡°I don¡¯t know, he has been sending those letters to the guild every day for weeks. He only asks for you two and nothing else. Feel free to reject the offer but at least go and tell him face to face. I can¡¯t keep using the shredder or someone will think I¡¯m deliberately getting rid of paying work!¡±


    One of the myriad problems that could arise from guild office fatigue. Some people simply became too jaded and saw the requests as nothing more than the whining of weaklings who never faced a hard day¡¯s work in their life. Considering the vast majority of basic requests were submitted by farmers and country folks pooling funds, it was quite the audacious mentality for a receptionist to have. Bidding Margaretta farewell, the pair of freshly ranked up adventurers sauntered off to Smitty¡¯s workshop, their not so gleaming badges on full display for all to see. They were on top of the world, and nothing could tear them down not even a certain gnome¡¯s rude attitude.If you discover this tale on Amazon, be aware that it has been stolen. Please report the violation.


    ¡°Well, if it isn¡¯t the charity case and her much more appealing companion.¡±


    Or so Valerie thought. Hearing his snide remarks as the pair entered Smitty¡¯s Smiths utterly soured the huntress¡¯s mood. That is until she realised a very important fact; they didn¡¯t need the gnome¡¯s help anymore and weren¡¯t beholden to accept his attitude. Smiling smugly and without saying a word, Valerie turned on her heels to walk back out the door. Her victorious retreat was stopped by an antsy call from the uppity craftsman.


    ¡°Wait, wait, wait, before you go won¡¯t you hear what I have to say?¡±


    Valerie stood in the doorway and sighed, she looked to Samantha who shrugged, fine with staying or leaving. Cursing herself, the huntress turned back and stood before the gnome while ensuring he knew his place.


    ¡°Fine, but one word that I don¡¯t like and were gone. Got it pipsqueak?¡±


    Smitty bit back an ill-considered retort and did his best to play happy host.


    ¡°Ofcourse, ofcourse. I am happy you decided to accept my request, I wasn¡¯t sure you ever would. Congrats on your recent promotion by the way.¡±


    He hastily added, his demeanour and odd summons reminded Valerie of a weasel or worse a lawyer. The two adventurers were directed to the workshop once again where they found Becky shifting and adjusting a pair of mannequins with a more determined face than either had ever seen from the lazy receptionist. Smitty stood beside his, for once, hard at work employee and began his sales pitch.


    ¡°I am sure you two are making full use of your classes, yes? Adjusting well and discovering all kinds of talents you didn¡¯t know you had?¡±


    Samantha¡¯s scrunched up her face and averted her gaze from the gnome forcing Valerie to answered on their behalf.


    ¡°Yes and no¡­ I¡¯m starting to get a feel for it, but Samantha here¡­ isn¡¯t. She hasn¡¯t got any better than when you last saw her.¡±


    The gnome¡¯s face dropped for a split second, then quickly reverted to his rosy cheeked smirk.


    ¡°That is disappointing but not unexpected. It would seem your class will indeed require further examination which brings us to the crux of the situation.¡±


    Smitty clapped his hands and coughed to get the attention of Becky, who rolled her eyes and turned to face the pair of adventurers, her eyes scrutinizing each fraying edge or shoddily sewn patch adorning their clothes.


    ¡°I was wracking my brain on an issue until my lov- hard wor- punctu-¡­ my assistant here proposed a trade of sorts.¡±


    Valerie narrowed her eyes and crossed her arms as did Samantha imitating the gesture because she wasn¡¯t sure what else to do.


    ¡°What kind of trade?¡±


    Asked the huntress to which Smitty¡¯s smirk turned devilish.


    ¡°The mutually beneficial kind. You two are, let¡¯s be honest, fashion disasters and poorly equipped for the kind of work you undertake on the regular. I mean, do either of you even own a piece of proper armour?¡±


    They did once but repeated and excessive adventuring work had reduced what protection they had to scraps or cinders in Samantha¡¯s case. The majority of their accumulated funds were intended to acquire a decent set of armour that was tailored to the two¡¯s personal needs. That goal was still far off however as the girls seemed to spend their money whenever they got it.


    ¡°We don¡¯t¡­ but that will be changing soon now that were a rank higher.¡±


    At Stone rank the types of contracts they could take expanded greatly as did the rewards and danger. There were also the guilds regular incentives for hard working adventurers and Valerie had her hopes set on a particular cuirass that was bound to offer better protection than the simple shirt she typically wore. It helped the design on the chest plate was appealing to the huntress and would make her look good although she would never admit that was a contributing factor. Throwing his head back in a forced laugh, Smitty disparaged the two¡¯s hard work.


    ¡°Trust me, anything you can find on the market at your level will cost far more than its actual worth. What we offer however will be top quality guaranteed.¡±


    The pair of adventurer¡¯s side glanced one another not entirely buying the gnomes words.


    ¡°I can assure, as well as a weaponsmith I am well versed in the arts of armour crafting and design. You are adventurers and part of that work involves making yourselves presentable to potential clients which is where my loyal employee comes into the mix.¡±


    Smitty added while presenting Becky who waved absentmindedly after finally being acknowledged.


    ¡°She has the Fashionista class, thanks to yours truly no less. She will ensure whatever style you want is accurately reflected in my designs and fits you like a second skin!¡±


    The Fashionista class was exactly what it said on the tin and offered the user greater insight into what articles of clothing, or in this case armour, were best suited to the job. Not all aspects or classes were combat focused, and the Fashionista was no different being intended for the growing couture culture within the Capital. Possessing the ability to not just design but easily manufacture a set of armour that fit an adventurer perfectly for everyday use was an invaluable skill in the current monster hunting scene. No chaffing leather or itchy fabrics just expertly tailored suits of war that were as efficient as they were stylish. It was a fantastic offer that anyone would be foolish to turn down, so ofcourse it came with a catch. Sighing, Valerie put a hand on her friend¡¯s shoulder.


    ¡°What do you want from Samantha?¡±


    ¡°Yeah, what do you want from Samantha?!¡±


    The shadow user added a bit too aggressively. She was not actually angry or upset just trying to support her friend as always. Smitty held his hands up in mock surrender.


    ¡°You got me, I am looking to gather all the information I can on the Deep Jailer. A customer with a single option for their class and with the bare minimum number of aspects hasn¡¯t happened in decades. But it¡¯s not just her I am invested in. The Trophy Hunter is not uncommon but the manner in which your class was formed does grab my interest and I wish to learn all I can about how it has affected your development or if you are still technically a trophy hunter at all.¡±


    Generally, a class was formed from the combination of two or more aspects and depending on a person perception of those powers it could become one of many variations. Although she didn¡¯t fully realize it, Valerie¡¯s desires to become physically stronger altered her class to grant her only physical attributes. If she did not have her crisis prior to obtaining her class she may just have fallen into a similar but marginally different power set. Smitty could have explained this at the time, but he didn¡¯t like Valerie and was far too caught up on Samantha¡¯s single choice to focus on anything else. The very idea of a singular option intrigued Smitty to no end and he wished to learn exactly why and how no other class existed with the same combination of Aspects. He also couldn¡¯t help but slap himself on the back for how well the Trophy Hunter forging turned out but with how the class formed and the materials used it could result in a new title being established. Such a momentous event had to be recorded in the Smitty¡¯s books as it had been over six hundred years since he last added an entry to the mystical log and what kind of craftsman would be he if he didn¡¯t understand his creations inside and out?


    ¡°That¡¯s it?¡±


    Valerie asked sceptically with Samantha repeating her words once again.


    ¡°That¡¯s it, free of charge ensemble tailored to your needs. Very enticing, no?¡±


    Too enticing thought Valerie. What was it with people and giving stuff away just to examine Samantha and her rare aspect? The huntress was sure this wouldn¡¯t be the last time and was thankful their official guild records didn¡¯t list all their aspects. Or they didn¡¯t, until her friend just had to go and blab all about her origins to those officials. No doubt they were already sharing it internally which would then be shared within the guild and before long it would be common knowledge. A problem for later, however, at the moment Valerie was just interested in this deal. Despite her apprehension, it was indeed an alluring proposition with little to no effort on their part. Still, they wouldn¡¯t be indebted to the gnome and his ambitions that easily.


    ¡°Samantha, come join me in the corner for a second will you.¡±


    Smitty watched patiently as the duo huddled at the back of his workshop to discuss his proposal. Well, Valerie discussed it, Samantha occasionally looked back at the gnome, squinted her eyes then turned back to the huddle and said ¡®whisper, whisper¡¯. It was a little hurtful that they doubted the expert craftsman¡¯s hearing to the point they would openly disparage him a few feet away. Becky at least had the decency to wait until he was out of the room before making comments on his height and other perceived failings. Valerie and Samantha soon broke their huddle, voicing their unanimous decision.


    ¡°Fine, we accept your proposal, but only this time. You can poke and prod all the information you want out of us today but if we ever come back for repairs, we will just be regular paying customers. Anything you learn afterwards will be because we decided to tell you.¡±


    It was similar to the arrangement they had with Albert, the two, mainly Valerie, refused to be free loaders or take advantage and be taken advantage of. Smitty¡¯s forced smile did not reach his eyes which twitched with restrained annoyance.


    ¡°Very well, happy to help.¡±


    He said bottling his disappointment. It was alright, he would learn what he needed today and then next time would simply turn on the charm. Wiping at the sweat on his forehead and smoothing his hair back, Smitty turned to Becky.


    ¡°Well? What are you waiting for? Get to taking their measurements!¡±

 A New Look, A New Me

    Following a gruelling two hours of poking, prodding and invasive attention to areas neither would speak of the pair of adventurers were decked in all new attire. Walking out of Smitty¡¯s, Valerie immediately examined her outfit in a nearby store window inspecting all the stiches and seams finding not a single loose thread or wasted piece of fabric. Nor did she find any blemishes, marks or stains on the steel plates adorning her new armour. Starting at her feet, her old worn boots were replaced with a sturdy and well fitted pair that matched the set of light and highly durable leather greaves that extended from her ankle to just above her knee. The material was odd and flexed with her legs so seamlessly it almost appeared like a second skin. Smitty refused to reveal what they were made of claiming it was a trade secret, and a part of Valerie didn¡¯t want to know, ignorance being bliss and all. Moving up, she wore the striped pelt of a familiar feline that wrapped around her waist and drooped more at the back stopping just shy of the back of her knees. Originally Smitty had wanted to go for a standard cuisse to protect the huntress¡¯s lower half, but Becky instead suggested making use of the Tigers pelt and convinced her boss saying it would finally get rid of the last of that feline from his workshop.


    Next, Valerie¡¯s left arm from the shoulder to the tips of her fingers were covered in a steel sleeve of interlocking plates which limited her movement but offered a makeshift shield of sorts to fend off a beast¡¯s chompers and more importantly meant she could deliver a mean left hook. On the literal other hand, her right arm was far less protected with only a simple bracer loosely connected by straps to a pauldron atop her shoulder. Compared to her left arm, she could move her right with more precision and still have some decent cover for particularly ferocious opponents. On her torso intricately designed breastplate covered her front to back with ample coverage from her collar bone down to her stomach. Becky tried to suggest a plate that was fitted to the huntress¡¯s exact personal proportions which nearly caused Valerie to walk out there and then.


    To complete the set, she tried on a variety of helmets finding most were not to her liking due to one reason or another. Despite not trying as hard to put on a pretty face as some of her female guardians would like, a deep hidden away part of Valerie didn¡¯t want to cover too much just in case she did develop an interest in make-up eventually. After some time, she settled on a bandana with a thin metal sheet between the fabric folds which she wore affixed to her forehead. Her reasoning was she could still see and hear everything around her while also helping to tie her hair back or deliver a ringing headbutt. The Fashionista and even Samantha simply nodded along to the half-baked explanation. Underneath the armour she still used the simple linen shirt and cloth trousers she had been wearing for the past few weeks, with some holes and loose seems taken care of making them appear as new. Ultimately, her armour was function above all focusing on freedom of movement while offering decent protection with only the smallest additions to bring some new flare to the huntress¡¯s style.


    While Valerie looked herself over and tried to appear indifferent, Samantha ran in circles like a child as she forced her cloak to billow out. While the huntress¡¯s outfit dipped into both defence and offense, Samantha was all manoeuvrability and obfuscation. Compared to the formers leather browns, reflective silvers and orange pelt, the Shadow user was dressed as black as the night. She wore dark fabrics that covered her from neck to toe all tightly bound without a single loose scrap. Her cloak meanwhile was allowed to flow freely as an updated mishmash of fabrics, rags, scraps and charred remains. Samantha was still reluctant to give up on her favourite keepsake, even though it was barely a shadow of itself, and Smitty respected this stance as he often held onto junk well past its prime as he sought continuous improvement. It took some brainstorming, but the Fashionista Becky was able to re-sow the mish mash of scraps with some leftovers from Smitty¡¯s old projects into a full-length hooded cape again. Beneath the jigsaw puzzle of a cloak a new pitch-black veil was fitted, dark enough to obscure Samantha and create the perfect cover for her to summon her shadow chains.


    Leaping and swinging from the rafters with chains appearing from her wrists, waist, feet, neck and business zone Samantha felt like some spectacular, some amazing, some uncanny spider like thing. Smitty did offer a number of small weapons or additions that would help make the shadow user a better monster hunter, but she was more interested in keeping her usual wrecking ball style of combat. Thus instead, her shoes were re-cobbled and better fitted with the steel sole replaced with some lighter far stronger metal Samantha forgot the name of after Smitty told her not to tell Valerie. She told her anyway after they both left the workshop to gawk at their update style. Staring at themselves for far too long, the pair of adventurers finally acknowledged each other¡¯s attire taking in the full picture. In what could be called her crowning moment, Samantha summarized their outfits simply and succinctly.


    ¡°Nice.¡±


    ¡°Nice indeed.¡±


    ¡°Niiiiiiiiiice.¡±


    ¡°We do look nice.¡±


    ¡°Very nice.¡±


    ¡°The nicest.¡±


    This back and forth went on for several more iterations as the two adventurers flexed, posed and generally took up space in the middle of a busy road. The shop clerk who owned the window to whom they were flaunting themselves in front of was minutes away from grabbing his broom and shooing the two of them off. Finally tearing themselves away from their own reflections, they made their way to a few local equipment shops to complete their adventuring gear. With the influx of cash that no longer needed to be saved for arms and armours the pair purchased a few essentials they neglected in the past. Utility belts were a must, as they featured several loops and pouches that helped store all the items an adventurer could need and some of the very, very, very expensive ones were magically enchanted to be capable of holding an outrageous amount of stuff. They were a long time from getting one of those, thus they stuck to the basic kind of belt with space for all sorts of alchemical concoctions. Which was their next major purchase.


    Stolen content warning: this content belongs on Royal Road. Report any occurrences.


    Potions came in all variety of shapes, effects and prices from the ludicrously expensive to the outlandishly expensive, if one was looking for the best options. Low grade or simple potions were more affordable even if their potency was akin to coloured water with a terrible taste. A potion was a potion however and it still had the vague echo of the magic that restored an adventurer to peak health. Valerie did enquire if there were any concoctions for restoring mana but was let down to learn no one had found a way to distil pure magic in a bottle and not have it kill someone quickly or violently. The huntress was finding herself running low on mana regularly since she began actively using her class unlike a certain shadow user who was swimming in the stuff, but she would just have to make do for now.


    Walking out of the shop, Valerie was only now beginning to realize just how much of an adventuring career they were woefully unprepared for and wondered if everything they had accomplished up to this point was through their own merit or simple luck. For most in her position the answer was yes, undoubtedly yes. Neither of the two were unique in terms of broad adventurer origins, no family, no money and no other options but to turn to monster killing to make ends meet. Had either taken the time to ask around the guild they would find many were in the exact same position unable to afford the most basic of essentials. Conjecture on what they should be doing wasn¡¯t going to magically make all the tools and funds needed magically appear, so she shook off the thought. Adventuring after all wasn¡¯t a checklist that they needed to adhere to at all times. The two of them had carved out their own method and now were using the tools others had forged to improve their career tenfold.


    Potions packed away, armour checked and stone adventuring badge on full display, the pair were ready to take on their next big challenge. They considered rushing around to tell their unofficial guardians about the rank up as well as show off their new gear, but it was better to strike while the iron was hot and there was one more thing the pair had yet to achieve. Something that had been specifically kept from them, something that adventurers of their previous rank were intentionally locked out from doing. A particular style of quest that took Samantha¡¯s interest and caught her eye every time the pair walked into the guild although she couldn¡¯t answer exactly why. Walking confidently into the guild for the second time that day, a feat that was becoming easier now that lines were reducing but not entirely gone. The pair strode up to a receptionist other than Margaretta who was currently out for her pre-lunch lunch. The plump woman, named Cindy according to her name tag, who greeted the adventurers spoke with a thick accent that reminded them of Roy mixed with chipmunk.


    ¡°Well, hi there! Welcome to the guild, how can I help you pretty little things?¡±


    With the authority of a newly crowned king, Valerie announced their request.


    ¡°We want to see the Extermination contracts.¡±


    Cindy¡¯s face twisted slightly, and the chipper smile she always tried to maintain faltered. She gulped and looked the two adventurers over noticing their new spotless badges.


    ¡°Are y¡¯all sure about that? We still have a lot of monsters that need getting.¡±


    Cindy hadn¡¯t worked for the guild for very long, but she nevertheless saw exactly what taking on those kinds of requests did to young people. Well, to those that came back more specifically, she tried not to think about those that didn¡¯t. Undeterred, Valerie reaffirmed their position, and the reluctant Cindy was forced to pick out several of the red crossed contracts, laying them out in front of the duo. Valerie looked over the requests seeing there was a number for intelligent monsters piled in too such as goblins, orcs and kobolds. A few also listed various cults or dangerous sects that required investigation before a true extermination was conducted. The huntress examined each wondering what was best suited to their talents when she remembered Roland¡¯s words and began to worry if she did steamroll Samantha¡¯s opinion when it came to picking contracts. She was just about to ask her opinion when the shadow user picked up a random contract and set it down before Cindy.


    ¡°Let¡¯s do this one.¡±


    Confused at how spontaneous her friend was, Valerie inspected the jobs requirements. It read simply that there was a group of bandits about twenty or so strong who were holed up in an abandoned town at the edge of the kingdom. The details were so lacking and unimpressive it honestly looked like a template the guild would use more than an actual request.


    ¡°Why this one?¡±


    Valerie asked utterly befuddled at the seemingly random selection to which Samantha shrugged.


    ¡°I dunno, just picked it. Doesn¡¯t matter which one we do first right?¡±


    A not incorrect answer as there was nothing stopping them from taking more of the same on, the extermination requests did still make up the vast majority of contracts on the guild jobs board. Samantha¡¯s pick was also truly random, she didn¡¯t have a real reason or get any odd feelings or premonitions about the contract. She simply picked it up and decided it was good enough. Valerie had no reason to disagree and after confirming details with a wary Cindy the two officially took on their first extermination job. Despite the aggressive name, extermination was not a requirement or even the goal of most jobs it was simply the name chosen to most accurately reflect the grave nature of some tasks. The job they had taken was to drive off the bandits using whatever means necessary which the two took to mean summarily beating the ever-loving snot out of the thieves before sending them packing. To them monsters deserved death for simply existing, people could change or learn from their ways and didn¡¯t need to be taken out permanently.


    Chartering a carriage, the two set out for the outskirts of the Gentile Kingdom near a mountain range referred to as Drakes Rest due to a local legend the peaks were once home to the monstrous dragon slain by the guilds founder. It was further out than either had ever been during their stay in the capital and the carriage driver could only take them so far. The rest of the way they were forced to go by foot, living off the land once again and returning to the hermit life. It was somewhat nostalgic for Valerie, staying up to watch over her friend, snug as a bug in her cozy cloak, it gave her time to reflect. She had done more than her fair share of that these days, life in the capital was just so much more complicated or perhaps it was just her gradual march into adulthood. She must be seventeen by now but like Samantha had no inclination when her birthday was anymore. She didn¡¯t bother to count the days while out on the road and took longer than she¡¯d liked before she could accurately read the date and time. Still the advances she and Samantha made in their year together was incredible, what would they accomplish in five, in ten years? Valerie stared at the gently sleeping face of her best friend, the person who helped kick start her life and was always there through it all.


    ¡°I¡¯m not going to let you die.¡±


    She promised the sleeping girl regardless of if she heard or not. She didn¡¯t care what prophecy Samantha received or if the divine themselves came down and told the huntress her friend had to sacrifice herself to save the whole world. She would not let her go quietly; they were both going to live a long happy life no matter what. That was the silent declaration Valerie Hunt burned into her soul so no one could ever hope to take it away.


    On the next morning while the two walked and talked they came across tracks, a few light footprints at first which soon became several deep indents from many pairs of feet. Following the trail at a reserved and cautious pace they eventually stumbled upon a little ransacked village at the foot of the mountain with several men coming and going from building to building. It was an utterly unremarkable place and most likely the bandit infestation was the most exciting thing to have ever happened to this small rinky-dink little town. Or it would have been, had it not been for an unfortunate addition to the town that grabbed one of the adventurers attention. Samantha froze upon seeing the settlement and gasped out an excited squeal.


    ¡°Oh em gee, were home!¡±


    Valerie stared at her friend, her eyes asking the obvious question: ¡®what home?¡¯. Samantha hurriedly pointed to a sunken hole at the back of the abandoned town and without a hint of blackness stated.


    ¡°That¡¯s it Val, that¡¯s where I grew up! That¡¯s the mine!¡±

 Homecoming

    Samantha stared in awe at her old stomping ground remembering all the good times. There was the old drinking well that¡­ she didn¡¯t drink out of but would have liked to. Then there was the¡­ church? Yes, the church she did always appreciate how run down and broken it looked. And who could forget the¡­ uh¡­ the thing¡­ in the place¡­ with the guy and the side¡­ and the other thing with all the¡­ Okay, cards on the table, maybe she didn¡¯t have any fond memories of the village, nor any bad ones, she just didn¡¯t see a lot of it before or after her escape. Following her harrowing break out, she briefly looked over the wrecked settlement and then promptly turned away before anyone asked her to help clean up. It wasn¡¯t her mess why should she be responsible for fixing it? Ironic then that she was back now and contracted to take care of the bandits currently rummaging around the demure place. What are the chances picking a random contract would lead her back here of all places? Was it simply a coincidence or an act of providence? Where there people out there, divine or benign, who wanted her to come back here? Did she have some grand purpose she was destined to fulfil that needed her back? Could she be the missing Princess Eleanor Regalia?


    ¡°Pffft No.¡±


    She blurted out confusing Valerie. The two had been scouting the town for some time trying to gleam any information on the ruffians¡¯ patrols routes or particularly dangerous individuals. If they played things smart, they could sneak in during a quiet period and slowly pick off stragglers and lone bandits before confronting the rest of the camp. Waiting for nightfall was no good on account of Samantha becoming about as useful as a bucket with a hole at the bottom. Valerie would likely be in good standing no matter the time of day, Tiger¡¯s Will was all full up and ready to unleash a monster¡¯s wrath. They needed to be efficient however, the huntress¡¯s power would run out too quickly in a protracted confrontation. Better they thin the heard then strike at the perfect opportunity. After watching the bandit camp late into the afternoon, they began operation: Kick Ass & Take Names. Neither were good at coming up with mission titles.


    Slowly edging their way closer to the village, they spotted a lone bandit, facing a wall with his hands preoccupied taking care of business. The girls decided to wait a second longer lest they see something they wouldn¡¯t be able to forget. When the man finished and was busy tidying himself up, they struck. Valerie silently closed in from behind, jumping up to wrap her arm around the slightly taller man¡¯s neck in a chokehold. She yanked back and flipped him over, slamming the bandit hard into the ground before delivered a finishing knock to the back of his head. Dazed, confused and likely concussed, the bandit was enveloped in a series of chains that dragged him out of town into the surrounding shrubbery. Samantha could keep around four similar chain cocoons in action before the strain started to get to her, so they were now on the clock.


    Moving on, they stuck to the shadows while remaining vigilant for any foes around corners. They quickly found a second bandit sitting atop a crate against an abandoned home, his spear held lazily to support the bored man from falling asleep. Samantha conjured a chain that tapped against his back before disappearing back into the darkness. Distracted, the tired man twisted his head finding nothing but the plain brick wall behind him. He turned back just in time to see a metal gloved fist colliding with his jaw and knocking a few teeth loose. Just as Valerie was lifting the stunned bandit for another slam against the ground, the door to the abandoned home swung open and out stepped one of his comrades. The two locked eyes, the ruffian looking over his compatriot¡¯s attacker while Valerie was frozen mid grapple. The newcomers shock lasted a second longer than the huntress giving her time to prepare a counter offensive. Roughly dropping the bandit, Valerie ripped her knife from its sheath and prepared to toss it when she stopped herself dead. The person before her wore little to no armour and there was no way she could stop him without aiming for something¡­ vital. Unfortunately, the momentary lapse was all the ruffian needed to regain his wits.


    ¡°OI! INTRUD-¡°


    His call to action was cut short as Samantha came rocketing in, feet first directly into the man¡¯s head. Slumping to the ground, the bandit made no further attempts to garner attention, but the damage had already been done. From around a corner three more rough and tumble men appeared brandishing their weapons. Valerie broke from her stupor and picked up the first bandits spear tossing it as hard as she could. She would not make a good javelin thrower, but the wild projectile did thump into the approaching company knocking at least one over in the process. With their cover broken and reinforcements soon to appear, Valerie and Samantha made a brave and courageous tactical retreat. Which is to say they ran like cowards in the complete opposite direction. The huntress briefly considered activating one of her stored monster powers to quickly carry them away but there was no telling what or who they would run into during their mad scramble. Unfortunately, in their haste to vacate the scene of the crime they got all turned around and ended up in the middle of town square next to Samantha¡¯s favourite well. From all sides scores of bandits appeared blocking off their exit and locking the two into a shrinking circle. They stood back-to-back staring down the band of ne¡¯er-do-wells as they searched for an exit. The brigands meanwhile sized up their intruders, several realizing the two in the centre were a pair of young girls, many more did not come to the same conclusion only seeing a couple of easy on the eye pieces of meat. Valerie searched for a way out, only finding sharpened steel and lascivious gazes pointed their way. With no other option, she clenched her teeth and gripped Tiger¡¯s Will letting the strength and ferocity of an ogre overtake her.


    Samantha felt a hand grip onto shoulder and looked into the determined eyes of her friend. Without so much as a word, the huntress leaned forward while bending her knees and launched herself forth, the force of the sudden movement kicking up dirt and causing Samantha to stumble. The bandit in front of her held an axe in both hands and made to swipe at the rapidly approaching girl coming up short as Valerie ducked low into a crouch. The stupefied man and those around him looked at the huntress noticing an ethereal chain connecting her weapon to the other encircled girl. With a twitch of Valerie¡¯s hand, Samantha was flying through the air, an excited ¡®wheeee¡¯ escaping her lips as she rocketed towards the axe wielding man.


    First one then a second steel soled shoe connected with the axe man¡¯s ugly mug pushing him back into a fall. A sword came hurtling towards Valerie which she blocked with her knife while reaching her free hand out to the boot stamped man¡¯s leg. Roughly gripping onto the appendage, she twisted around using the bandit as a club that knocked into his compatriots pushing them aside. Samantha meanwhile leapt from ruffian to ruffian using their noggins as stepping stones. She tried to escape the crowd and find a place to slip into the shadows to support Valerie, but the band of thieves wouldn¡¯t let her. A snap of something to her left caused the shadow user to twist her body rapidly, narrowly missing a crossbow bolt but forcing her back onto the ground. Tumbling against the dirt she looked up to find a masked man looming over head. She summoned a chain which rushed to strike at her opponent, but he deftly caught it before kicking the downed Samantha in the stomach. She tried to unleash her eery aura to force the bandit to back off but was halted by another crossbow bolt catching her in the leg. She involuntarily screamed out which only seemed to embolden the man attacking her until he was bowled over by the axe man¡¯s battered body. Another bolt came hurtling towards Samantha¡¯s head but was cut down by Valerie who came sliding in. The huntress had been forced to activate another monster power to give her the speed to reach her friend and the strain of two concurrent powers scraped at the edges of her mind. Before another shot came, she picked up a rock and threw it at the crossbow user, missing but forcing the man to duck for cover.Enjoying the story? Show your support by reading it on the official site.


    Valerie picked Samantha off the ground and roughly ripped the embedded bolt from her friend¡¯s leg, eliciting another cry of pain. Backed into a corner, the two adventurers were quickly surrounded again their adversaries towering above them and casting the pair in darkness from the collective shadows. Which was rather unlucky for the company of ruffians due to a proficient shadow user being in their midst. A wave of fear surged forth catching the bandits off guard and causing them to halt. Valerie re-orientated and prepared to rush forward again when a figure from above leapt down. He held a dagger coated in a green concoction which was aimed straight for the huntress¡¯s neck. The leaping genius was mid-air by the time Samantha¡¯s aura struck and he had no way to stop himself. Without a thought, Valerie blocked the strike with her left arm gauntlet and flipped her knife around. She moved on muscle memory to gut the monster before her when she froze yet again remembering where she was and who she faced. She looked into the man¡¯s eyes and saw fear, real accusatory fear and she faltered. Killing monsters was one thing but killing these people was a line she couldn¡¯t cross; her uncle¡¯s words spoke to her keeping her from straying too far.


    ¡°Monsters are monsters, but people? They aren¡¯t so black and white they-¡°


    Valerie wasn¡¯t given time to recall her uncle¡¯s teachings in full as a thrown rock struck the right side of her head just as the leaping bandit hit the ground. She fell as well and landed heavily on her left arm as a trickle of blood ran down the side of her face. Samantha broke out of her concentration to try to catch her friend, the invasive fear remaining but majorly diminished. Some brave or incredibly stupid individuals stepped forth to continue the assault on the pair of adventures. Thankfully they were stopped by the sudden arrival of a cocooned man wrapped in chains tossed into the mix. Valerie looked at Samantha, one eye closed and clutching at her head, yet all she saw was a confused shrug from the shadow user. Then the boss man made his presence known.


    ¡°Oi, oi, what¡¯s all this then?¡±


    All eyes turned to find a large man carrying a huge object that he hefted effortlessly atop his shoulders. He was an older man, possibly in his late forties to early fifties, with short cropped grey hair atop his wrinkled and scarred face. He wore tarnished and mismatching armour, each piece a trophy from many battles fought and warriors bested. In his right hand he held a thick shaft of iron that extended a meter and a half ending in a one-by-one metre square metal chunk that was scratched and dented from decades of severe conflict ending strikes. The man stood tall over the other bandits, even those clearly with a height advantage backed away and shrunk in his wake. One foolish thief spoke up, his voice terror ridden but not due to Samantha¡¯s power any longer.


    ¡°B-boss! We got a couple of intruders. We was handling them for ya.¡±


    The boss man looked over Valerie and Samantha with curiosity.


    ¡°Intruders, eh?¡±


    He casually walked up to the adventurers, the fierce company of bandits parting like the sea.


    ¡°Know what I see? I see a couple of whelps clearly out of their depth and in some hot water. I do not see any intruders that are worth all my men crowding together like its BLOODY CHOW TIME!¡±


    His voice rose into a roar that shook every man down to their core.


    ¡°ALL OF YOU GET BACK TO WORK OR SO HELP ME¡­¡±


    The implications alone sent some men running for the hills, even the still tied up man wriggled away from their leader like a terror stricken worm.


    ¡°You three, stay.¡±


    He pointed to a group who stood at attention wishing they were anyone else. The bandit leader breathed through gritted teeth and then in the blink of an eye, and a swish of his short hair, adopted a friendly smile. He spoke softly to the fallen adventurers trying his best to appear affable.


    ¡°My apologies miss and uh¡­ miss. My men did not mean any harm, y¡¯see we are about to move and its making everyone a little jittery. They¡¯re all a bit antsy in their pantsy¡¯s if you yet my meaning.¡±


    He chuckled at his own joke though no one around joined in. Coughing awkwardly, he continued.


    ¡°Right well, I just want to say I have always respected the Adventurer¡¯s Guild, it is an institute we need in today¡¯s world and their members are the kind of civil servants our society couldn¡¯t do without.¡±


    He nodded towards his awaiting men.


    ¡°These fine gentlemen are upstanding citizens most of the time and surely don¡¯t need the guilds attention on them. We aren¡¯t monsters, we¡¯re just men making a living.¡±


    The bandit was sincere in his intentions even if his words were slightly, very slightly, complete fabrications. They weren¡¯t the worst group out there just a bunch of down on their luck individuals who, with no other option, turned to a life of banditry. Which was a colourful and optimistic way of describing the group of cut-throats, murderers, mercenaries and occasional non-compliant adulterers. Being singled out for a guild contract was bad enough and the last thing they needed is for a couple dead adventurers to increase their notoriety. So far neither the adventurers nor his men had harmed the other too harshly and no one was dead if the tied-up man he found was any indication. He only wished he had been here earlier but when nature calls who was he to ignore?


    ¡°I say let¡¯s have bygones be bygones. You walk out of here, forget we ever existed, and we go on our merry way. Everyone¡¯s happy. What¡¯d ya say?¡±


    The hate filled stare he received from the concussed one did not fill the bandit leader with hope. Strangely there was something familiar about the look, like someone from a history best left buried. Crouching low, the bandit leader made to cup Valerie¡¯s face and get a better look at her.


    ¡°Say miss, do I know yo-¡°


    He was rudely stopped when a shadow chain smacked against his chin without moving him an inch. His men recoiled taking a step back while Valerie whipped her head around to look at Samantha wide eyed.


    ¡°Don¡¯t touch my friend.¡±


    Her words held no anger or malice they were matter of fact, possessive in their nature. The bandit leader gripped his jaw shifting it back and forth in its socket trying to feel for an injury that wasn¡¯t there. After a tense second, he let out a disappointed sigh that was reflected in his voice.


    ¡°Not in front of my men.¡±


    In the next instant Samantha was hurtling through the air having been tossed by the large man. She sailed rapidly over buildings watching the spot where Valerie was shrink into the distance. She tried to conjure up chains from her cloak but was tumbling too erratically for a concrete shadow to form. Any on the buildings below were either too far or couldn¡¯t be summoned fast enough for the comet that was Samantha. She soon began to descend and was able to right herself in time to see the pit that was the mine approach from below. At the last second, she summoned a chain from under her cloak and the dark pit, the two links clashing mid-way to jolt Samantha to a stop. She collided roughly against the ground coming inches from falling into the collapsed mine once again. As she was painfully picking herself up a boom erupted as something landed nearby kicking up a cloud of dust. Looking towards the recently formed crater, Samantha watched the bandit leader rise up while brandishing his weapon.


    ¡°I was trying to be kind, but I will not stand to be disrespected in front of my boys.¡±


    He grunted out as he rolled his shoulders and stand tall over the shadow user even from a distance. The way he held his weapon and the imposing posture loomed like the last goodnight many had already bade farewell to. Without much choice in the matter, Samantha shakily took a fighting stance, black chains snaking out of the earth to her left and right. She met the gaze of the bandit leader who looked down upon her, his face devoid of any emotion. Before they began, a thought passed through her head and she decided it was worth asking.


    ¡°Before you kill me, were you the one who ran this mine?¡±


    The bandit leader raised an eyebrow, turning his sights on the collapsed hole nearby, he remembered hearing the residents used to call this place a mine. He supposed that meant this girl also used to be from here, shame she had to come back.


    ¡°Fraid not missy, me and my men came here couple weeks back. Had nothing to do with that mess. You won¡¯t be getting any catharsis from me today.¡±


    What the heck was a cart arse hiss? Oh well it didn¡¯t matter, whether he was or wasn¡¯t part of the mine didn¡¯t matter to Samantha she was just curious.


    ¡°That¡¯s okay, I¡¯m Samantha Trapper by the way. I¡¯m the Deep Jailer.¡±


    Crouching low and ready to spring into action, Samantha summoned all the confidence she didn¡¯t possess.


    ¡°Just so you know who beats you.¡±


    The bandit leader grinned, how long had it been since he was able to do a little showmanship? A part of him regretted what he was about to do to the little girl, but he was already here so had to set an example.


    ¡°Nice to meet you, the names Harold. But you can call me Harry.¡±

 The Hammer

    Valerie tried to fight against the man who sat on her back or push off the two holding her arms down. The three bandits left behind by their leader jumped the huntress while she was dumbfounded from the sudden disappearance of Samantha. They knocked her to the ground and kicked her knife out from her grip. She tried fighting back but was ruthlessly beaten every time eventually ending up in her current position. The monster power she used was gone and she couldn¡¯t summon the rest with Tiger¡¯s Will sitting a few feet away. She raged and cursed trying to claw or bite at her captors who sneered and laughed at her as she tried desperately to escape. From somewhere distant she could hear loud booms and crashes from an ongoing clash which served to bolster the huntress further yet no matter what she did she couldn¡¯t break free. One of the bandits gripped her head and slammed it into the ground, rubbing her face into the dirt while the others laughed. She couldn¡¯t see them but could hear their continuous jeers at her expense.


    ¡°I¡¯ll kill them.¡±


    She said in a whisper promising unparalleled revenge on these neanderthals should anything happen to Samantha.


    ¡°I¡¯ll kill them all.¡±


    It didn¡¯t matter who or what it was, she would kill everyone if they took her best friend and confidant from her. Hot tears streamed down her face as she fought again and again making no headway. She had to get to Samantha, there was no one else who could protect her friend but her. She HAD to be there.


    Meanwhile, Samantha ran full sprint at Harry before pivoting to the left while tossing out black chain after chain towards the big man. The spear like chains surged towards the bandit leader but were effortlessly batted away with a lazy free hand or completely destroyed by his hammer. Even if she had improved over time, her shadows were still pitifully weak and were no better than being struck by a tennis ball which the bandit leader had no problem shrugging off. His only real problem was hitting the infuriatingly quick and dexterous girl as she zigged and zagged, bobbed and weaved, dodged, ducked, dipped, dived and dodged again. Harry was spry for his age and his massive weapon could tear the foundations from a castle if he could just hit the blasted thing.


    ¡°Stay still!¡±


    He commanded in a frustrated voice as he swept his hammer around in a large arc. Samantha decided not to heed the order and used chains from her own person to wrap around the weapon in an attempt to halt the bandit leaders¡¯ movements. What actually ended up happening was the far lighter shadow user being dragged off her feet and through the air. Fortunately, it was not the first time she had been in such a position and quickly adapted retracting the chains and pulling her towards Harry using both her own and his momentum.


    ¡°Single style: Hammer Toss!¡±


    One impromptu move name later and Samantha was rocketing towards the bandit leader with her knees bent and feet poised to meet the thief¡¯s nose. No such gathering of smelly appendages occurred however as Harry raised a hand to grab onto the shadow user and most likely smash her into pulp. At the last second however, Samantha conjured another set of chains that pulled her away from the guaranteed death although the sudden shift in forces nearly made her lose her lunch. Being the sole target for her opponent was troublesome, to say the least, and meant that a lot of her hit and run tactics were useless but it did have another advantage.


    ¡°Bang, bang, bang!¡±


    Without pause she blasted Harry with concentrated waves of her eery aura to try and disorientate the bandit. The mental attack appeared to land as the boss man put up his guard and froze for a moment giving Samantha the time to heroically run for it. She wasn¡¯t too prideful to admit she was in a bad spot and had very little chance of actually beating this guy alone. With Valerie however he was toast, she believed unequivocally that together they would make mincemeat of Mr ¡®The Hammer¡¯. Although she also believed that no one was immune to her eery aura bar herself which was accurate to an extent, but everyone had their tolerances. Before Samantha had made it more than a few metres from the terrifyingly tough leader, she heard then immediately felt a titanic crash as the ground beneath her feet shook and crumbled. The hair on the back of her neck rose and she desperately threw herself to the side just in time to dodge the impact of Harry¡¯s own armoured boots as they alongside the rest of the man slammed into the spot she had been standing a second prior.


    ¡°Tut, tut, lass. Running away?¡±


    He taunted as he raised his hammer up high and swung down once again narrowly missing his target as Samantha was pulled from her prone position by a series of shadow chains. Performing another overhead swing, Harry slammed his weapon into the ground creating a mini shockwave that rattled the shadow users¡¯ bones and disrupted her mystical chains. Her momentum remained however and Samantha skid along the ground until kicking back onto her feet to summon yet more chains. The onslaught peppered the bandit leader with poorly aimed strike after poorly aimed strike although even if they could hit any vital spots, they would accomplish the sum total of zero to the power of zero. While her shadows ¡°occupied¡± Harry, Samantha attempted another tactical retreat only to be stopped as the massive hammer came whizzing by with the air alone pushing her back from safety. The hunk of metals owner capitalized on the momentary lull and shoulder charged directly into Samantha, the first attack he had landed upon her that stuck as evidenced by the disgusting crack that erupted out from the shadow user. The combatants became entangled with Harry using Samantha like a human shield as he ran straight for his weapon intent to impale her on the handle. Before he could land another blow however, the shadow user clapped both hands around his skull and stared directly into Harry¡¯s eyes. The concentrated waves of fear earlier had tickled at his senses but peering deep into the abyss that was her irises was something else that completely shattered the bandit leaders focus allowing Samantha an opportunity to free herself from the man and back away. She tried to make another run for it but, with her punctured and now freshly broken leg, couldn¡¯t muster up the energy to make it more than a few paces away. Harry himself gave her some leeway as he stepped further back to pick up his tossed weapon and assess the shadow user. With the precious few seconds Samantha had been granted she conjured a fresh pair of chains wrapping them around the leg that was bent at a weird angle and used all the force she could muster to force the bone near enough back in place.


    ¡°AAAAAAGH!¡±


    She screamed unashamedly from the pain and almost blacked out as a result. A distant huntress also heard the scream and felt fury like never before push her to fight harder, unfortunately many more bandits were encircling her and keeping the warrior pinned down. Back at the clash of all clashes, Samantha was breathing heavily and could barely stay up on her feet as she blearily looked at her opponent. Harry The Hammer, or so he claimed to be the jury was still out on that one, stood casually with his weapon hefted upon his shoulder once again. Both knew this ¡°war of attrition¡± wouldn¡¯t last as she couldn¡¯t land enough hits to count and he only needed at most one more to finish things off. If Samantha was any smarter, she might have tried bargaining or pleading with the man to let her go but in her mind she didn¡¯t need to. She wouldn¡¯t die here so there was nothing left to do but fight and either win or have some third party come in to save the day and Samantha hated last minute Deus Ex Machina¡¯s unless they were sufficiently foreshadowed or funny.Help support creative writers by finding and reading their stories on the original site.


    The stalemate between the two combatants dragged on for another precious few seconds that gave both a chance to recuperate, one physically and the other mentally. Harry was not the brightest tool in the shed either and so was back to fighting shape in no time which he showcased by slamming his weapon into the ground yet again. Samantha barely dodged the sudden shockwave, by falling to the side and quickly retaliated by conjuring a chain to coil around her attacker¡¯s legs but Harry smashed the tether before they could grow taut. She also tried summoning one to wrap around the hammer itself, but Harry was able to yank his weapon through the links breaking them easily. She was beginning to regret not taking Smitty up on his offer for an additional weapon, she couldn¡¯t exactly be an unstoppable wrecking ball if she was trying to knock down an immovable object. No point not to try though and Samantha painfully forced herself pack to her feet to run for the bandit leader. Using all the focus she had left; she pictured the small areas between Harry¡¯s armour as well as the crook of his elbows and the back of his knees. The problem with people¡¯s shadows was they moved far too much for a solid chain to be formed, Harry however was like a mountain, huge and most importantly unmoving. It wasn¡¯t going to be easy to summon her power through the man¡¯s shadow, but nothing was impossible for Samantha N/A Trapper.


    As the boss man reared back for another violent swing, she struck conjuring chains that erupted from all angles of Harry firing into the ground and his own shadow forcing the man to stop in place. It would only hold for a second, but it had to be enough as Samantha ran forward, pushing herself faster than she had ever gone. As she approached the bandit leader, she summoned a chain from the shadow of her feet using the erupting links as a springboard that shot her high into the air. With barely any effort, Harry broke through his bindings and looked up to catch sight of the expanded cloak Samantha wore floating freely overhead. He failed to find the girl however as she had unclipped her favourite memento using it as a distraction while she rose higher above. Thanks to her light gear and borderline underweight physique, she was able to rise quite high which gave her a good view of the surrounding forest and the village that could have been her home. She didn¡¯t focus on the scenario for long as gravity finally regained its grasp on the shadow user dragging her back into the fight. As she fell, she tucked herself into a ball twisting and falling through the air at a rapid pace. The human cannon ball that was Samantha rocketed towards the ground and before Harry could react, she outstretched her less damaged leg striking the bandit leader in a brutal overhead kick. For the briefest of moments Samantha thought that she had won, that she had landed a deafening blow to the boss man and would have the opportunity she desperately needed to abscond. When a rugged hand reached up and grasped onto her however, she knew the game was over.


    Harry wrenched at the exposed leg pulling it and its owner around in a wide arc before he slammed them against the ground. Samantha was thrown into the earth with so much force she bounced, teeing her up for Harry to knock the shadow user away with his hammer. She was launched with explosive force skipping across the earth several times before skidding to a stop ten of metres away. Her body was riddled with cuts and bruises as well as a few more broken bones, yet she tried to pick herself up regardless. The pain coursing through her body was like nothing she had ever felt before and was most definitely going in the top five most painful encounters of her life. Harry meanwhile was unfazed by the strike to his noggin, casually walking up to the broken shadow user.


    ¡°You¡¯ve got a couple aspects I see. Lucky, lucky you. Here¡¯s the rub though. Monsters, anyone can take those down if you have the will to do it. Us aspects users, however? Only we can take out our own kind.¡±


    He finished his statement as he reached Samantha, raising his hammer up with one hand he didn¡¯t hesitate to swing down one last time. The blow was caught however as several shadow chains intercepted the strike creating an interlocking web of black links with the summoner herself at the certain and physically pushing back to no avail. Harry respected how hard his opponent fought on, in another life he may have liked to grab drinks with the lass, if she was older that is. Bandit he may be no one would dare call Harry the Hammer a creep.


    ¡°You¡¯ve probably guessed by now; I¡¯ve got the aspect of the hammer. What you didn¡¯t know¡­¡±


    Harry set another hand on his weapon and felt his mana course through the metal.


    ¡°¡­Was back in the day, I was called Harry the Smasher!¡±


    Suddenly the head of his hammer grew to three metres in length and breadth completely encompassing Samantha. She pushed back and forced her shadows to hold with all her might but one after the other they snapped and cracked under the pressure. Death was coming, about to crash down upon her but Samantha couldn¡¯t accept it. This wasn¡¯t how she would die; she knew it, she was destined to die somewhere else, somewhen else. She had so much to do, so much to see, so many people she had yet to meet. Her mind raced with ways out of this and came up blank. All that she could see was the dark shadow that came crashing down upon her. In the last moments before her chains gave out, she felt something tingle at the back of her head and was able to get off one last sentence, the last words of Samantha Trapper.


    ¡°Ruh Roh¡±


    With one monumental crash, Harry¡¯s hammer sunk deep into the ground causing a small earthquake in the process. The reverberations shook the surrounding area and even caused the perpetrator to shake violently. After a minute the tremors stopped, the nearby pit that was once a mine growing silent once again. Satisfied, Harry shrunk his weapon back to its normal enormous size while ignoring the strain against his pitiful mana reserves. He was getting too old for this, but the looted money was good, and he didn¡¯t have to follow any orders out here bar his own. Hefting his weapon back up he was confused to find the crater empty, no blood stain or pancakes to be seen. Were Harry a scholar he may wonder if he had atomized the girl, but the unbothered man just shrugged his shoulders, called it a fluke and set off back to the village without a second thought to the life he had just taken.


    He arrived back to the town square soon after to find a crowd of his men taunting the other adventurer who was tied up against a post. They cheered as one drew closer before backing away as the dishevelled girl tried to attack him with her teeth. Harry was disappointed, he tried so hard to instil the right kind of morals into his men and set a good example. He completely ignored the fact he had just killed a teenage girl, but it had been done so respectfully. Walking up to the crowd, his presence alone was enough to halt the unruly lot who scattered bar the three he set to watch the girl earlier. Valerie stared up at Harry, her eyes red and full of unrestrained fury. The bandit leader casually tossed a ragged cloak at the huntress¡¯s feet.


    ¡°Apologies miss. This is all that¡¯s left.¡±


    Valerie stared down at Samantha¡¯s cloak her rage and fury replaced with complete bewilderment. Samantha was gone? That can¡¯t be right, Valerie was supposed to protect her, she promised she would protect her. Without warning, her legs gave out from under her and she slid down the pole, her mouth open and gaze fixated on the cloak. She barely noticed when Harry crouched down to examine her face again. He scratched at his chin and finally remembered exactly who she reminded him of.


    ¡°I got it! Jimmy right?¡±


    Valerie¡¯s absent eyes met the bandit leader, she couldn¡¯t follow his words or focus on anything else anymore.


    ¡°Now that takes me back, old Jimmy, what a hoot. Me and him used to do contracts all the time when we were young. You know he used to stiff me on the reward? Said we were getting fifty/fifty, but he was taking a decent sixty percent! Oh the argument we had over that little ¡°slip up¡±. Ah those were the days.¡±


    It had been a long time since Harry thought about his adventuring days and the many hijinks he and his best mate Jimmy used to get up to. He wondered if that old bag of bones Margaretta was still hanging around the guild hall, she hated him and Jimmy something fierce but then again who didn¡¯t she hate? He then remembered how he and Jimmy had parted ways, the ungrateful so and so going off with that elven bitch. It was a long time ago though and what was the use in holding onto old grudges. Harry looked the catatonic girl up and down, a pang of guilt tugging at his heart for the way he and his men treated his old friend¡¯s kin. He patted Valerie on the shoulder and gave a half-hearted apology before standing back up he addressed his men.


    ¡°Boys, you are to treat miss adventurer hear kindly ya hear? Tie her to a tree and help the others get packed up. I want out of here today. Got it?¡±


    He received a series of ¡®right boss¡¯, to which he nodded at his loyal men¡¯s dedication. Scooping the left-over cloak up, Harry made to walk off and perform last rites. The least he could do was bury it as a show of respect from one aspect user to another. He was stopped however by the sudden vitriolic words of his captive.


    ¡°I¡¯ll kill you¡­¡±


    Valerie hissed out rising back to her feet.


    ¡°I¡¯ll KILL YOU!¡±


    She screamed, tearing though her bindings and rushing at the boss man. His men made to intervene but weren¡¯t fast enough as Harry himself smacked Valerie aside with a mighty back hand. The huntress landed roughly against the earth some distance away, her crumpled and battered body unable to get back up as she sobbed into the dirt. Harry frowned, he knew he should just deal with her here and now lest she come back later with a vendetta or a platoon of veteran adventurers at her back. Looking over the pitiful girl and remembering his old friend, he just couldn¡¯t do it. She was entitled to her anger and had every right to try to take it out on him. When the day finally came that she was ready he would face her fairly and give her the peace she was so desperate for. He also hoped that whatever afterlife she ended up in she could meet up with Samantha again, wherever that was.

 Deep Jailer

    Samantha awoke to find herself in complete and utter darkness.


    Not Again.


    She¡­ said? She knew she thought the words and tried to say them but couldn¡¯t feel her lips move nor hear any sound exit her mouth. Matter of fact she wasn¡¯t sure she still had a mouth as she couldn¡¯t feel anything, all her senses were gone. So how did she wake up? Was sleep a sense? What were senses? Did she ever have senses or was it her senses telling her they were senses? Did she simply believe she could sense something so her mind created the sensation of sense? Sense seemed to have gone out the window as Samantha wasn¡¯t making any. All that mattered right now was that she was not dead, probably, and was safe, probably, for the moment. Picking herself up or at least thinking she did, she tried to look around the black nothingness that encapsulated her. It was much darker than anything she had ever seen before, more than the mine or when she got her class or some third occasion where it was particularly dark. Okay she was probably VERY dazed right now, give her a minute and she¡¯ll think of something. And so everyone waited patiently for Samantha to come up with an idea or make a statement that was profound or wise beyond her years.


    Yup, totally black.


    Amazing work Samantha, so glad you had everyone wait for that. She tried to sigh; how could she be snarky if she couldn¡¯t even snark? Huffing out a breath, that never appeared, she imagined resting her hands on her hips and adopting an upset posture. If this was death it was absolutely mind bogglingly boring and she would like to speak to death¡¯s manager about the poor conditions or reach out to Death¡¯s CEO with a strongly worded letter of complaint.


    This is getting me nowhere.


    Distracting herself with nonsense wasn¡¯t really working, she used to be so good at it too. She had to face facts, she fought Harry the Hammer, formerly the Smasher, and lost, but she was fairly sure she didn¡¯t die. There was no last overwhelming rush of pain or flash as her life passed before her eyes. She was under Harry¡¯s hammer and then she was here, wherever here was. Was it the great beyond? Purgatory? A waiting room before she was to meet the divine and receive judgement for how she lived her life? Would they be disappointed she never made it to her scheduled death appointment? Something to think about as she walked, which she hoped she was doing. It felt appropriate to think and walk, helped to keep both the mind and body active.


    The lack of senses had its drawbacks but silver linings too as it kept her from feeling the torturous pain her body endured prior to coming here. She wondered if she might have died anyway from shock if Harry hadn¡¯t sent her here. Maybe that was giving the man too much credit, he likely didn¡¯t mean to send her to this barren place. Or did he? Is this part of a class, or an aspect, a curse or some fourth thing her rattled mind couldn¡¯t think of? If he could do this surely, he would advertise it with some cool name or a light show. Harry the Hammer Smasher didn¡¯t really give the impression he could teleport people to dank and depressing holes in the universe. Ruling out her killer, then how did she get here? Death was the obvious answer but was too easy, too convenient for Samantha¡¯s liking. It had to be something, something she was forgetting or hadn¡¯t considered. If only there was someone else here like an onlooker or audience that could scream the answer to her, and she would pretend she didn¡¯t hear for comedic effect.


    I am going to go insane here.


    She fake said. What happened to her? She didn¡¯t use to talk to herself this much in the mine or think about ridiculous scenarios. She thought about outrageous scenarios like a normal person. Had interacting with people made her more crazy than isolation ever could have? Was it¡­ was it because she lived in a society? If she hadn¡¯t felt justified for wanting the end of the world before she did now.


    Samantha continued to babble incessantly to herself and think about inane things as she imagined herself walking. The lack of sight and sound bothered her more than any other missing sense. While she despised the forest she met Valerie and James in there was at least something to look at. An unimaginably boring something but something at the very least. This place however was just nothing, endless nothing. What would it even look like if it did have anything? Boring was Samantha¡¯s conclusion. If she was in charge of giving this place form and function, she would give it cool black marble walkways, the kind that would clack under foot. Or would it scrape? She tried walking back and forth to tell if her shoes clacked or scraped along the ground.


    ¡°Definitely clack.¡±


    Satisfied her first assumption was right she kept on while deliberately clacking her shoes against the marble floor. She walked along the walkway for several more minutes enjoying the rhythmic sounds of her footsteps until she realized something was wrong. Backing up, she confirmed exactly what she was hearing: sound, real sound. Not just from her feet but from her clothes, her breathing and her own heartbeat.


    ¡°I can hear? I can hear!¡±


    And her voice it seemed. She was able to make sounds and hear them again. How and why she suddenly could was the current mystery of the day. What did she do different? What changed to allow her to perceive noises again. Snapping her fingers, which strangely made no sound as her senses must have turned off again, she figured out what was different.


    ¡°My perspiration!¡±


    Close enough, she meant her perception. She believed she was walking along marble that would make a clacking sound, so she began to hear a clacking sound on marble. She also wanted to affirm what she was hearing so her voice reached her ears. Through sheer dumb luck she could hear again and if it could work for one sense, then why not others? Samantha shut her eyes tight imaging herself in all her glory, splendour and maybe a couple inches taller. She didn¡¯t feel any ripples of magic or hear a distinct pop that anything had come into being but when she looked again, she was standing in her full adventurer gear, ripped in some places due to her earlier scuffle and still unfortunately short. Not only could she see herself, but she could also feel the fabric against her skin, the taste of saliva in her mouth and ruffle the hair on her head. No smells though bar her own but not like she smelled like anything to begin with. Her cloak wasn¡¯t present which was disappointing but not unexpected considering how careless she was with it. With her senses taken care of she wondered what to do about the world around her. She changed it earlier or at the very least revealed something about it due to her perception. Could she due it again? She looked down and saw the onyx black marble floor beneath her, had it already been there before she came here or did she conjure it through her newfound power?If you find this story on Amazon, be aware that it has been stolen. Please report the infringement.


    ¡°My power¡­¡±


    Was this part of being the Deep Jailer? Was this¡­ the Deep Jail? It held some modicum of logic, if you thought of the idea of a prison incredibly loosely it could be considered a dark hole where senses didn¡¯t exist. And she was stuck in it.


    ¡°Rats!¡±


    She cursed, realizing she was trapped yet again. How many times was she going to get stuck somewhere? Maybe it was a good thing she never approached that well in the village otherwise she probably would have found herself at the bottom of it. Still a jail was new, like an upgrade to every constrained situation she had been in so far. Oh well, as the old saying goes: where there¡¯s a prison there¡¯s an exit. With a spring in her step, Samantha marched onward along the surprisingly accommodating path. It was curious how perfectly straight it was without a single deviation or bump while also matching her tastes perfectly like it was made for her alone. She wondered if she might not be following the marble walkway but that it was following her, appearing where she stepped. Samantha tested her theory by walking back several paces and then angling herself left. The result was two diverging pathways, one that ended abruptly while the other continued onward beneath her feet. With not much else to do, she started to get crazy with the path as her only form of entertainment. She leaned to the side as she walked which the path compensated for twisting into a horizontal spiral. She placed one foot into the air and then climbed atop it turning the path into stairs. She was able to force the walkway to curve into a complete circle creating a huge loop de loop. No matter what way she orientated herself she was always perfectly balanced with no risk of tripping. Whoever, if anyone, oversaw this place was probably dissatisfied with how she decorated but that was there problem because right now Samantha was top dog around here. Or so she thought, her grandiose attitude quickly shattering as a massive figure appeared flying through the loop de loop.


    Samantha jumped back at the sight of a huge fish of some kind as it flew past her avant-garde street. Its smooth black skin shimmered in the nothingness around them, and it opened its giant maw to release a soundless wail as it swam away. Although Samantha had never seen one before, she was suddenly aware she was staring at the retreating form of a whale gliding through a black sea of nothingness. As it disappeared into the distance, the shadow user caught sight of a curious piece of jewellery attached to the mammal¡¯s tail. It had a ball and chain fastened around its hind appendage which it dragged along through the empty space. Samantha stared in amazement and smacked her head remembering the most important feature that made prisons prisons: prisoners. She hadn¡¯t seen any so far but then again, she hadn¡¯t been looking for them. Why the whale appeared she couldn¡¯t say, maybe it was the last vestige of a long-forgotten dream that miraculously popped into her head. Tapping her foot against the marble path, she pondered exactly how she could meet more prisoners. As with almost all of her previous demands, the malleable space around Samantha responded to her desire as the marble path extended outward, winding and twisting into the black void, taking her deeper into the jail.


    ¡°Neat.¡±


    She exclaimed, undermining the significance of the sight completely. Skipping along the path before her she felt excitement build in her chest for what sights awaited. It wasn¡¯t long before she encountered her first inmate, a multi-horned rhinoceros looking beast that was half sunk into the void. The rhino saw Samantha too and raged against the abyss causing ripples to surge out as it tried desperately to free itself and skewer her despite the vast distance between them. Samantha waved at the creature trapped in tar before moving on to her next exhibit. There was a collection of bats caught mid swarm with needle like threads stitching them in place. Samantha could swear the outline of the swarm vaguely resembled a man with a high collar. She also thought she could hear the echo of the swarms last words, some thickly accented version of ¡®have atchoo¡¯. The next item up for grabs was a lovely stone statue of a topless woman with a cobra¡¯s tail and snakes for hair. Her face was full of shocked horror, stuck staring into a mirror for eternity. Samantha felt she could stand there and watch the statue forever but that would be rude so she walked on.


    She witnessed a multitude of similar displays as she walked, always of some monster caught in a trap and unable to move, forced to float freely in the abyss enduring a sentence that would not end. She didn¡¯t know how she knew it, but she was keenly aware every single inmate had been here for years, some centuries old. The oldest she came across so far was a knight, clad in rusted armour with a sword pierced through his chest and pinning him to a stone slab. He looked like a warrior from myth and legend entombed in the abyss as his final resting place. His eyeless helmet caught sight of Samantha, and he reached out an arm like he was begging for something, release perhaps, but Samantha wasn¡¯t sure. Unlike the previous inmates this one didn¡¯t appear hostile, and the desperately outstretched hand gave her the impression of a starving man begging for a scrap of food. It tugged at Samantha¡¯s heart as she remembered the numerous people in the mine in similar positions. She looked at her hands with nothing to offer, but did she have the power to release him or the rest of these creatures from their eternal imprisonment? Should she? Someone put them here for a reason and who was she to undo their work on a whim. Well, the answer was obvious, she was the Deep Jailer, it was her responsibility to lock up evils that were too rotten to deserve death, or so her class¡¯s description had said. Right now, however, she was also a prisoner and inmates should help each other out from time to time.


    She willed the knight closer, the abyss heeding her call with not a hint of resistance. The two prisoners were drawn to one another until the slab stopped next the marble walkway. When the knight was within arms-length Samantha gripped onto the impaling sword and easily pulled it free, the hefty weapon surprisingly light in her hands. She held the sword up and watched it crumble into dust as the knight fell to the marble floor. It knelt before Samantha, silently reverent and thankful to have been rid of its burden although he still wasn¡¯t free quite just yet. Something stirred within the Deep Jailer, a ripple in the pit of her soul, and before she knew it Samantha was speaking words she hadn¡¯t known in a commanding voice.


    ¡°Brave Knight Dantes, you have served your sentence and have been rightly punished. I release you from confinement, you are free to join your brothers in arms at the table of champions once more.¡±


    The knight looked up at Samantha as his armour crumpled falling away to expose a gaunt half decayed face beneath that looked hopeful. The zombie knight broke apart into dust that flew high into the abyss, a gleaming light emanating from the ashes like a nebula in the night sky. Samantha felt warmth from the dust cloud and knew she had done the right thing. With her one good deed for the day done she made another announcement.


    ¡°Samantha Trapper, you have served your sentence and are free to go!¡±


    Nothing happened, the girl drooped until she was nearly falling over. It was worth a try but clearly, she was not getting off that easy. Maybe inspecting more of the other inmates would help her learn about what exactly she had to do to get out of here. So, she walked and looked over the prisoners, each more horrifying and nastier than the last. By the end of the first day, she had seen hundreds upon thousands of inmates but not another sorry excuse for a criminal worth releasing. By the second she was growing bored of the depressing atmosphere. If she had to walk by another terrifying abomination from the deep locked tight with only their humungous eye able to move, she would scream. On the morning of the third day, she lay in the middle of the marble path refusing to take another step. She wasn¡¯t tired, or hungry or thirsty she was just completely bored at the same sights again and again. This place was full of countless trapped creatures and while she had seen many of the same type, she had never seen the same prisoner twice. She also never found another detainee worth releasing, they all gnashed their teeth, spit silent vitriol or made rude gestures at their jailer. What a bunch of losers, Samantha was somewhat glad they were locked up, the longer the better.


    ¡°But who is the biggest loser of them all?¡±


    By which she meant who had been here the longest. That knight was here a long time, and he got out so maybe the oldest deserved the chance as well. It was worth investigating, and if nothing else surely the oldest among them had gleamed something on how she could escape? Rising to a sitting position, she looked around at the overwhelming number of monsters trying to figure out which was older than the rest. No matter what though, she couldn¡¯t see any that were ancient enough. Even the gargantuan leviathans with unpronounceable names were at best a few thousand years. She wanted older, the first inmate, the one this place was built to contain. Her unfortunately specific request was granted as the marble path shifted, lowering to a steep incline that descended into a darkness blacker than all the rest. A shudder ran through all the inmates who froze in terror at the sight, there shackles and bindings falling silent all at once. Samantha witnessed the phenomenon and against all logic concluded it was a good sign. Hopping to her feet, she began to descend, her footsteps uneven and clumsy like the path tried to resist or warn her off proceeding. She did not heed the advice and continued on, sinking ever deeper into damnation.

 The First or the Last?

    When Samantha began her descent, she really didn¡¯t know what to expect. Horrors beyond her imagination? Definitely. Incomprehensible terrors that shook the earth? Without a doubt. A black hole that threatened to consume everything? It wouldn¡¯t be a trip into madness without one. Not seeing any of that or a single other inmate was a possibility but not one she would have put her money on. The sudden change back to utter and absolute nothingness honestly surprised her. It wasn¡¯t just her perception or the jail changing due to her will, wherever this first prisoner was they existed in a place deliberately devoid of anything, neither matter nor anti-matter. It gave her the impression of a cage never designed to be opened once closed. Samantha might have questioned how she could then open a door that shouldn¡¯t exist, but she was someone who existed in absolutes. She WOULD not die until her appointed time, and she IS the Deep Jailer so why wouldn¡¯t she be able to travel where she pleased. Unfortunately, even if this Deep Jail listened to her, it still existed with some rules or requirements such as the need to travel to her destination but that was fine, walking was something to do after all. So she did, moving deeper into the pit of all pits without a care in the world. After a full day of travelling down the deep dark steps, the edges of something started coming into view. It began as a single impossibly old and outrageously thick chain that came out of nowhere and continued far into the darkness ahead. Then there was another, and another, hundreds, thousands, tens of thousands all pulled taut and pointing in a single direction, the epicentre of the Deep Jail. After one more day of travel Samantha reached the end of the path which cut off abruptly, the space beyond just an empty void.


    ¡°That¡¯s it?¡±


    This was the oldest prisoner? Nothing? Was this supposed to be poetic or something? What about all those chains she saw? They randomly stopped appearing some ways back, but Samantha didn¡¯t notice with her focus dead set on the end of the path. And it was just a big black void of absolutely nothing? What a rip off. Like a petulant child Samantha stamped her feet and kicked at the air ahead only for her leg to stop dead as it hit something directly in front of where the path ended. It was like a brick wall¡¯s older brother who had done time and was out on parole. Samantha inched up to the impenetrable wall that escaped her vision and set her hand upon it, it was cold, freezing but not in a physical sense, it was a spiritual one. Oddly the sensation only appeared when she pressed herself against the nothingness and as soon as she took her hand away the feeling faded. Ever the scientist, Samantha tested the bounds of the freezing effect using one then two digits ultimately increasing until she was hugging the nothing wall itself. It never grew in intensity or changed temperatures due to her own body heat, it was simply coldness distilled and impossible to overcome.


    ¡°So¡­ are you the oldest prisoner?¡±


    Was it another symbolic idea? The first inmate was the idea of cold or its core? That couldn¡¯t be it either, cold still existed back home and it was even on her bucket list to see snow. Real snow, not magical or conjured ice, the kind that fell from the sky and melted on your tongue.


    ¡°Hmmmmm.¡±


    Don¡¯t do it, don¡¯t press your tongue against the wall you don¡¯t know where it¡¯s been. With thoughts of licking the cold nothing wall out of the way, Samantha instead looked around trying to find its end but all she could see was the void expanding ever out. It must have a limit otherwise she wouldn¡¯t have needed to walk this far to reach it. Straining her eyes, she peered out into the distance and after a second found her sight adjust until she could just about make out a curve to the wall. It was so distant and far Samantha barely saw it but to either side the wall curved around to a bend. She tried willing the path to take her round the wall, but it didn¡¯t move, it refused to move. She backed up to look at more of the wall, but it was massive and seemed to go on forever. Perhaps the reason there was no inmates here was because whatever this was took up far too much space.


    ¡°Yeah¡­yeah! That¡¯s why I had to walk all the way here!¡±


    It suddenly made so much sense and without a moment¡¯s hesitation Samantha began to run back the way she came eventually falling into a full-on sprint as she took in more of the sight. As she travelled up the path, she took occasional peaks behind herself and finally noticed what she thought was a curved wall was just a small part of something far different. After an hour-long sprint, that didn¡¯t tire her out, she turned completely and saw the unbelievable sight before her.


    The ¡°wall¡± wasn¡¯t a wall, it was the torso of a creature, a massive being that eclipsed everything the shadow user had seen up to that point. Mountains paled in comparison to the magnitude of the thing before her. She couldn¡¯t put it into words, but Samantha felt she was to it as a flea was to an elephant. The awesome figure towered for miles and miles, and she realized its frame must have gradually began to appear within the darkness but Samantha couldn¡¯t notice as she was simply too insignificant. Running farther up the path, she tried to view as much of the thing as possible. It looked humanoid and was terrifyingly broad, with a wingspan that could be measured in mountain ranges. She couldn¡¯t see how tall it was but given the bottom of the path reached to just below where its heart should be there was no doubt this thing could scrape the clouds lying down. Its blackened skin was pulled tight across its bones as if no organs, muscles or veins existed beneath. Both arms were held aloft as far away from the main body as they could stretch with an uncountable number of chains embedded into its skin rather than wrapped around preventing the appendages from moving a nanometre. It wasn¡¯t human given by the head that was like that of an ox skull with two great horns that jutted out on either side and an emptiness filling its head. The rest of its body appeared to be covered in furry patches with tufts of dark hair along the arms and around its neck flaring out like frozen flames, strangely these too were bound in place. It was not the most complex of creatures and yet staring at it Samantha couldn¡¯t help but feel¡­ she could feel¡­


    ¡°W-what?¡±


    It was a sensation she was intimately familiar with but hadn¡¯t experienced in a long time. A feeling that was part of everyday life yet held no sway over her anymore. Despite this, looking upon this impossible creature stirred something within Samantha, deeper than instincts it was like the fundamental calling all living species shared. An intrinsic part of nature that drove survival, innovation, social necessity and the need to improve. Samantha thought she had changed, evolved, escaped that base instinct as she no longer had a need for it, but she was wrong. For the first time in just under a year, Samantha was scared, terrified even. Looking at this creature was like seeing death incarnate. No, it was death to death. Every atrocity, every evil, every sin and curse was just a pittance to this thing before her. Samantha fell to her knees and could feel tears running down her cheeks. She was beholding the one who would enact the death of everything, the end to all life and creation and it would be her end too. It was enough to make the most staunch non-believer break down and beg for salvation but before this thing the divine too would shudder. Samantha wailed and panicked throwing herself to the ground as she desperately shut her eyes to block out the horror. Before the creature however nothing was inescapable, and she was on the verge of throwing herself into the void to escape its presence. Life didn¡¯t matter anymore if it meant living in the same world as this thing and death was preferable if it only meant she was free from any pain it may inflict.If you come across this story on Amazon, be aware that it has been stolen from Royal Road. Please report it.


    ¡°Wait a minute.¡±


    And then she remembered. Immediately her tears ceased and the fear gripping her soul evaporated like it had never existed. From the very fringes of despair, Samantha remembered her origins and the unequivocable fact of her life. This thing wasn¡¯t going to be her end, that was something else in the future, she was going to live and get out of here. It was the fundamental truth from which she was reborn and nothing living, unliving or otherwise could convince her otherwise. Samantha stood up and dusted herself off before wiping the moisture from her eyes. It was a good thing no one was around to see her; she was a bit of an ugly crier and might have made a mess. Unfortunately, one set of eyes did rest upon her, and they saw EVERYTHING. Feeling an unsettling gaze, she looked back to the creature and found it was indeed looking at her. It fought against the restraints to shift its gargantuan head to stare directly at her, directly into her soul. Tears fell unbidden and she felt the terror grip her all over again, then just as quickly it was gone. Her absolute assurance in her short-term immortality wavered but did not break in the face of this unimaginably large monster. She stared at the unblinking creature¡¯s eyeless skull and did possibly the stupidest thing she could.


    ¡°Hi there! My names Samantha! Nice to meet you!¡±


    She greeted it, yelling into the abyss while frantically waving at the terror inducing sight. The thing angled its head slightly in the universal sign of confusion. Samantha couldn¡¯t quite explain how, but she believed the thing before her was amused that someone, anyone was saying hello to it of all beings.


    ¡°I don¡¯t suppose you know the way out of here, do you?!¡±


    She shouted again hoping for some clue or direction to follow. The great beast returned to its prior position, becoming like a statue. Then without warning it shifted both arms, pulling at the chains that bound it. Despite what must have been a monumental effort the tethers would not break and in fact several hundred more appeared out of nowhere to lock the beast further into place including a number which wrapped themselves onto the creature¡¯s horns preventing any and all movement.


    ¡°I¡¯ll take that as a no!¡±


    Samantha called out, feeling guilty for forcing the creature into yet more trouble. It was worth a shot, if even this stupendously ancient thing couldn¡¯t give her any clues then what was there to do. It wasn¡¯t like she could just say ¡®I want to leave¡¯ and an exit would appear.


    ¡°Oh, you have got to be kidding me.¡±


    A path appeared perpendicular to the descending stairs that lead somewhere far into the distance with a mini dot of light at its end. It occurred to Samantha that while she had wondered how to leave she had never out right thought or said that was her intention. This place was finnicky and she would be glad to be rid of it. She made to walk to the exit, then turned her gaze back to the trapped creature of incalculable destruction. It really looked like a statue now and likely couldn¡¯t move at all. She doubted it could even pass air through its lungs, if it breathed that is. Not a very pleasant position to be in and it made Samantha feel just a little guilty. Even though it was probably a bad idea, if she could help that knight then maybe she could lessen the burden on this thing. Even just a smidge.


    ¡°Great destroyer um¡­ you the guy in front of me. I unbind you. JUST a little bit.¡±


    She had to be careful with her words here, she didn¡¯t want to accidentally be the person who unleashed this thing. Not now at least, maybe in a few years. Her efforts were met with nothing, no chains broke, or bindings loosened. Was it because she didn¡¯t know its name?


    ¡°Hey, Mister monster guy. What¡¯s your name?¡±


    No response, not even a head tilt, not that it could anyway. Well now she really felt bad, she was about to leave this poor defenceless creature of the end times bound tight and she didn¡¯t even get its name. Maybe it needed a more direct touch? Those were some hefty chains far outclassing the sword she pulled earlier. Running back down the path, Samantha tried to climb up the monster¡¯s wall like chest, only to slip and fall several times. She couldn¡¯t summon her own chains here what with no shadows to speak of and the path still refused to move anywhere else. After another series of failed attempts to climb the monster of all monsters, Samantha gave up and sat at the end of the path with her head resting against the monster¡¯s freezing chest. She lamented her inability to help, she had power here, not a lot but enough to do something for others but not the biggest prisoner of them all. Staring up, she could only see the beast¡¯s toothy maw hanging over its giant frame. Which was odd because she couldn¡¯t earlier until she stepped back a fair distance. Actually, she was able move along the path much quicker than before as well. Was she getting better at being a jailer or was it because she knew what she was looking for now? This place was so confusing.


    ¡°Sorry big guy, I can¡¯t help you. I wish I could, but I don¡¯t know how.¡±


    Samantha felt the cold gnawing at the back of her skull, it almost hurt but like everything here couldn¡¯t do anything to her, not really. Death didn¡¯t exist in this place and this poor animal had been forced to endure eternity all alone without a single friend to talk to.


    ¡°Say, do you want to hear a story?¡±


    If she couldn¡¯t free it, she could at the very least keep it company for a little bit. And so, she described the one subject she knew the most about: herself. She wasn¡¯t one to brag but without any other topic available she could only fill the time describing her journey. Beginning with her birthplace in the mine, she explained the daily toil and all about Papa who taught her most of what she knew. She talked about gaining the aspect of Shadow which allowed her to escape the mine. Her meeting with Valerie and the killer punch she received to her skull in the process. Picking up momentum, she talked about gaining another aspect, their numerous hunts, the journey to the capital, its people and so much more. Everything that mattered to her she explained hoping it wasn¡¯t too boring for the old monster. There had been a slight rattle from its chains when she mentioned her dream of the end and how Albert said it was a sign from the gods, it was the only reaction she ever saw it have.


    ¡°¡­And then I fought Smashing Harry Hammer, it didn¡¯t go well. He tried to kill me and then I ended up here, which brings us to now. So, what do you think?¡±


    No reaction, not that it could without a voice, face, or any ability to move freely.


    ¡°I know what you¡¯re thinking. ¡®That Harry sounds really tough, are you sure you¡¯re ready to go back out there and face him again?¡¯¡±.


    She pantomimed putting on as deep a voice as she could manage. Truthfully, she was hoping to avoid Harry, meet up with Valerie and then get out of dodge.


    ¡°I¡¯m just not strong enough.¡±


    It was a problem she always had but never needed to worry about because she had Valerie. Then when she truly needed her, Valerie couldn¡¯t be there because Samantha had to do something stupid like hit Harry in front of his men.


    ¡°If only I was big like you, then I could be strong and never need to worry.¡±


    She said slumping to the ground to stare up at her silent audience. Her worries lasted a second before they disappeared as all anxious feelings inevitably did. Even if she couldn¡¯t beat Harry she would live, but what was living if she couldn¡¯t defend herself? She would have needed to face this eventually someday, but she just had to accept that contract and return home.


    ¡°Contract. Contract. Con¡­tract. A contract?¡±


    Funny word that, it held so much power and sway dictating the terms of just about everything. It didn¡¯t even matter if it was a verbal agreement or a written one, contracts could do just about anything. Samantha suddenly shot up, a crooked and ill thought-out idea forming in her head. It was the most insane, reckless, utterly ridiculous idea she had ever thought of and that was saying a lot. Despite all this, she decided it was worth a try and after all it¡¯s what Papa would have done. Running back up the path she made it to a point where she could behold all of the bound creature. It couldn¡¯t directly look at her, but she felt the all-consuming gaze fixed solely on her. Alright Trapper, game face time. Breathing deep Samantha put her all into her voice and shouted deep into void.


    ¡°HEEEEEEEEEEY! LET¡¯S MAKE A DEAL!¡±

 Resurrection

    In an uninteresting forest by a village with a horrid history, a lonesome girl wandered this way and that. It was not just because she was lost but also due to the churning in her stomach which repeatedly made itself known. She slumped against a tree and purged a horrendous black bile, the disgusting ooze slithering out of her throat smoother that it rightly should have. It sat festering for a second then evaporated into nothingness without a single scrap of evidence it had ever existed. It was the fourth or fifth time she had vomited the same vile liquid since leaving the Deep Jail. Probably not a good sign, but what did she know, she wasn¡¯t a doctor.


    ¡°I need to watch what I eat.¡±


    She wouldn¡¯t but could at least pretend she would spare a thought to her health. Rising from the tree, she walked off once again in a random direction trusting she would get where she needed to or die trying and there was very little chance of the latter. As she travelled, she noticed that the wounds from her fight were healed, even the damage to her leg was all mended without leaving a scar. Perks of being trapped she supposed. She unfortunately could not focus on the miraculous recovery as sounds of a scuffle grabbed Samantha¡¯s attention. She stayed out of sight and slowly crept towards the noise finding a crowd of three men arguing over a tied-up figure.


    ¡°The bitch bit me!¡±


    Yowled one who tried to staunch the torrent of blood from his gouged ear. The perpetrator spat out a chunk of flesh as she stood opposite three bandits.


    ¡°That¡¯s what you get for not gagging her.¡±


    Responded a smug ugly bandit who brandished his weapon at the feral girl trying to keep her from tearing off any if his sensitive bits.


    ¡°Will you shut it, I don¡¯t want the others hearing and coming to have a look.¡±


    Warned a short mean looking one who stood casually while disregarding the danger before him. The three bandits were the ones responsible for taking care of their intruder whom they had dragged some ways out of the village fully intending to follow their bosses¡¯ orders until one got a bright idea. They were just going to have a little ¡°fun¡± with their captive, nothing the boss needed to know about.


    ¡°Now miss, you¡¯re being awfully rude to me mates and me. We¡¯re just doing what the boss says, so you should be a good girl and stay there will ya?¡±


    Said the mean one who looked at their captive with a hungry stare. How long had it been since he or any of the rest of them had a little break? As he neared the bound girl she snarled and tried to lunge for his throat, toppling over in the process. She thrashed and tried to break from the ropes that bound her legs and arms to little success bar keeping the three away for the time being.


    ¡°You sure we should be doing this? Boss won¡¯t be happy if he finds out.¡±


    Asked the ugly one, they knew the kind of wrath filled punishments their boss could inflict and none wanted to be on the receiving end of his favourite tool. The mean one didn¡¯t seem to care and scoffed.


    ¡°The boss aint here, now are you two gonna be pansies or do I get to have some fun all myself?¡±


    The others looked at one another and decided they were in for a penny, in for a pound. They roughly pulled at the girl who fought back trying to tear at them with blood coated teeth. Her captors laughed and goaded her, forcing the tied-up girl against a tree. She struggled and fought but the spirit wasn¡¯t there, she was a shell of a warrior since failing her friend. As the bandit in charge for the moment, the mean one stepped up to get his fill first but struggled due to their intruders surprisingly durable armour and tricky to unlatch belt.


    ¡°Oi, hand me her knife. Need to cut me a hole.¡±


    He ordered holding his hand out to the other two.


    ¡°I don¡¯t have it. I thought you had it.¡±


    Said the one with the damaged ear. The de facto leader turned on his co-conspirators, annoyance tinging his voice.


    ¡°One of you gits has it, now hand it over!¡±


    The two bandits searched themselves from top to bottom turning up empty, they remembered picking it up after their leader smacked the rage filled adventurer. Now however, it was gone like it had been pilfered straight from their pockets while they were distracted. A very accurate assumption actually. The knife in question soon re-appeared dropping straight down from the tree above. The fine edge effortlessly sliced through one of the bindings wrapped around the captive¡¯s arms as it landed next to her. All four stared at the newly appeared crimson blade, confusion freezing the bandits long enough for Valerie to twist around headbutting her assailant before pouncing on the weapon. She fell onto the blade that refused to cut its master and summoned the power of a monster to empower her.


    Like tearing paper, she ripped through the remaining tethers before standing to her full height to stair her ¡°caretakers¡± down. The three men made to run for the hills, but Valerie was already on top of two of them, slamming them into each other. The third only made it a few feet before a chain wrapped around his legs and hoisted him into the air. In the next instant, the huntress was in front of the hogtied man smashing his face in with her gloved fist. She screamed and raged letting her frustration out entirely on the terribly bleeding man. By the time she was done his head was a bloody sore more than anything else, yet he was still alive. The bandit was unceremoniously dropped to the ground, his bindings fading into nothingness. It was at this time Valerie finally noticed the chain that gripped the man just as she heard a soft voice from behind.Support the creativity of authors by visiting the original site for this novel and more.


    ¡°Sup.¡±


    Her breath caught in her throat, and she stood completely still while her heart beat furiously. She slowly turned around, fearful that she had dreamed up the sound, only to find Samantha standing there with not a scratch on her.


    ¡°S-Samantha¡­? But he said¡­ you- you¡­¡±


    Valerie shakily walked up to her friend and cupped her cheek, still terrified it was all an illusion. She felt cold, a familiar unmistakable cold that said everything the huntress needed to know, and she fell to her knees before her friend. She buried her face into Samantha¡¯s chest, wrapping her in a bear hug so tight it bordered on strangulation. Valerie couldn¡¯t control her enhanced strength as she held on for dear life, praying this was this real.


    ¡°Val, you¡¯re kinda hurting me.¡±


    Samantha warned to no change from her distraught friend. Pulling an arm free from the deathly embrace, Samantha patted Valerie¡¯s head, unsure how else to comfort her. After a few tense minutes full of the huntress¡¯s choked sobs and her friend¡¯s actual choking they parted. Valerie wiped at her face and tried to regain her composure.


    ¡°I don¡¯t understand, what happened? That man, the boss, he said you died.¡±


    ¡°I got better, better than better actually. Wait till you hear this Val, it¡¯s a doozy!¡±


    The two sat on a nearby fallen log as Samantha recounted her near death experience with Harry, followed by her weeklong travels within the Deep Jail. She did not include her interaction with the enormous monster just yet, there was still something she needed to do first, a promise that had to be kept. Valerie listened intently while ignoring the groans from the three severely hurt bandits wrapped up in chain cocoons. She didn¡¯t exactly follow the whole ¡®deep jail¡¯ idea especially her friends timeline.


    ¡°Samantha what are you talking about? It¡¯s been about an hour.¡±


    ¡°¡­a what?¡±


    The shadow users¡¯ sense of timing was still incredibly off but surely she couldn¡¯t be that wrong. She supposed time worked differently in the jail and put the matter to bed giving it no further thought. Luckily it meant that one of her newly set goals could be achieved relatively quickly.


    ¡°So that means he¡¯s still here!¡±


    Samantha beamed, a childlike glee spreading across her face. If that man was still here, then she was one step closer to fulfilling her promise. Valerie¡¯s face grew pale, she must be misinterpreting things, Samantha wouldn¡¯t do that.


    ¡°Samantha, what are you talking about?¡±


    ¡°Harry, I¡¯m going to go kill him.¡±


    She casually answered as she stood up to head for the village. Her stroll was halted by the iron grip of Valerie on her shoulder.


    ¡°We are not! Forget him, forget all of this! Let¡¯s just go home. Please.¡±


    The huntress pleaded, fear colouring her words and actions. She was desperate not to have to go through the pain of losing her friend all over again. Samantha twisted her head unnaturally to look at the huntress and spoke in a voice that brokered no argument.


    ¡°I am going to kill him Valerie.¡±


    Those words carried with them a promise that Valerie felt tear into her heart and there something else mixed in that she hadn¡¯t experienced in a long time. Her friends eery aura unsettled her when they first met but she grew accustomed to it, even finding some comfort from the presence. There was something different about it now, it felt real and focused. While the origin might not have known it, her aura didn¡¯t cause people to be scared of her specifically, it just activated their fear response. The way her aura was after visiting the Deep Jail was nowhere near the same. Valerie felt real palpable fear towards her friend, the kind that sent a chill through her entire being and settled deep into her soul. She instinctively let go, nearly snatching her hand back as she recoiled. A primal animalistic part of her screamed to run and never look back, however through a force of will that bellied her age and mental state she remained firm in her place.


    ¡°Then we do it tog-¡°


    Valerie was interrupted by Samantha holding up a hand.


    ¡°Sorry Val, it has to be me alone. It¡¯s part of the deal.¡±


    ¡°Deal? What deal?! What are you talking about?¡±


    The huntress demanded, something wasn¡¯t right with this situation or Samantha herself, more than the usual. The shadow user failed to elaborate on purpose this time, part of her pact forbade revealing any details before everything was set in stone.


    ¡°Can¡¯t say, not yet anyway. I¡¯ll tell you all about it later. Promise.¡±


    Samantha held up a pinkie for Valerie to promise with. The huntress stared at the offered hand and hesitantly raised her own pinkie locking the two in an irrevocable pledge. It strangely did comfort Valerie and all at once the terror stabbing at her heart abated turning back into a comforting uneasiness. Without much more to say, the two fell into an awkward silence as they set off, the huntress sticking close still afraid of losing her friend again. As they reached the edge of the village, they found they were alone, all other bandits busy getting ready for the move. Samantha turned to stare in a particular direction and without a word set off. Valerie watched her friend go, cursing her own frightened nerves. She should just knock Samantha out and then carry her away from here, but she couldn¡¯t, something in the pit of her stomach wouldn¡¯t let her. It aggravated her to no end, luckily there was still a whole camp of ruffians she could use to vent her anger upon. If Samantha was cutting off the head of the snake then Valerie would shred the body for good measure.


    Some distance away near the sight of the collapsed mine, Harry pushed his shovel into the dirt of a freshly dug if shallow grave, expanding the hole deeper. He didn¡¯t have to do this, but he respected aspect users above all. There was an idea that floated around certain religious circles that those with aspects were the chosen of the gods or the next stage of humanity¡¯s ascension. Harry didn¡¯t much subscribe to the doctrine, but he agreed aspect users were special in every way and deserved the proper respect. Which was why he was knee deep in a hole for a piece of fabric, one could only imagine the rites he would perform if there was still a body. Surprisingly there was.


    ¡°HAAAAAAAARRRRRRRRYYYYYY!¡±


    Came a non-threatening nor commanding nor authoritative voice that the bandit leader recognised despite their short interaction. Jamming his shovel into the dirt, he climbed out of the grave to find Samantha Trapper standing not too far away. The bandit leader was baffled to say the least finding his latest opponent standing there, completely fine and without a scratch on her. Was this the power of an aspect? To come back from the dead? As far as he knew no such resurrection power existed unless you counted necromancy but the girl before him was clearly not undead.


    ¡°You¡¯re looking a lot less smushed than I remember.¡±


    He yelled back while grabbing his weapon sat next to him.


    ¡°I got better!¡±


    Samantha answered her smile wide and eyes laser focused on the big man. Harry laughed although his heart wasn¡¯t in it, he was finding it hard to peer at the girl without his eyes trying to look elsewhere.


    ¡°You don¡¯t say? Well, what can I help you with? My boys think your dead, so I got no beef with you no more.¡±


    He never really had any issues with the girl, he just needed to assert his dominance to his men. Samantha might think otherwise but priorities first, there was something she was missing. She held out her hand and sweetly asked.


    ¡°Before we do anything else. Can I get my cloak back please?¡±


    Harry glanced down at the discarded pile of rags he had balled up and prepared to bury. Shrugging he scooped up the cloak and tossed it to Samantha. As her cloak soared through the air it unfurled expanding out like a pair of bat wings to fly directly towards the shadow user. She caught it and in one swift motion dawned her favourite garment.


    ¡°Thanks!¡±


    She called out before taking a fighting pose.


    ¡°Now, it¡¯s my turn to kill you!¡±


    Harry gawked at Samantha, his jaw hanging open slightly. What was she talking about? This wasn¡¯t a tit for tat situation.


    ¡°You sure little missy? Didn¡¯t go so well for you last time.¡±


    Samantha¡¯s smile grew unnaturally large and sinister.


    ¡°I¡¯ll be fine, I brought a friend.¡±

 The Corrupt Warden

    Harry hefted his hammer onto his shoulder and walked towards the shadow user while scanning the area for her companion, dealing with both at once would be a hassle and he would prefer not to be sneak attacked.


    ¡°Well? Where is she?¡±


    He asked not expecting an answer but receiving one anyway.


    ¡°Who? Valerie? She¡¯s playing with your men. My other friend will be here soon, I just need to set the scene.¡±


    Samantha responded as she shook her joints and cracked her neck. Coughing to get the cobwebs out of her throat and breathing deep she began her preprepared speech.


    ¡°In the- Wait. When the- no that¡¯s not it. Hang on, how did it go?¡±


    Not prepared enough it seemed as she cupped her chin and tried to remember the words. She spent so long rehearsing and now that it was the moment of truth, she couldn¡¯t recall her lines. Why didn¡¯t she write it down? Harry stood before the mumbling adventurer waiting as she paced around starting and stopping several times trying to remember a poem or something. She stopped raised a finger with a bright eureka look on her face then immediately deflated and resumed her pacing much to the bandit leader¡¯s annoyance.


    ¡°Alright enough, I have to be somewhere and can¡¯t be bothered waiting on you missy. Better pucker up!¡±


    He broke in, overhead swinging his hammer directly on top of the distracted girl. Samantha made no attempt to dodge or acknowledge the swing as it came hurtling towards her. It would have been certain doom, however just before impact, the huge hammer was stopped dead in its tracks only a few inches from colliding with Samantha¡¯s skull. Harry looked on with wide eyed amazement at the single chain extending from the girl¡¯s shadow to stop him mid-swing, there hadn¡¯t even been a bit of sway or give from the black shackles. Samantha finally noticed her brush with death gawking at Harry, then her shadow and back to the bandit once again. She puffed out her cheeks, frustrated at the interruption while shaking her head disapprovingly.


    ¡°How rude, I am trying to remember my lines!¡±


    The upset diva reprimanded and waved a dismissive hand at Harry causing the chain still holding back his hammer to push the slightest amount which sent the man and his weapon flying backwards several metres. Samantha looked at her own hand surprised then directed a baleful gaze towards the chain.


    ¡°Watch it! We need him alive for the ceremony! I know you¡¯re excited, but we had a deal!¡±


    She admonished her own shadow which warbled slightly at the verbal assault. Was this thing trying to be cute? No puppy dog act would work on this adventurer, no sirree.


    ¡°Okay, I¡¯m sorry.¡±


    It worked, she just couldn¡¯t stay mad at that bundle of occult terror incarnate. Far from the cute display, Harry crouched against the ground while clutching at his side and breathing heavily. His gaze was transfixed on the shadow user. He broke through her chains so easily earlier and now a single one pushed him back? Just what was going on?


    After a few more moments of concentrated effort, Samantha gave up trying to remember her lines. Huffing out a breath, she opted to just wing it and hope she could remember the main points from her grand speech. She came up with it all by herself taking inspiration from the temple where she acquired her second aspect and the description of her class. It needed a little more workshopping, but it¡¯s not like many people would hear her. Taking a deep breath and letting it slowly filter through her teeth; Samantha felt the words come forth.


    ¡°In the darkest of blacks, where the sun cannot shine and light will not venture, you wait. When the sky¡¯s burn, the land cracks and the sea¡¯s boil, you will remain. On the battlefield where the Divine and the Infernal will wage war, you will be there to sunder them all!¡±


    She revelled in her sole audience¡¯s captivation and threw her arms wide announcing to the heavens.


    ¡°You were there at the beginning, and you will persist after the end! Though your body is locked away, your spirit cannot be stopped! By our contract I become the cage and the key!¡±


    There was something wrong with how she talked, it was Samantha¡¯s voice but something else was emerging from beneath it. Something old and powerful and angry and very, very, very hungry.


    ¡°No magic, no rune, no curse, no spell can harm you! For you have had it all and ate the very core of the world and you still hunger!¡±


    The wind stopped blowing through the trees and all sound bar Samantha¡¯s wailing cries ceased. Her shadow began to expand growing exponentially while the area around her dimmed to a pale grey, every mote of light being sucked away. From where he knelt, Harry could see it all from Samantha¡¯s black cloak billowing uncontrollably to her roiling blonde locks that moved and undulated of their own accord.


    ¡°WHERE MEN RULE, AND KINGDOMS RISE YOU WILL BE THEIR ANTITHESIS! THEIR ARMIES THROW THEMSELVES UPON YOU AND YOU DRINK THE FLAMES OF WAR TO CONSUME THEM ALL! NO BLADE, NO SPEAR, NO BOW OR ARROW AND¡­ no hammer will mar your being.¡±


    Samantha screamed out ending in a whisper while looking into the very soul of Harry the Hammer. The man in question felt something instinctual stir within, not his own survival instincts but those of every living creature reaching out him. Heroes often said they felt the call come in times of crisis and could not refuse. Harry was no hero and yet in that moment, just outside some dingy little village against a girl not even half his age he felt the world beseech him to act. To not just to protect himself or his men, but for the kingdom he turned his back on, for the villages he would raid, for the people he was destined to slay and for the friends he had lost. He felt the heroes call to stand up and do something, anything to stop that girl before it was too late. As Samantha raised her hand to complete the sermon, Harry tried to rush forward and interrupt, yet his legs would not move. Looking down he found he was caught in hundreds of mini, needle like, chains pinning him in place. He could do nothing but watch in horror and realize he himself had played right into bringing about the end.


    ¡°You have rested for too long and your hunger has tortured you long enough! In the name of our pact, I command you, I demand you, I¡­ ask of you to come forth and say hello¡­¡±


    Samantha held her open palm high and slowly brought her thumb and middle finger together. She imagined everyone she had ever met, the people of the mine who abandoned her, the citizens of the capital who avoided her, the scholar who raised her, the warrior who trained her, the librarian, the cook, the receptionist, the cleaner and the crook who supported her. She imagined her best friend, the only person left whom she relied on and trusted unequivocally. She smiled sombrely as she doomed all of them.Unauthorized tale usage: if you spot this story on Amazon, report the violation.


    ¡°Rise up from the depths and honour our deal: Cromeran Perrenact Peilar!¡±


    And with that Samantha snapped her fingers, the small barely audible sound that followed a reverberating call that was felt across the land. In Gentile priests fell to their knees dizzy, breathless and pale. In Maroch the dreaming oracles awoke screaming and refused to blink or close their eyes a second longer. In Shurle the shamans walked from their homes into the frozen tundra and were never seen from again. In Namhar the ancient dragons stirred, a shiver running down their scales as all turned their heads in one direction towards a horizon and a far-off kingdom where the end began with a lone girl at its centre.


    Light and sound returned to the area as Samantha¡¯s snap finally stopped echoing, she lowered her hand and began to shake. It was subtle at first a light tremor in her fingers that travelled up her arm and soon encompassed her whole body. She doubled over, gagging and retching something that wouldn¡¯t come up as her body underwent a change. The hair on her head floated in all directions unaffected by gravity as a wave of darkness travelled along the strands and stained the ends like they had been dipped in oil. The polish on her fingers curled off, unneeded as the nail underneath turned black and sharp. A permanent void within the world formed in her shadow changing into an area no light could escape from and would never be obstructed. She stumbled on her feet, barely managing to right herself as she drunkenly rose back up. The last to change was her eyes that warped as the sclera turned a stygian dark shade while a faded and smoky orange replaced her irises. All she was missing was some black lipstick as well as issues with her father and she would be the poster perfect gothic icon. She shook herself like a dog and looked around the area seeing Harry¡¯s mortified face but nothing else. To be more accurate she saw no ONE else.


    ¡°Uuuuuuh.¡±


    She awkwardly slid herself up to the still emerging chain and kicked it with her heel.


    ¡°That¡¯s your cue!¡±


    She shout whispered to the erect series of links as a last ditch effort to save her from the embarrassment. At her behest the chain shifted and split into three, one still standing tall while the other two bent to near right angle halfway up either side of the original. From her shadow numerous black tendrils crawled up the chains encircling and giving them weight. They were thousands of chains of all different sizes, shapes and forms coiling around one another and converging into the form of something massive. Over the course of a minute the many chains wound and twist themselves into an arm with a five fingered hand. Then another opposing arm took shape in much the same way, both bulging and rippling with faux muscles. Between the outrageously muscular arms an equally shredded torso formed with chain made hair erupting around the collar bone that swayed against a non-existent breeze. Lastly, a head appeared combining and coalescing at the neck with a sharp face and pair of horns jutting out of either side. It was the upper half of the monster Samantha encountered in the Deep Jail; its lower section sunk into the void that was her shadow. Unlike the original it copied, the chain replica of the beast of the abyss was not a huge gaunt skeleton but a three-metre-tall sturdy bull that surged with unattainable power. The ox skull remained unaffected however, it was a staple of the creature and one it would not do without.


    Slowly, the thousands of links stopped shifting as the beast¡¯s form was complete and the imitation creation moved freely for the first time in millennia. It looked up to a sun it despised, scraped against earth it would shatter and felt wind it would halt. It opened its maw wide and let out a roar that made no sound, yet the surrounding trees still shook. The beast took in all the sights it had not seen in ages passed ending on the girl that called it forth. It moved its right hand to encircle her, placing her head between its thumb and index finger. It would be so simple to pop the creepily smiling girls head right off her shoulders, the first kill in forever, but a deal was a deal and the beast would not renege on its agreement. It let go of Samantha, resting both hands upon the ground and lowered its head before her. She patted the side of its skull like it was a humongous dog which the creature did not appreciate but made no move to stop her.


    ¡°Welcome home.¡±


    Samantha uttered with barely contained excitement. She was really happy to see her new friend. She wasn¡¯t sure if forming a deal with him¡­ it? Him sure. She wasn¡¯t sure if forming a deal with him would work but assumed if she could go into the jail and release some inmates why couldn¡¯t she give others parole? Using her chains as a medium had been a stroke of genius on her part and she would be quite happy to share her eureka moment with Valerie later. Right now, however she still needed to complete the last stage of her bargain.


    ¡°Ooooooooh Haaaaaarrrrryy~¡±


    She trilled in a sing song voice turning to the terrified bandit leader.


    ¡°This is the friend I was talking about: Cromeran Perrenact Peilar, I call him Peilar for short!¡±


    She walked towards Harry, Peilar remaining in her shadow and forced to follow in her wake.


    ¡°You see, me and Peilar made a deal. I get something I want, and he gets what he wants. I needed someone who could help me kill monsters and maybe end the world, but you don¡¯t need to worry about that.¡±


    Harry felt his heart pounding in his ears as he tried desperately to move away from the leisurely approaching nightmare.


    ¡°Big ol¡¯ Peilar just wants death and destruction, it¡¯s like his whole thing. So, we joined forces and made a deal. The problem is¡­ well I might have¡­ no, I definitely did. I offered some collateral.¡±


    She stood before the man and tapped his forehead with each word.


    ¡°Which. Is. You.¡±


    Samantha leaned into Harry¡¯s ear and whispered.


    ¡°Sorry, had to be someone.¡±


    Overwhelming fear filled the bandit leaders mind and he did the only thing he could manage in that moment; lash out. While his legs were trapped his hands were free including the one wielding his hammer. He swung round trying to splatter the monster summoning girl who leapt back just before impact as she had done several times during their initial fight. If Harry had been in his right mind he may have tried to grab onto the girl with his free hand and then swing but as he was he could only act and react.


    ¡°Collateral? Me?! Over my dead body you psycho!¡±


    Samantha frowned, that was kind of the point? She wasn¡¯t a psycho either¡­. Okay maybe she was but that wasn¡¯t her title. She also wasn¡¯t a deep jailer anymore and had recently gotten a promotion. Her summoning had come with the unexpected side-affect that she wasn¡¯t exactly unhappy about. It was only right to announce her new position and so she bowed low while using her cloak to curtsy.


    ¡°Old news Harry, I should reintroduce myself. My name¡¯s Samantha Trapper and I¡¯m the Corrupt Warden.¡±


    What this change meant for Samantha she would need to investigate later and hopefully she would have an easier time of it than her first class. The immediate benefit was the addition of the Aspect of Control, which unsurprisingly gave her the power to manipulate her chains into any shape she wanted including her newest companions current form. Speaking of, she nodded her head in Harry¡¯s direction and gave out her first order as the new woman in charge of the prison.


    ¡°Peilar! Kill him.¡±


    The monster obliged roaring silently again as it shot out a series of chains from its hand, the many tendrils surging forth with mind boggling speed and force. Harry, fuelled with anger and the need to survive, used his hammer to knock the flying links away. The impact created a shockwave tearing him from his knelt position and ripping his trapped legs up in the process. He didn¡¯t have a lot of time to care about the agony he was in as Harry gripped his hammer with both hands and ran straight for Samantha with speed unlike anything he had ever displayed before. His Aspect of Smashing focused on more than just his weapon and allowed him to drive his feet into the ground and push himself forward. In a few aspect empowered leaps he was before the shadow user rearing his mighty weapon back and pushing as much mana into it as he could muster. The weapon grew to three metres and then five, larger than he had ever made it go before, which strained and stressed the metal to the point of breaking. Harry yelled out and swung with so much force the bones in his arms shattered, he would likely never wield a hammer again. So long as he took out this monstrosity of a girl he could manage living as a cripple for the rest of his life. Which wouldn¡¯t be very long as the gigantic head of his hammer was stopped with a single lazy block from the terrible beast.


    Both combatants stood there like that, Harry clinging onto his hammer with all his strength while Peilar held it easily. Samantha checked at her nails, appreciative of the slight make-over her evolution brought. The beast craned its neck and reeled back in the discharged chains while tensing its hand into a fist. Harry couldn¡¯t react in time as he was punched with a titanic strike, the impact sending him flying and tearing his weapon from his grip. The bandit leader skidded along the ground going some distance before finally landing with a thud just at the entrance to the collapsed mine. He stared up at the sky, feeling his ribs broken as well as a trickle of blood running down his head and from many cuts along his body. He was given a pristine view of the clouds overhead, the setting sun casting them in beautiful shades of pink and orange. His serene view was rudely obstructed as the massive form of his hammer was held above him. He craned his head the slightest bit to see Samantha standing at his feet while the monster gripped the broken off hammerhead ready to drop it.


    ¡°Bye Harry~ Don¡¯t haunt me, it won¡¯t work out well for you.¡±


    She bade farewell to the bandit leader, waving him goodbye and smiling a precious smile. The man screamed out as Peilar smashed the enlarged weapon down upon him and the mine entrance alike burying both forevermore. Samantha felt goosebumps along her body and shivered, the final sign her contract with Peilar had been completed. Well, the contract had been fulfilled the moment Peilar was summoned forth as once he was in the mortal plain there was no way to stop him from holding up his end of the bargain. Harry was dead the moment Samantha came back from the Deep Jail; it was only a matter of when she would catch up with the ruffian. Turning to face her newly contracted friend, Samantha gave him a resounding two thumbs up which the monster did not reciprocate.


    ¡°Great job buddy, that was awesome. I tell you Peilar, me and you, were gonna do great things together!¡±


    She proclaimed as blood pooled around her feet from the freshly murdered bandit leader.

 Actions and Consequences

    Valerie stared down at the crumpled man before her, his blank stare was unfocused, yet she felt it pierce into her very core. How did this happen? He charged her, she thought she had been stealthy, but he saw her and charged. Why would he charge? More importantly why did he announce his charge with a yell? She had her weapon drawn and reacted like she had done a thousand times before; you hear a monsters roar you react. It was basic, the most basic of basics! She moved on instinct and- Bile caught in her throat and she was forced to stop herself from vomiting. She couldn¡¯t take her eyes off the dead man laying at her feet, Tiger¡¯s Will still lodged in his throat. Why didn¡¯t she feel any power come into the blade? It must only work on monsters, and she couldn¡¯t absorb power from¡­ from¡­


    ¡°Oh bollo-¡°


    Her voice was cut off as she was unable to stop her breakfast coming up. Valerie fell to her knees retching next to the man she killed. Why had it been so easy? Her uncle taught her from a young age the weak points to a beast¡¯s flesh and where to strike for maximum effectiveness, her aspect only reinforced these lessons giving her tips on how best to end monsters. The joints, the eyes, and most importantly the throat were all vital areas, and she aimed for these every time, but a monsters flesh was inherently resistant and tough to pierce. This¡­ bandit however, his flesh was so weak it was like paper, she even felt where her blade had cut into the bone with only token resistance. The thought unfortunately brought about further waves of nausea dragging up more of her stomachs contents.


    As the last of her meal was forced back up, Valerie looked over the mess she made, her bile and the man¡¯s blood mixing into a disgusting soup. It almost sent her into another fit of retching which she only prevented through sheer force of will. She scuttled away from the dead man, backing herself into a corner while never taking her eyes of him, afraid he would get back up. He was a lone straggler, the only one she¡¯d come across, all the rest must be busy packing for the move while he was patrolling. Would his friends be along shortly? Did someone hear him yell? What if she had to kill more of them? Valerie began to hyperventilate, and she gripped onto the sides of her head, her fingers digging into the flesh underneath. What was she doing here? She was a monster hunter not a¡­ not a murderer. She shouldn¡¯t be here, neither of them should be, everything had gone terribly wrong from the moment they arrived. The second Samantha said this used to her home they should have run. No, they shouldn¡¯t have ever taken this contract in the first place. Shouldn¡¯t have gotten a rank up, become adventurers or run away.


    ¡°I want to go home¡­¡±


    She meekly whispered clutching at herself and wishing she had never gotten out of bed that morning. She wanted to go back to the cabin, she wanted to find her uncle, to just pretend the last year never happened. If she had known this was what waited for her, she never would have dreamed of running away. She could have lived a simple life with her uncle and Samantha, she could have been happy. As if summoned by the huntress¡¯s erratic thoughts, a content and goofily smiling Samantha walked right up to her and sat next to Valerie as she rocked back and forth. Her friend¡¯s altered appearance would have frightened the huntress, but her mind was too far gone down the rabbit hole to consider anything else. After a few silent minutes however the pervasive fear effect that was oozing out of Samantha became too much and overtook any trauma Valerie was experiencing.


    ¡°S-Samantha could you- do you mind turning that off?¡±


    She asked sheepishly.


    ¡°Hmm? Oh whoops my bad.¡±


    Samantha only now realized her eery aura was on full blast without any conscious effort again. Like a switch had been flipped, she stopped exuding the terrifying feeling which also caused her hair, eyes and nails to return to their original form much to her surprise and displeasure. She caught sight of herself in a puddle on the way here and thought she looked pretty cool. A part of her wanted to try turning her aura back on to see if she changed again but didn¡¯t for Valerie¡¯s sake. The two of them sat by the cooling corpse of the bandit, Valerie clutching her knees unable to take her eyes off the man while Samantha was distracted by a fly that buzzed around the dead guy.


    ¡°I-is he dead? The boss, I mean?¡±


    Valerie suddenly asked after noticing her friend wasn¡¯t upset in any way.


    ¡°Totally.¡±


    She answered matter of factly and with some pride in her voice. Valerie blinked at the answer, her friend was weird without a doubt but not even caring about casual murder?


    ¡°How can you be so calm about it?!¡±


    She accused, unable to comprehend how anyone could be so flippant about killing another person. Samantha put a finger to her chin and thought about it for a second before answering confidently.


    ¡°Because he tried to kill me. We kill monsters all the time, no reason to stop now.¡±


    Valerie¡¯s jitters stopped and she looked deep into her friend¡¯s eyes trying to find some hint of regret, or shame or remorse but there was nothing. It couldn¡¯t just be her lack of fear, Samantha truly felt nothing from killing another living, thinking person. Valerie wanted to argue with her, to try and make her see reason but she knew it was pointless. The two fell back into silence, Samantha as unbothered as ever while Valerie was wracked with guilt. She kept thinking on her friend¡¯s words, there was something so alien and disgusting about the sentiment but also freeing like an escape into madness. These bandits didn¡¯t share their morals, they would have killed them without a second thought and then been on their merry way. Their boss tried to kill Samantha over a light tap that didn¡¯t even hurt. The three who took her out to the forest were no exception either they planned to¡­ do things to her.Stolen from Royal Road, this story should be reported if encountered on Amazon.


    ¡°Those three¡­ they wanted to rape me.¡±


    Valerie whispered, she couldn¡¯t hide behind childish terms or convenient lies, they were going to violate and probably kill her afterwards if Samantha hadn¡¯t come along.


    ¡°¡­yeah.¡±


    Her saviour agreed sombrely then immediately perked up.


    ¡°But they didn¡¯t!¡±


    And they would never get another chance, she didn¡¯t add. Those cocoons she left the three wrapped up in were awfully tight in some areas, enough to cut off blood flow or restrict breathing a smidge. They put their hands on her friend and she wouldn¡¯t stand for it, Harry might have been self-defence or revenge but those three were unquestionably worthy of death in her mind. She¡¯d tell Valerie all about it later once she was done with her thing.


    ¡°Do you need anything Val?¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t know¡­ just please don¡¯t leave.¡±


    There no was chance of that, the shadow user thought, even if there wasn¡¯t a dead body laying right in front of them attracting flies, she was by her side to the end. While Samantha was secure in her guilt free conscience, Valerie continued to fight with herself as part of her wanted to grasp for an easy out. If she just saw them as monsters then killing them was no different than fulfilling her job, the problem was they weren¡¯t monsters. They were living, breathing and above all thinking beings who knew right from wrong. She blinked and looked over the man before her again, a creeping idea filling her mind.


    ¡°They knew right from wrong¡­ and they still picked this? Why?¡±


    Samantha scratched at her head not realizing the question was probably for her to answer.


    ¡°Wait are you asking me?¡±


    What did she know about these people? They were just a bunch of weirdos.


    ¡°I don¡¯t know Val, maybe they just wanted to.¡±


    Valerie squinted her eyes at the flippant response from her friend but even if it was uninformed there was some merit to it. The man she killed had chosen this life, had drawn his weapon on her, had fully intended to kill her without a second thought. None of that was a mistake or accident, it was a conscious choice to attack her. So why was she upset about it? No one put him or any of the rest of them up to this, their boss specifically said he wanted to avoid killing adventurers, yet his men willingly disobeyed him multiple times. This was a dangerous line of thinking; she knew she couldn¡¯t just lump them all in together and treat each of them like they were no better than the last. If anyone else had been around they might have tried to comfort or dissuade Valerie and convince her they weren¡¯t all bad. Unfortunately, the only person she would listen to was unintentionally speaking poison into her ears.


    ¡°Quite frankly, he probably deserved it. No, he definitely did.¡±


    Samantha¡¯s completely biased opinion was based solely on the fact the dead man tried to hurt Valerie and while she could forgive a lot, that was an inexcusable line. Her sentiments worked as anger began to colour the huntress¡¯s thoughts and her face scrunched into a frown while her teeth ground against one another. Why was she being a cry-baby for protecting herself? Why was she always so weak? Mental issues? Poor impulse control? Those were just excuses; her real issue was she was just too pathetic and had to be propped up by others. She needed people to tell her it wasn¡¯t her fault, that it was something else, someone else, anyone but her. Valerie¡¯s one true problem, in her mind, was she was needed people to lie to her face and tell her she wasn¡¯t the problem. There was only one person who didn¡¯t and she was doing a terrible job at helping.


    ¡°I think you were right to kill him Valerie. He was just scum who wanted to hurt you and didn¡¯t deserve another breath.¡±


    Samantha might have been laying it on a little thick, but she rarely got a chance to speak her true feelings on such matters and took the opportunity to let loose. The shadow user continued to degrade the body before them and add to her friend¡¯s growing hatred. Thankfully Valerie eventually tuned it out but not before her mind had been made up. She dug her nails into her arms with enough force to draw blood, yet she couldn¡¯t feel it over the white-hot anger at herself. She thought her first hunt made her better then it was when she ran away then it was getting a job. Over and over again she found something else to lie to herself that she was finally an adult, that she had it all under control, but she never did. All she ever did was react, a monster appeared, and she reacted by killing it. Her uncle kept her hidden away and she reacted by running off. Nothing, nothing, nothing was ever her choice it was just a reaction to something else. She was pathetic, all her bids for independence were just a childish tantrum to appear more mature, more put together than she truly was. She was just a petulant little girl who cried and wailed when things didn¡¯t go her way, but enough was enough.


    ¡°No more.¡±


    Her voice was icy cold and resolute for the first time in ages which caught Samantha off guard and caused her to immediately shut up.


    ¡°I¡¯m done with it all.¡±


    She would accept help and support from those she trusted, but she was done being the weak link, the one that had to be saved, the poor defenceless princess who couldn¡¯t hack it on her own. She was a huntress and would earn the title of apex no matter what, even if it meant hunting her own kind. No, especially if it meant hunting her own kind.


    ¡°So what do you want to do now?¡±


    The shadow user asked, a hint of merriment in her voice from seeing her friend looking better than she had in a long time. Deep down, Valerie knew she and Samantha still had the option to leave and never come back. Their job was done, the bandits would likely disband without their leader, but this scum would still live and go on to form another gang. They would undoubtedly go on to kill, pillage, violate anything and everything just because they could.


    ¡°We should do something; they might hurt more people.¡±


    A small fervent part of the huntress screamed to think not just for herself and step away from that precipice. They could give them a little scare, put the fear of god into them or whatever Samantha had up her sleeve. She thought the creepy laugh her friend let out was a good sign but her next words completely foiled her plan.


    ¡°I don¡¯t care about other people, what have they ever done for us? I wanna know what YOU wanna do.¡±


    Valerie blanched from Samantha seeing right through her. She couldn¡¯t even argue as she completely agreed. The truth was the huntress didn¡¯t care if these bandits killed every man, woman and child they came across. They weren¡¯t her and they weren¡¯t the people she cared about so why should it be her problem. What she really wanted was to do something far more permanent, she wanted them to pay.


    Valerie turned her angry gaze back to the lump of meat that she had killed. Why did she ever worry herself over his ilk? He was nothing but a murderer and given the chance he would have killed her, killed Samantha, killed Joanne, Albert, Granny, kill anyone because he could, he was no better than a beast. All of these bandits were nothing more than a bunch of animals that needed to be put down. Valerie shakily rose to her feet and walked up to the dead bandit; she couldn¡¯t see the man he had been anymore. Maybe he had a family, maybe a wife, children, elderly parents whom he cared for. Maybe his bandit life had been the result of a series of bad decisions and failed prospects. Maybe, maybe, maybe, it didn¡¯t really matter anymore, the second he picked up his weapon he made his decision, and the huntress could only act in kind. She knelt down and tore her knife from the corpses throat, a splatter of blood trailing after the blade. She was disgusted at the specks that hit her face and spat on the dead bandit. Wiping the stains off herself, she looked out over the quiet town searching for any signs of life. She knew they were still out there, the vermin, scurrying along getting ready to head out and start the whole game all over again. Sheathing her weapon, Valerie stepped over her first kill while calling for her teammate.


    ¡°Come on Samantha, let¡¯s go kill these fucking monsters.¡±


    Her friend leapt up and ran after the huntress, her chipper expression the complete opposite of Valerie¡¯s determined and unrelenting fury.

 Natural Born Killer

    It was slow at first, a stifled yelp, a cry for help, the pleading of a welp all fallen on deaf ears as the arbiter of their doom hunted the bandits giving no quarter. It began with stragglers, those seperated from the hoard for whatever reason, silently stalked and cut down in an instant. First one, then two and so on as the huntress fulfilled her name¡¯s sake and thinned the herd. By the time ten of their number had disappeared, the group finally caught on that something was amiss. It was at this time the cause for their worries decided to make herself known.


    She strode into the centre of the village, a lone warrior doused in crimson from the top of her head to the soles of her boots. The hard unrepentant look in her eyes betrayed the festering giddiness that bubbled beneath the surface. The first kill had been hard on her, the second less so and each subsequent elimination turned a numb hatred to a psychotic exaltation. She refused to give into it however, she was done being a slave to her emotions and would be the master. Her onlookers weren¡¯t aware of any of this however as all they could see was the young adventurer their boss was dealing with earlier walking purposefully into town, a long metal shaft dragging behind by a black chain wrapped around her fist. The bandits immediately circled her as they had done not too long ago yet there was unease in their eyes. What happened to their boss? What about the guys supposed to be watching her? Where were the rest of them? Were all questions that ran through their minds and while the answer seemed obvious none dared believe it. When the huntress was certain just about every bandit in the brigade had arrived, she spoke aloud, her voice carrying far and wide.


    ¡°YOUR BOSS IS DEAD!¡±


    She announced hoisting the broken shaft of his weapon up before tossing it aside.


    ¡°YOUR FRIENDS ARE DEAD!¡±


    She held the lightly dripping knife high feeling the cool trickle of blood run down her arm.


    ¡°AND YOU¡­ YOU¡¯RE ALL DEAD.¡±


    Her words dripped with anger such that none in attendance could mistake her intent. One brazen man with a snake tattoo on his face and neck stepped forth, he was always more brawn than brain.


    ¡°You what? The boss is too big for you to handle girly. Dunno where he is but me mates and me will keep ya busy till he gets back.¡±


    The huntress locked eyes with the burly man sizing him up until her gaze fell upon the tattoo on his head. It reminded her of the Coldra from so long ago. How did she handle that thing again?


    ¡°Oh right.¡±


    She remembered exactly what she did to that big dumb snake. Flipping her blade between her thumb and index finger, the huntress hurled her weapon at the confident bandit. Her knife struck true landing where the snakes head sat between his eyebrows. For a second all was calm until the man slumped back landing with a meaty thump. Like a starting pistol had gone off, the bandits roared and flung themselves into a flurry of action. The circle rapidly tightened around the huntress leaving her no room to escape. On land at the very least as she had already empowered herself with the second to last monster power stored within her knife. Bending her knees, she launched herself upwards and over the approaching storm of blades, blunt objects and blunt faces. Landing atop the slanted roof of a nearby building, she turned around to face the bottom feeders below. There was still a number of cretins to deal with, but some were already fleeing having taken her threat to heart. She would have none of that. Raising her arms out to either side she quickly brought her hands together, entwining her fingers in the process.


    ¡°ENTRAP AND ENCIRCLE THEM ALL! DON¡¯T LET A SINGLE ONE ESCAPE!¡±


    Heeding her command, a flurry of black chains erupted from every shadow cutting of exits and turning the open square into a maze of doom. The huntress peered down at the rapidly panicking group of marauders while trying to pick out her next target. A rattled man wielding a bow knocked an arrow and tried to take aim. His nerves caused his hand to shake uncontrollably, and his shot missed by a mile. All the action really did was make him a target as his assailant was once again brought back to a particularly troublesome fight she lost. Not wanting to repeat history, she shot off the roof like a rocket aiming straight for the archer. She collided with the bandit slamming them both into a wall that cracked under the impact. Still clinging to life, the archer could do nought but watch as he was hoisted up with a metal gloved hand wrapped around his throat.A case of content theft: this narrative is not rightfully on Amazon; if you spot it, report the violation.


    ¡°RETURN!¡±


    The huntress demanded extending her free hand out in the direction of the tattooed man. A chain snaked out from his shadow, wrapped around the blade still embedded in his head then jerked back flinging the weapon towards its master. The knife spun through the air faster than anyone could see before landing in the huntress¡¯s open palm. She let go of her captive and swiped her blade across his stomach before he hit the floor. Turning from the dying man, she eyed the rest of the bandits, her hungry gaze observing each as she tried to pick out her next meal. Although Valerie tried not to feed into the blood lust, she couldn¡¯t help but lap at the scarlet nectar coating her cheek.


    ¡°Who¡¯s next?¡±


    A yell to her left brought the huntress¡¯s attention to a man carrying a broadsword as he attempted to overhead swing the weapon onto her head. Like most of his brethren, the bandit was sparsely armoured giving him much more range of movement but also leaving him open to counter attacks. Side stepping the strike, the huntress slammed her boot onto the sword driving it into the dirt and unbalancing the wielder. She delivered a skull shattering punch to his cranium then followed up with a deep cut to his neck as he went flying back. A ruffian carrying a shield tried to charge into her, but she caught the buckler wrenching it from his grip before smashing it down onto his head. The shield bearer landed roughly to the ground; his sole means of protection splintered around him. He would have mourned the loss of his favourite shield had a falling knee not crushed his head. With her third kill in so many seconds, the huntress felt the monster blood empowering her fade. She still had one remaining, but it was a special dose, and she didn¡¯t want to waste it on this rabble. Resetting her stance, she scanned the scattered ne¡¯er-do-wells searching for her next target. Overpowering them was out so now it was time to outclass them. With a roar she sprang forth, her metal clad fist and crimson blade dancing around in a ceaseless torrent of fury.


    She punched, kicked, sliced and cut anything and everything she saw as she worked her way through the bandits. Faces were caved in, tendons cut, throats slit and eyes gouged as she lost herself in a trance of carnage. Were she in any right state of mind she might have noticed she had fallen into this state once before when combatting the Gentle Sword. That trance however had been a desperate gamble between life and death that forced her to change how she viewed her aspects. Now as she slammed her bloodied fists into the meaty face of a butt ugly thief turning him hideous in the process she was back to that same revelatory feeling. Her first trance made her realize the defensive nature of her aspects; this new one however made her accept the reality of her skill set. Since the moment she picked up that knife all those years ago she had always been steadily making her way here.


    ¡°Please! Stop!¡±


    A voice cried out, but she couldn¡¯t determine from where as she yelled furiously and drove her weapon further into a man¡¯s chest. The movement felt so organic, so simple, as she snapped an arm backwards and jammed the slick blade between ribs before tearing it free and plunging once again. Every action she took was practiced, precise, like she had done it a hundred times before, because she had. Fighting monsters for so long made her forget where her training originated and how the way she moved seemed so ill suited to combatting beasts. She made do overpowering them or finding a specific weak spot, but she had to accept that she wasn¡¯t built, wasn¡¯t trained to fight monsters. Well, not animalistic monsters, she could regardless but they weren¡¯t her forte.


    ¡°You murdering Bitch!¡±


    A rough voice called out as they struck the huntress on the side of her head. Rather than topple over or crumple from the blow she fed into it moving like water as she twisted around the wild haymaker. Coming within a hair¡¯s breadth of her attacker, she met eyes with the man and violently headbutted him before kicking between his legs. Where was she? Her forte, that¡¯s right. She should have known when fighting the Battleboon by the fluidity of her motions and unrelenting force. A crossbows bolt was knocked away with a lazy sling of her left arm. She should have realized combating the hoard of ghouls by the way she expertly took them down despite their far superior numbers. A spear was snapped in two, the metal point turned back onto its owner. She really should have put the pieces together when fighting Fandrial, her revelation and shift in style nothing truly new to her. She threw her knife which arced in a wide circle before returning, caught between her teeth, as she slammed both hands against either side of a battered thief¡¯s head. The pieces were there but it was only after sparring with Joanne that she slowly began to realize exactly what she was capable of. A tooth went flying past her face as she knocked a pair of bandit skulls together.


    ¡°I AM VALERIE HUNT, I AM THE TROPHY HUNTER, I AM YOUR DOOM!¡±


    She screamed into the heavens, blood and viscera running down her face like a mask of vermillion horror. She was a monster hunter by trade but ultimately, Valerie was a virtuoso at utterly decimating human or humanoid opponents. She held herself back when first encountering these retches but now she was truly unleashed and despite the alarm bells ringing in her head she felt good, alive, like she was exactly where she needed to be. She swiped her blade through the air decapitating a fleeing man before he could escape far enough away. She had escaped her uncle to find herself but as it turned out it was through her uncle¡¯s teaching that she grasped the truth. Valerie was a killer, it didn¡¯t matter if it was monsters or men, she was ruin to them all. Ending the lives of cruel creatures before they had a chance to hurt her or those close to her seemed like a convenient excuse. Truthfully, there was nothing virtuous about what she was doing, she was simply a cog in a machine she had been grinding against for far too long. The mad cackle she often let slip was replaced with a maniacal, whimsical, terrible laugh of pure and utter joy.


    Were her guardians or her uncle here to watch they would undoubtedly worry for Valerie¡¯s state of mind. The only observer who mattered however clung to the shadows; a satisfied smile splayed across her face as she watched her friend enjoy herself. It seemed today was a good day for both of them, she got a new friend and whatever internal problems her compatriot was dealing with were gone, a distant memory. Staring at the carnage still being unleashed, Samantha couldn¡¯t help but give voice to a feeling welling up inside her. She was not artistic by nature but with no one around she thought she might as well wax poetic.


    ¡°On this day, in this ruined village, with the signing of a single contract, the world received the harbinger of its end. It also gained the warrior who would root out every last monster, villain, and infernal creature she could lay her hands on. And were both bat shit insane!¡±

 And then there were two

    A deafening silence fell upon the village with no name, where once there had been roughhousing and rabble rousing there was now nothing but the exhausted pants of a new serial killer. She stared up at the sky over head as if waiting for rain fall to wash away the film of blood coating her from head to toe. No refreshing down pour came however and Valerie was left covered in the evidence of her slaughter. She slowly brought her hands up to her face and tried to wipe away some of the gore.


    ¡°Dammit.¡±


    She exclaimed after adding yet more to her scarlet red skin. Her steady hands were dripping with blood from many sources, herself and those strewn around her. With her hazy mind returning to her she finally noticed the carnage she had wrought. There were bodies everywhere, hacked up and left haphazardly such that she couldn¡¯t begin to guess how many people she had just killed.


    ¡°Good.¡±


    Her sentiment from earlier remained unchanged, these creatures appeared human but were no less monstrous in spirit. Unlike her first kill, she felt not even a shred of remorse or guilt at her actions this was simply something she had to do. She was a member of the Adventure¡¯s Guild and had a duty to exterminate monsters whenever possible although that wasn¡¯t the only reason as she had come to realize. Ending the lives of monsters had always brought a sick satisfaction to her and she finally figured out it wasn¡¯t the hunt that intrigued her nor the reward or the sense of accomplishment or anything remotely noble. She simply liked reaping the lives of something less than her. The idea of bringing some great and ferocious creature low, breaking down its resilience, and finally executing it made her giddy like nothing else. It was a wonder she never received the aspect of murder or torture if such a thing existed. They did indeed, however those who acquired such titles were far worse than the huntress. Even if she enjoyed the act, her actions could still be construed as positive for her community. This hoard of bandits for example, while some could have been redeemed after serving time, ultimately no one was worse off with their complete removal. It was not a fact she used to justify her actions, just a convenient truth that made her victory all the sweeter.


    Despite her acceptance that Valerie Hunt was a killer she would not go about murdering randomly. She needed worthwhile targets or those who served no purpose, a prey upon which she could feast so to speak. Joanne for example fit the former but not the latter as she was a trusted ally and de facto mother figure to the huntress. Fandrial The Gentle Sword on the other hand was a perfect target, even if she was the number one weapon in the Gentile Kingdom¡¯s arsenal, her station just made her all the more enticing to the young psychopath. A wide, cracked smile spread across her face as she imagined the look on that elf¡¯s face when the two met again. There was no telling when, unfortunately, and Valerie decided even if she somehow encountered her this second, she wouldn¡¯t do anything untoward right away. The Royal Captain had a task she needed to see through and tearing her down the moment she accomplished her ill-fated goal would be icing on the blood coated cake.


    ¡°Hehehehehe-ckakghlk!¡±


    She laughed to herself and then abruptly stopped as something caught in her throat. She pounded at her chest and eventually spit up a pair of hard objects into her hand. Peering down at the choking hazards, one appeared to be a tooth, most likely and hopefully her own, while the other was¡­ a shard of glass? Searching around she found a pair of potion bottles smashed on the ground near her knife. She didn¡¯t even realize Tiger¡¯s Will wasn¡¯t with her, tossed aside as she finished off her last opponent by pummelling his face into the ground. Both of the bottles appeared to have had their contents drained at some point during the fight and rather than take time to remove the stopper, Valerie had opted instead to bite through the glass.


    ¡°¡­okay, maybe that¡¯s not good.¡±


    Although a mild time saver, she had to admit that chewing through glass just to get at the revitalizing concoction inside probably wasn¡¯t a good sign. It did mean any cuts in her mouth would also be quickly healed but the last thing she needed was a sliver of glass getting fused into her gums. Taking a good look at herself, she found several more wounds still dripping with blood and showing no signs of closing. Thankfully her armour held and while it was damaged in some spots, she was much better off because of it. She was still not in perfect condition however and wondered if Samantha would let her borrow a potion or two before they got back to town. On cue as always, the shadow user appeared from out of the huntress¡¯s field of view. She walked over, picked up Tiger¡¯s Will and approached the blood coated warrior without the slightest hesitation.


    ¡°Did you have fun?¡±


    She asked while handing off the crimson blade. Valerie took her favourite weapon, her eyes drawn to the sharp edge and a single triangular chip along the cutting side. It caused her to flare up with anger once again until she forcibly calmed herself down, the weapon could always be repaired, there was no serious harm done.


    ¡°Yeah, I did. I really needed to let all that out.¡±


    She admitted to her friend who smiled widely and made to pat Valerie on the back but paused at the outrageous amount of blood staining the huntress.


    ¡°Aw screw it.¡±


    Without warning, Samantha wrapped Valerie in a pathetically weak, but heart felt hug. The huntress was puzzled by the display but did not try to fight her off. It felt nice to be held by someone she cared about without reservation. Today had been exhausting for them both and they needed a moment to just relax and not think about anything else. They stood like that for some time, the slick gore still clinging to Valerie slowly seeping into Samantha¡¯s new outfit ruining it. Unfortunately, like all good things, the embrace had to end as the pair heard sounds coming from the distance. They seperated and listened carefully for the disturbance some ways off. Wiping her knife on her clothes, Valerie addressed her friend while offering a hand.


    ¡°Let¡¯s finish this and go home.¡±


    The story has been stolen; if detected on Amazon, report the violation.


    The shadow user agreed wholeheartedly and took the offered hand.


    ¡°Let¡¯s!¡±


    Searching the town, the pair eventually found the last of the bandits huddled tightly into a group surrounding a single robe wearing man. He was Harry¡¯s right-hand and the only magic caster within the company. He and his men avoided the slaughter by virtue of the second in command ¡°receiving a premonition¡± which was a fancy way of saying they found a leftover shipment of Dragon¡¯s Teeth and disappeared to get high. If the caster had been around or if the band had invested in hiring more spell slingers it is possible their organization might not have been dismantled so savagely. The crowd of ruffians surrounding the lieutenant shared this opinion and stuck close to their new acting leader. They all heard the frightened screams of their comrades, and some saw the slaughter through gaps in the chains, a sight they would never quite forget. The small group tried to make a hasty and quiet exit, but they were physically and mentally tripping over themselves during their escape leading to one of them making too much noise.


    Instead of running for their lives they foolishly decided to stand and fight, not for their fallen brethren but because fleeing would just make them easier to pick off. Although they would never know it, had they opted to run like cowards their pursuers likely wouldn¡¯t have given chase. The bandit group was effectively done for, and the contract fulfilled thus neither adventurer had any reason to finish them off. Even Valerie didn¡¯t care about the thieves anymore having worked out her rage and affirmed her own resolve. The duo wouldn¡¯t let them off now however as the leftovers interrupted a tender moment and for these two that was reason enough to snuff out the bandits entirely.


    The remnants noticed their pursuers come around a corner, a pair of scarlet coated nightmares, and formed a loose phalanx around the magic caster using their bodies as shields. So far, the pair of adventurers had faced melee orientated combatants, and neither was sure how to deal with a sorcerer. Common knowledge dictated that breaking their concentration worked with disrupting spells but surely Samantha¡¯s terror field would do the trick already.


    ¡°Feuerbolzen!¡±


    Evidentially not as a ball of flaming fury came hurtling towards the duo at a breakneck speed. Magic naturally countered magic and so Samantha summoned numerous chains within the projectiles path diminishing the attack until it puffed out a foot away from the pair.


    ¡°Feuerbolzen, Feuerbolzen, Feuerbolzen!¡±


    It was not the last of the casters ammunition however as several more balls of fire flew in their direction. Ducking behind a wall, they narrowly avoided the sudden onslaught although one stray bolt singed the end of Samantha¡¯s cloak.


    ¡°Hey, watch it! This is a new cloak!¡±


    ¡°Really?¡±


    Valerie asked indignant on the bandit¡¯s behalf to which Samantha could only shrug. With so many firebolts coming their way there was no way for the shadow user to block them all. She thought about calling up her new buddy but knew that was a bad idea as she was already running on fumes. Summoning him once took nearly every drop of mana she had and doing so again would push her into dangerous near fatal areas. She might have had time to accumulate more mana had she not trapped the majority of the bandits in her domain earlier as well as providing support to the huntress when needed. It left her with few options, but she did have enough for one last play as a hasty plan formed in her head. It was undoubtedly a stroke of brilliance or madness depending on your point of view.


    ¡°Psst Val, wanna try for a Bang Bang?¡±


    Ducking back after failing to get an angle for a throw, Valerie peered questioningly at Samantha.


    ¡°Now? They¡¯ll just hit you with more magic.¡±


    ¡°Not if I¡¯m out of reach.¡±


    The huntress listened to her accomplice¡¯s plan and grinned maliciously; it might not work perfectly but it would be a sight to see. For this reason, she tapped into the last monster power stored within Tiger¡¯s Will. For weeks she saved the essence of Whitebone for a special occasion but finishing off these urchins would be worth it.


    ¡°Alright, on the count of three. One¡±


    ¡°Two.¡±


    ¡°Three!¡±


    The pair finished in tandem as an empowered Valerie gripped onto Samantha and threw her high into the air for all to see. She rocketed through the sky, her cheeks and eyelids flapping wildly from the rush of air, while a glee filled yell followed after her. The sudden appearance of the shadow user drew the remaining bandit¡¯s attention, and the caster immediately began firing mystical fire balls in her direction. Fortunately, she was moving far too fast for any to come close to hitting her. After reaching more than a hundred metres into the air, Samantha finally began to slow and lose all her momentum. When gravity reclaimed its hold on her, she flung open her cloak while forcing chains to extend out and turn the ragged cloth into a makeshift hang glider. It did little to slow her fall yet with her position directly in front of the descending sun it did its job casting a large shadow over the gathered thieves. The magic caster redoubled his efforts to land a hit on the falling girl, but the distance was too great for his spells to reach. As Samantha began to rapidly fall, she extended her arm out with her palm facing the bandits and focused her eery aura. The gambit had all been for this, stealing the entire groups attention for one last mental assault. With righteous pride filling her voice she yelled out her latest attack.


    ¡°Get ready for Samantha¡¯s Big Bang Attack!¡±


    Immediately following her odd proclamation, a heavily concentrated wave of fear fell upon the gathered men striking at their hearts and minds even causing some to fall to their knees. Receiving the signal loud and clear, Valerie rushed out from behind cover and reared back with Tiger¡¯s Will aiming directly for the centre of the phalanx. As her arm came hurtling forward with the full might of her aspect, the power of an Alpha and as much mana as she could shove into the tiny blade the huntress felt it appropriate to call out her attack.


    ¡°TURNABOUT SLASH!¡±


    Magic was a funny thing as most spells couldn¡¯t be used without a chant or announcement first. This rule was broken when it came to aspect users, however they could still name repeat or special skills to give them an extra boost of power. Like with a class, it was the internal magic at work granting the skill increased effectiveness based on the user¡¯s thoughts and feelings. With her newfound resolve and using the name her friend so lovingly gave the move; Valerie¡¯s attack broke all previous records in the huntress¡¯s short monster hunting career. The knife tore through the air shattering windows in its wake and sending its owner flying back. The blade cut through anything and everything in its path as it flew and while she couldn¡¯t hear at the moment from a ringing in her ears, Valerie swore she felt a distinct and familiar roar emanate from Tiger¡¯s Will.


    The empowered weapon crashed through the group as well as several buildings behind them and skipped along the next the street over before landing upright some distance away, spotless and gleaming as the day it was named. The force with which the knife had been thrown completely negated any curvature meaning it failed to fulfil its round trip to return to its master, although that may have been for the best. The targets for the skill were suffering greatly as several were left bleeding from their ears due to the shockwave, one was missing eight fingers, and another couldn¡¯t find his arm. The magic caster at the centre felt fine for a second until the lack of an upper torso caught up to him.


    Samantha watched the decimated group attempt to disperse and fail miserably due to their terrible state, it was so ridiculous she might have laughed, were she not been tumbling towards the earth that is. She would have taken a second to ponder her current predicament and the best or worst ways to land were it not for Valerie leaping to her rescue, quite literally in fact. The huntress used her empowered state to jump a considerable distance and catch the falling girl before landing roughly against the ground. They collapsed into a heap similar to the bandits except significantly better off.


    ¡°That¡­ was awesome. Let¡¯s do it again.¡±


    Despite all logic, it was not Samantha who uttered these words but Valerie chuckling to herself as the effects of the monster power faded from her. Samantha ofcourse absolutely agreed as she joined her friend in a fit of pained, joyful laughter. The tragic wailing from not too far away ruined the moment, however.


    ¡°Quit your whining! We¡¯re in the middle of something here!¡±


    The huntress demanded shaking her fist at the sorry bunch of whiners.


    ¡°Haaaaah¡­We should probably just end things. I¡¯m kinda hungry.¡±


    Samantha suggested feeling at her stomach, spending a week in the deep jail hadn¡¯t made her famished but using up all her mana within a short period certainly did.


    ¡°Yeah, me too. Let¡¯s end this and go home.¡±


    Valerie rose up and stalked over to the broken phalanx, its members tried desperately to crawl away but try as they might the huntress was not denied her hunt. Unfortunate for them that she did not currently have her weapon and was forced to use less savoury methods.

 Homeward Bound

    Once upon a time there was a forest, it was not the deepest nor the darkest, it was not home to any witches, ogres, trolls, or goblins. The gangly trees were only slightly more alive than average, and no band of thieves resided within the dimly lit reaches, not any more at least. The plain, boring, old forest would be indistinguishable from any other set of woods on most days but today it featured a large black smokestack that rose high into the sky. The village with no name would never have need of one ever again as it was currently burning away, the left-over homes set ablaze by a pair of tired adventurers who with nothing else to do fell into an old argument.


    ¡°Hunt!¡±


    ¡°Trapper!¡±


    ¡°Hunt!¡±


    ¡°Trapper!¡±


    ¡°HUNT!¡±


    ¡°TRAPPER!¡±


    They were caught in a tug of war trying to determine, if needed for whatever reason, who would change their name to match the other. Both had cause to hold onto their own name as they had grown accustomed to the moniker and were equally unwilling to bend much to their driver¡¯s chagrin. After completely eliminating the bandit gang the duo set about cleaning up the mess they had caused. They quickly realized they were far too tired to bother with any of that and decided to gather up what bits and pieces they could of the ruffians, stick them in a big enough house and then burn the sucker down. After committing one act of arson, they made a game out of igniting the remaining homes and buildings. Luckily the gang had lots of alcohol on hand for some easy homemade Molotov cocktails. It took less than an hour to turn the shambling town into a raging inferno, the pretty colours and satisfying smell of wood burning a nice finale to a whirlwind of a day.


    With their desire for pyromania satiated, the duo left the soon to be no more village. They immediately went in search of a river to wash off the filth they had accumulated although Valerie would require either a new set of armour or a thorough deep clean to get out all the stains. Luckily, she knew two diminutive business owners who would be happy to help in either case. After cleaning up as best they could and downing their remaining healing potions, the pair of adventurers appeared in much better shape which was good as they encountered a passing farmer with his own horse drawn cart. He claimed to see the smokestack and approached to try and get a better look or see if anyone was in trouble. After flashing a little of the bandits pilfered coin however he quickly halted any investigations and instead took to ferrying the battered and bruised adventurers from the far reaches of the kingdom. He was beginning to regret that decision however as his passengers were ceaseless in their arguing.


    ¡°Being a Trapper is way better than being a Hunt! It sounds rude!¡±


    The smaller of the two stated.


    ¡°Uh no it doesn¡¯t? Lots of people go by Hunt or Hunter, it¡¯s very common. Name me one other person with the name ¡®Trapper¡¯!¡±


    Unlawfully taken from Royal Road, this story should be reported if seen on Amazon.


    The taller one shot back adding air quotes to the less desirable last name. Offended, Samantha stood up in the back of the cart with her hands on her hips and righteous indignation fuelling her.


    ¡°Um, you?! When I get it through your thick skull that being Valerie Trapper is one hundred times better!¡±


    Valerie too stood up towering over her partner in crime.


    ¡°Not. A. Chance. I would rather change my name to Turd-er first!¡±


    ¡°Oh that is it! You wanna go?! I¡¯ll knock some sense into you right here and now if that¡¯s what it takes!¡±


    ¡°You wish, I beat you when we met, and I¡¯ll beat you now!¡±


    The two girls were about to come to blows when the cart rolled over an easily avoidable stone in the road causing both to fall onto their rumps. Their driver thanked the divine above his deliberate change of course caused the arguing teens to shut up finally. A stalemate formed between the two as they sat back-to-back with their arms crossed completely sure in their own argument¡¯s validity. The trip home might have remained awkwardly silent however Valerie did what all team leaders had to do at one time or another and found a compromise.


    ¡°Listen, I am not changing my name and clearly you aren¡¯t changing yours.¡±


    Despite mine being better, she didn¡¯t add.


    ¡°So, let¡¯s just agree to disagree and keep our names the same.¡±


    For now, she also didn¡¯t add. Even if she couldn¡¯t convince her today, Valerie was certain she would eventually.


    ¡°Mmmmmmmmmmmm okay fine.¡±


    Samantha agreed after a long, drawn-out hum and the two were as thick as thieves once again. Not long after concluding their argument, the pair lay in the back of the open top cart and gazed up at the sky over head drenched in pink-orange hues with the setting sun. Samantha ofcourse quickly fell asleep, her tired mind exhausted from over a weeks¡¯ worth of mental fatigue. Valerie too was on the cusp of slumber, but she forced herself to remain awake as she contemplated her revelation. Some part of her felt she should be ashamed of her actions, but she didn¡¯t really pay attention to this feeling. She carried not an ounce of regret or guilt from the murder spree she enacted. It was just the idea she had to feel shame that was bogging her down, an idea that those around her would be disgusted at her actions. The only problem was, she didn¡¯t care about those people, if they judged or hated her for what she did then that was their problem. She had everyone who mattered right next to her and their opinion was the only one that mattered.


    Without any worries about her status in society she could focus on the more important issue at hand, more than ever, she needed to find her uncle and get some truths out of him. The fact her fighting style was perfectly made to combat humans felt far too deliberate to be just a random amalgamation of experience and close calls. When she stopped holding back and used the full power of her class and aspects she expected to still struggle against the older and in some cases stronger bandits, yet she always had a counter, something to overcome the odds. This combined with Harry¡¯s words only made her more curious than ever just who was her uncle and by extension who was she? She lied to herself so many times that she didn¡¯t care about her lineage or where she came from, but the truth was, she did care. If she was part of some family of assassins that was fine in her opinion, it would be hypocritical to hold it against anyone especially now that she was no better. Yet that didn¡¯t explain the secrecy or how she would be able to escape them. If her uncle was trying to avoid the family heritage, then why teach her its techniques anyway? Why he insisted he was her uncle was another matter that puzzled her greatly. She was young enough he could have simply claimed to be her father, maybe he was and just didn¡¯t want the responsibility? She had so many questions for her ¡°uncle¡± and not enough answers anymore.


    A problem for tomorrow however, as the huntress slowly fell into a much-needed slumber, her head resting next Samantha¡¯s own sweetly dreaming noggin. Within that precious little girls head she dreamed a most adorable dream of the end of everything, with her and Valerie as its arbiters. Convincing the beast of the abyss to partner up with her had been challenging especially with the lack of dialogue between the two. One thing that helped clinch the deal was actually Samantha¡¯s prophecy, evidently Peilar also believed in the certain death and so the two made a pact on this eventuality. Samantha would have free reign to summon Peilar as often as she could handle and in exchange the monster would be granted a brief moment of freedom upon her death. How long he would be free and what he would be able to do in that time was beyond his summoner¡¯s knowledge but at that point she would already be gone and didn¡¯t need to care anymore. She knew with all certainly however that he would do his utmost to end everything he saw with every second he had. He would also have all the entertainment he needed as she was sure the greatest hunter to ever live would take immense pleasure in trying to claim the beasts head for herself.


    As they slowly rolled down the road heading home, Samantha smiled softly knowing her first and latest best friends would get along like a kingdom on fire.