As we went deeper into the forest, I noticed a group of people heading toward the beach. Something about them felt off. Most of them didn’t move like they were ready for battle, no one looked alert. Only those who resembled the Duchess’s knights had any real sense of attention. A flicker of relief stirred within me that it was Albaras who had found me first. Whoever these people were, it was better to be with him than to face the soldiers or, worse, the fiend they seemed to be preparing for.

  ’Are all these people here for the beast?’ I asked softly, wondering why such a large group would be needed for a single creature.

  ’What are you, oh, yes, my boy.’ Albaras replied without missing a beat. ’They’re here for the fiend. That’s exactly why I picked you up when I did. More will gather here soon, and protecting an innocent life is far more important to me than chasing after a bit of gold.’

  I huddled beneath the ponchos Albaras had given me, trying to disappear into it, just another bundle strapped to Emachigo’s back.

  ’It’s rare to see the army joining in on a hunt.’ Albaras remarked thoughtfully. ’Only in Drech do they bother with that. There, a special-order assists hunter or even doing the work themselves. Or do even the work themselves. Good folks, real veterans that you just don’t really see anymore.’

  I glanced up at Albaras, Anxiety curled tighter in my chest. His casual tone about the hunters and army only made it worse.

  Noticing my unease, Albaras gave a reassuring laugh. ’Don’t worry my dear boy.’ He rested his hand on my head, reassuring. His voice carried a strange excitement, like the thrill of old stories shared around a fire. ’I know many of these hunters personally. I have even trained a few.’

  He gestured toward the procession, his gaze landing on a man with a plume of feathers adorning his helmet and a massive great sword strapped to his back. ’See that one? We fought together against a beast called the Lier. A nasty one, but we defeated it as you can see.’ A chuckle escaped.

  He pointed to another figure. ’That one wielding a green blade. We did a few contracts together years ago when he just began.’ Reliable. I think he’s like me, a third-generation hunter.’

  Albaras sighed, his gaze growing distant. ’There are more I’ve worked with... but they’re not here.’ His voice carried a hint of melancholy. ’A true shame. Maybe I could talk about them later or you can even meet them yourself.’

  Before I could ask anything, the man with the great sword caught Albaras’ glance and began making his way toward us. His helmet visor was down, obscuring his face, and now I noticed the screaming black skull emblazoned on his breastplate. The eerie design, coupled with his silent approach, made him seem like a creature pulled from the depths.

  Albaras slowed Emachigo, as the man with the great sword approached. Details emerged: His clothes were richly colored, with slashed patterns of red and yellow that revealed contrasting fabrics beneath. His doublet and breeches puffed at the seams, giving him an air of grandeur. Feathers of every hue adorned his helmet. As he drew near, he raised his visor, revealing dark skin and a distinctive snake-shaped burn curling around his right eye.

  ’It’s been far too long.’ It sounded almost as if he was teasing Albaras, his voice a curious blend of seriousness and playfulness. ’It is at least a winter ago.’ His face, carved from stone, betrayed little emotion, but there was a warmth in his words and a small tug at his lips, softening the edges of his otherwise impassive expression.

  ’Now that you say it, it’s been even longer than I remember.’ Albaras said with a loud laugh. ’How many monsters have we slain together now? Eight? Nine? Maybe it’s time we team up again.’

  The man let out a low chuckle, his lips twitching into a faint smile. ’If we do, we’ll be out of work in no time.’

  Albaras chuckled in return. ’True enough.’

  The man glanced at me while I tried to remain unnoticed. His gaze pierced through me, and his expression shifted back to seriousness. He forced a smile and said, ’I didn’t know you had a companion with you. Greetings, my name is Dezikuel.’ His tone was laced with concern, though he tried to make it sound welcoming. I still didn’t have anything to defend myself. I could only put my faith in Albaras. How far that trust would carry me, I didn’t know.

  His words caught me off guard. I could feel his gaze, His eyes didn’t match, one sorrowful, the other frozen, empty. Maybe it was the mark. Or maybe he was just another man shaped by too many hunts. He glanced back at Albaras with a hint of displeasure, as if he was about to say something, but he exhaled a heavy sigh instead before lowering his visor again.

  ’I wish you two a good journey.’ Dezikuel said, his head bowed, eyes avoiding mine. It seemed like he was looking more at the sky than at us.

  Albaras nodded. ″Good hunting, my friend,″ he replied.

  Dezikuel turned and continued toward the beach, leaving us to continue our journey. As he walked away, I glanced at Albaras, noticing the way his gaze lingered on Dezikuel. He gave a small wave, opening his hand by the reins and moving it slowly from left to right a few times.

  ’Let’s move on.’ Albaras said. With that, we resumed our path. The forest seemed to end in the distance, and I focused on the flicker of hope stirring within me instead of the voices that wanted to get out screaming. Maybe, just maybe, this journey with Albaras would lead to something better, though it was hard to shake the doubt that lingered in the back of my mind.

  Unlawfully taken from Royal Road, this story should be reported if seen on Amazon.

  After multiple nights, I sat across from Albaras by the bonfire, my gaze locked on the dancing flames. The warmth from the fire did little to chase away the chill of the night, but it provided a small comfort against the cold. I watched Albaras, standing like a statue in the shadows, staring out at the horizon. His purple cloth was faintly visible in the firelight, a stark contrast to the darkness of his black armor.

  I hesitated, unsure of how to phrase the question that had been gnawing at me. It had lingered in my mind for hours, but the right words wouldn’t come. Finally, I blurted, ″What’s your reason for wanting me to come back with you?″

  Albaras didn’t immediately respond. Instead, he turned, his silhouette framed by the campfire’s glow. His face remained unreadable. ’I need some sleep.’ he let his arms hang like a puppet with its strings cut. It was if he tried to dismiss the question. ’We can talk more at dawn.’

  “I remained seated, my mind racing with unanswered questions. The fire crackled sharply, the only sound breaking the silence, like the uncertainty gnawing at me. I couldn’t shake the feeling that I was left in the dark, both about Albaras intentions and what lay ahead.

  I stared at it, and the world around me blurred. Everything darkened.

  When my eyes opened, I was no longer by the fire. I was atop an altar, surrounded by men in dark cloaks, kneeling in legions. A figure at the front looked up at me, his face twisted, grotesque. I turned, my stomach churning, but as I did, the altar vanished. Instead, I found myself getting out of bed.

  “Good morning, Asier,” a voice said, cold and distant.

  “Is it already time, Mother?” I asked, my heart pounding with excitement at the thought of finally seeing her again. But when I turned to look at her, the joy turned to dread.

  Her face was a mess of torn skin bleeding from every piece. She fell, collapsing into a grotesque heap, her neck twisting unnaturally as her head cracked. The floor was stained with her blood, and the white fire spread swiftly, curling in from the doorway like a living thing, swallowing the room in its scorching embrace

  She crawled toward me, her fingers snapping grotesquely with every push, making sounds of brittle bones breaking under pressure. Her body, no longer human, twisted and contorted in ways it shouldn’t have.

  ″Why were you born?″ she rasped, her voice growing louder, sounding like a twisted lullaby. ″A curse we had to hide... and now look at what it’s cost us. It got us all killed... and you... a failure... the cursed child of Kingston... no better than the Kruger...”

  Her hands gave out, forcing her to drag herself forward with her arms, each movement leaving fresh bloodstains on the floor. When she finally rose, her intestines spilled from her body like a grotesque offering, swaying and dragging with each unsteady step. My heart pounded, but no sound came. A scream was lodged somewhere deep within me, but the flames had stolen it, leaving me a hollow witness. The flames were consuming the world around me. My mind still clung to the warmth of the fire it was the only thing that felt normal in here.

  The fire surged, its flames twisting unnaturally, coiling into a wall between us. They moved with a strange purpose, writhing and curling, forcing her back. She let out a guttural wail, her burning gaze locking onto me one last time before the fire surged again, swallowing me whole. Its searing embrace burned away everything but a fleeting, inexplicable sense of wonder.

  Then, everything went black. I jolted awake at first light, the fire still crackling beside me. I gasped for air, my heart racing as I looked around, desperately searching for Albaras.

  He was already at work, the savory aroma of cooking filling the air. It was a comforting way to wake up after what had just... I would rather not think about it. I pushed the nightmare away, but it’s cold fingers still gripped my chest, tightening with each passing second. The memories never truly faded. They lingered, just out of reach, as I focused instead on the comforting sounds of Albaras′ voice and the savory scent of meat, trying to push the remnants of the nightmare from my senses.

  “Here, eat, little one. You look like you could use something to settle your nerves.” He said warmly, lifting half a carcass by its leg and wiggling it around. “There’s plenty to go around. Don’t you worry about running out.”

  I focused on the scent of the food, trying to push the nightmare away, but its weight lingered in my chest, tugging at the edges of my mind. Focusing on the food and soon the taste of it. A small chuckle escaped me. I didn’t even realize I was doing it. Was it because of the food or was I going crazy.

  As the scent of food drew my attention away from Albaras, my gaze fell on the small pot. The rich aroma made my mouth water, and my stomach growled in eager anticipation. I picked out a piece of meat, savoring the first bite, the flavors grounding me in the present, yet something felt off, like the meat wasn’t quite satisfying, not bloody enough. ’Thank you for this meal.’ I said between bites, my face still hidden beneath the green poncho I used for the upper half of my body, the black one draped over my lower half.

  ’No problem at all. It’s been a while since you’ve had something fresh, hasn’t it?’ Albaras remarked.

  ’Yes.’ I replied, focusing on the delicious meat and savoring each bite, but it was as though the hunger in my stomach couldn’t fully mask the emptiness still lingering in my chest.

  As I ate, Albaras settled down beside me. ’While you finish up, let me explain the contract we’re about to undertake.’ He began, his tone becoming more serious, yet a lightness still remained in his friendly demeanor. ″We’re tracking a small band of deserters.’

  I chewed more slowly, giving him my full attention.

  ’Normally, hunters don’t track humans,’ he continued, his voice serious, but I swore I could hear a chuckle hidden in his words. “But these deserters are different, two brothers from the Gurrund family and an unknown number of loyal followers.”

  I nodded. All I could do was listen, my first contract unfolding before me. He made it clear this wasn’t the usual kind of contract for a normal hunter. Somehow, I felt special because of it.

  ’Since they hail from one of the most prominent houses, the Cias could never afford to show weakness. That’s why they brought in an external party, us.’ Albaras made a pose saying that putting his hand on his hips looking sideways into the distance.

  It seemed like Albaras was studying me, but his helmet made it impossible to read his expression. “Once you’re done eating, I’ll prepare us for the journey. No rush, we’ve got plenty of time.” He said, his voice returning to its usual warmth, accompanied by a hearty laugh, as if trying to coax one from me too.

  His laugh managed to coax a small one from me in return. It did little to calm the boiling turmoil inside, offering only a sliver of peace.

  I finished the last of my meal, a mix of anticipation and apprehension swirling within me. Even though I feared what could lay ahead, Albaras′ calming demeanor and the promise of a homemade meal made the looming journey feel just a little less daunting.