I should not have had tea and biscuits, I thought. I rued my decision and I rued my appetite as I stood facing the roots of a tree, retching and vomiting. I was emptying the contents of my tummy faster than I could erase the contents of my memory. That gory scene aligned with the memory of the night’s dinner, and my retching worsened. Blood, kidney, and flesh were spread out like a messy, raging butcher’s art. My eyes watered, and again, I vomited. It was ugly — extremely hideous.
‘Not very used to it, huh, Professor,’ said Ms Nancy. The wavy-haired woman was holding my hair and rubbing my back while I did what could only be called a heinous crime against nature. The sight, sound, and smell of my artwork did not seem to repel her. ‘This reminds me of our first excursion as students,’ she said lightly. ‘Our whole team went sick. I remember someone puked on my face.’ I retched again, louder and worse. She should have kept her mouth shut. I truly hoped that one day she would learn. If not, I will have to distance myself. ‘Professor, you will get used to it one day.’ I hoped not.
Over the sound of my music, someone managed to speak. ‘May you be at peace.’ It was Mr Hill, the slender-faced. Through my teary eyes, I managed to see him kneeling over the crudely dug grave of what used to be Scott Richard. A sword was used as a headstone — Mr Richard’s sword.
‘They used to be classmates back in the academy days,’ said Ms Nancy. ‘Not really friends, I suppose, but close.’ That was heartbreaking, but I wondered how and why did she know so much about others’ affairs. ‘Are you feeling fine, now, Professor?’ She looked at me curiously, and I nodded my head.
‘Thank you,’ I said, washing my mouth with the water flask she handed me. The terribly bitter taste was simply awful, and to my terror, a faint reminder of it remained on my tongue. Mr Mason handed me a sweet candy which I, not unlike a child, grabbed and quickly put in my mouth. That was some relief.
‘It is cleared now,’ Mr Harris said, cleaning his hands. The man felt even terrifying after knowing he had touched that sight. ‘We may move.’ And so, we began our journey, once again. The night was full of terror, and I was sure, it was nowhere near its end. I heard insects and I saw something move on the trees nearby. Lizards. I was proud of myself for keeping my screams inside. I feared these little creatures. Every time, I looked at them, I felt as if something was crawling on my nape. Curse a capable imagination.
Soon, we entered a forest of oak trees. Bushes no more felt crowded, and the need to carve our path vanished. I felt the air freshen. These large trees had that effect on me. The happenings of the night felt slightly less horrid. The trees helped me forget the horrible and ugly. ‘Oak’s Grove,’ Ms Nancy said, looking up at the leaves that blessed us with red shimmers. ‘Beautiful place at night.’ It indeed was. The red moon was not visible through the layered foliage, but the place was lighted well. The shadows would move and dance about in this light — it was a joy to the eyes. ‘Not as beautiful as your magic still, Professor,’ said the woman.
I looked at her, surprised. ‘You were there?’ I asked.
‘I always attend the Orientation Day; it makes me remember my admission into the academy. Fun times.’ She wore a nostalgic face. ‘Growing up is not very fun, is it? So much stress and responsibilities.’ She sighed with a sullen expression. ‘I do not mind, but everyone acts so serious.’ She kept rambling about it. I didn’t think I would say such a thing, but I agreed with the woman. I too had a mind that could be called childish at times, and I believed there was nothing wrong with it. But some may frown — most even. ‘I loved watching that scene, Professor,’ said the woman, with a sudden smile. ‘It made me nostalgic.’
That smile was something I had created. It was an effect of my creation. I was flattered. I nodded, unable to give her a proper reply. It was all so surreal. A disastrous situation, a dead colleague, a woman that smiled, a grove so beautiful — all of it was brought together, and only some of it matched each other.
‘Halt,’ someone said softly. I looked behind to find the tail of our formation looking behind. His name was…Joshua Perk, I believe.
‘What is it, Josh?’ asked Ms Perk, Mr Perk’s younger sister and one of our companions. It was not unusual to see a pair of siblings in a military setting. Many families prided in having a long history of service, but few had women holding the tradition. Perk family was one of those families, I presumed.
The hounds began barking. ‘Something is coming,’ said Mr Perk, unsheathing his sword. Ms Perk and Mr Hill did the same. Ms Nancy and Ms Olsberg pointed their guns, while Mr Mason and Mr Harris kept their eyes ahead. They were alert and quick — impressive to a professor like me.
We waited for about half a second, and as expected, glowing eyes entered the clearing. A pack of wolves had come to greet us. Their fur was marred with mud and red. ‘Blood,’ Mr Hill muttered. None of us needed to be told where it had come from. We had seen enough to know.
Suddenly, Mr Mason bellowed, ‘Ahead!’ I looked back to find us surrounded. They had come from both directions, blocking our advance and retreat. I thought it would not be such a difficult skirmish, seeing as we had double the numbers than before, but my delusions were broken.
‘Isn’t the pack rather large?’ I said, looking at — what seemed to be — more than two dozen wolves. I was sweating buckets. I was scared at this point. I had seen what these beasts could do, and I did not want to become another Mr Scott Richard. Their terrifying eyes showed me a ferocity of pure malice, and that blood-soaked appearance was nothing less than inhumane.
‘Not one pack, Sir,’ said Mr Perk, inching near Ms Perk. ‘Those are two packs.’ He beckoned with his fingers. ‘Close the formation, Qila.’
‘What do you mean two packs? Do they not have their territories?’ I asked while being pulled inside the closed circular formation by Ms Nancy. I was educated; I knew about animals, and I had studied a little before coming to the hunt. Wolves fight over territories, do they not? ‘Packs of Wolves shouldn’t be in one place. They will fight over territory and food.’
‘Yes, they do—’
‘This is unusual, Professor,’ interrupted Ms Olsberg, while I was counting the growling terrors. ‘We have seen quite a lot of that tonight, have we not?’ Indeed, we had, but I wondered why he thought this was not one pack. All were bathing in a bloody red. They had hunted together, and they were doing so now. How could it not be one pack? I finished counting. There were a total of thirty of them. ‘No sign of a large one, huh?’ Ms Olsberg said, scoffing. ‘And still, this organised.’
‘Is the whole of Celbrun like this?’ murmured Ms Nancy. ‘Is this hunt cursed?’ I did not believe in superstition. But one could say that magic too is superstition — one that has been proven to be true. We are not cursed, are we?
I was told there were more parties around the capital. If we were having such trouble, surely, they must be devastated. We have a mage; they don’t. I patted myself on the back.
‘Prepare,’ commanded the captain. I readied myself. I could not use water anymore and Earth seemed rather firm. I did not want to use Earth Magic; I was not very fond of that element. I felt the matchbox in the front pocket of my waistcoat. Fire…hasn’t been kind. If only I knew how to replicate that magic. The thought of summoning elements from thin air was tantalising to many mages, but I — having seen it — was restless in unearthing its ways. Well, Wind it is, I thought, succumbing to my fate. It seemed to be the worst day for any man to have a peaceful jaunt.
‘Good luck, Professor,’ said Ms Olsberg. Like in the previous battle, she moved her barrel and shot at the closest wolf. A loud gunshot echoed. One was killed. Twenty-nine remained.
R.Venelious Not sure, but might take a break tomorrow.
I should not have had tea and biscuits, I thought. I rued my decision and I rued my appetite as I stood facing the roots of a tree, retching and vomiting. I was emptying the contents of my tummy faster than I could erase the contents of my memory. That gory scene aligned with the memory of the night’s dinner, and my retching worsened. Blood, kidney, and flesh were spread out like a messy, raging butcher’s art. My eyes watered, and again, I vomited. It was ugly — extremely hideous.
‘Not very used to it, huh, Professor,’ said Ms Nancy. The wavy-haired woman was holding my hair and rubbing my back while I did what could only be called a heinous crime against nature. The sight, sound, and smell of my artwork did not seem to repel her. ‘This reminds me of our first excursion as students,’ she said lightly. ‘Our whole team went sick. I remember someone puked on my face.’ I retched again, louder and worse. She should have kept her mouth shut. I truly hoped that one day she would learn. If not, I will have to distance myself. ‘Professor, you will get used to it one day.’ I hoped not.
Over the sound of my music, someone managed to speak. ‘May you be at peace.’ It was Mr Hill, the slender-faced. Through my teary eyes, I managed to see him kneeling over the crudely dug grave of what used to be Scott Richard. A sword was used as a headstone — Mr Richard’s sword.
‘They used to be classmates back in the academy days,’ said Ms Nancy. ‘Not really friends, I suppose, but close.’ That was heartbreaking, but I wondered how and why did she know so much about others’ affairs. ‘Are you feeling fine, now, Professor?’ She looked at me curiously, and I nodded my head.
‘Thank you,’ I said, washing my mouth with the water flask she handed me. The terribly bitter taste was simply awful, and to my terror, a faint reminder of it remained on my tongue. Mr Mason handed me a sweet candy which I, not unlike a child, grabbed and quickly put in my mouth. That was some relief.
‘It is cleared now,’ Mr Harris said, cleaning his hands. The man felt even terrifying after knowing he had touched that sight. ‘We may move.’ And so, we began our journey, once again. The night was full of terror, and I was sure, it was nowhere near its end. I heard insects and I saw something move on the trees nearby. Lizards. I was proud of myself for keeping my screams inside. I feared these little creatures. Every time, I looked at them, I felt as if something was crawling on my nape. Curse a capable imagination.
Soon, we entered a forest of oak trees. Bushes no more felt crowded, and the need to carve our path vanished. I felt the air freshen. These large trees had that effect on me. The happenings of the night felt slightly less horrid. The trees helped me forget the horrible and ugly. ‘Oak’s Grove,’ Ms Nancy said, looking up at the leaves that blessed us with red shimmers. ‘Beautiful place at night.’ It indeed was. The red moon was not visible through the layered foliage, but the place was lighted well. The shadows would move and dance about in this light — it was a joy to the eyes. ‘Not as beautiful as your magic still, Professor,’ said the woman.
I looked at her, surprised. ‘You were there?’ I asked.
‘I always attend the Orientation Day; it makes me remember my admission into the academy. Fun times.’ She wore a nostalgic face. ‘Growing up is not very fun, is it? So much stress and responsibilities.’ She sighed with a sullen expression. ‘I do not mind, but everyone acts so serious.’ She kept rambling about it. I didn’t think I would say such a thing, but I agreed with the woman. I too had a mind that could be called childish at times, and I believed there was nothing wrong with it. But some may frown — most even. ‘I loved watching that scene, Professor,’ said the woman, with a sudden smile. ‘It made me nostalgic.’
That smile was something I had created. It was an effect of my creation. I was flattered. I nodded, unable to give her a proper reply. It was all so surreal. A disastrous situation, a dead colleague, a woman that smiled, a grove so beautiful — all of it was brought together, and only some of it matched each other.
‘Halt,’ someone said softly. I looked behind to find the tail of our formation looking behind. His name was…Joshua Perk, I believe.
‘What is it, Josh?’ asked Ms Perk, Mr Perk’s younger sister and one of our companions. It was not unusual to see a pair of siblings in a military setting. Many families prided in having a long history of service, but few had women holding the tradition. Perk family was one of those families, I presumed.
The hounds began barking. ‘Something is coming,’ said Mr Perk, unsheathing his sword. Ms Perk and Mr Hill did the same. Ms Nancy and Ms Olsberg pointed their guns, while Mr Mason and Mr Harris kept their eyes ahead. They were alert and quick — impressive to a professor like me.
We waited for about half a second, and as expected, glowing eyes entered the clearing. A pack of wolves had come to greet us. Their fur was marred with mud and red. ‘Blood,’ Mr Hill muttered. None of us needed to be told where it had come from. We had seen enough to know.
Suddenly, Mr Mason bellowed, ‘Ahead!’ I looked back to find us surrounded. They had come from both directions, blocking our advance and retreat. I thought it would not be such a difficult skirmish, seeing as we had double the numbers than before, but my delusions were broken.
‘Isn’t the pack rather large?’ I said, looking at — what seemed to be — more than two dozen wolves. I was sweating buckets. I was scared at this point. I had seen what these beasts could do, and I did not want to become another Mr Scott Richard. Their terrifying eyes showed me a ferocity of pure malice, and that blood-soaked appearance was nothing less than inhumane.
‘Not one pack, Sir,’ said Mr Perk, inching near Ms Perk. ‘Those are two packs.’ He beckoned with his fingers. ‘Close the formation, Qila.’
‘What do you mean two packs? Do they not have their territories?’ I asked while being pulled inside the closed circular formation by Ms Nancy. I was educated; I knew about animals, and I had studied a little before coming to the hunt. Wolves fight over territories, do they not? ‘Packs of Wolves shouldn’t be in one place. They will fight over territory and food.’
‘Yes, they do—’
‘This is unusual, Professor,’ interrupted Ms Olsberg, while I was counting the growling terrors. ‘We have seen quite a lot of that tonight, have we not?’ Indeed, we had, but I wondered why he thought this was not one pack. All were bathing in a bloody red. They had hunted together, and they were doing so now. How could it not be one pack? I finished counting. There were a total of thirty of them. ‘No sign of a large one, huh?’ Ms Olsberg said, scoffing. ‘And still, this organised.’
‘Is the whole of Celbrun like this?’ murmured Ms Nancy. ‘Is this hunt cursed?’ I did not believe in superstition. But one could say that magic too is superstition — one that has been proven to be true. We are not cursed, are we?
I was told there were more parties around the capital. If we were having such trouble, surely, they must be devastated. We have a mage; they don’t. I patted myself on the back.
‘Prepare,’ commanded the captain. I readied myself. I could not use water anymore and Earth seemed rather firm. I did not want to use Earth Magic; I was not very fond of that element. I felt the matchbox in the front pocket of my waistcoat. Fire…hasn’t been kind. If only I knew how to replicate that magic. The thought of summoning elements from thin air was tantalising to many mages, but I — having seen it — was restless in unearthing its ways. Well, Wind it is, I thought, succumbing to my fate. It seemed to be the worst day for any man to have a peaceful jaunt.
‘Good luck, Professor,’ said Ms Olsberg. Like in the previous battle, she moved her barrel and shot at the closest wolf. A loud gunshot echoed. One was killed. Twenty-nine remained.
R.Venelious Not sure, but might take a break tomorrow.
