The Hunter: Chapter 5

                             Chapter 5 

                                  "Monsters in our world are just pests that need to be eradicated one way or the other. They have no place in our world  and deserve nothing but death."                    

                                                                      -Sir Dartigan of the Church of St Dumas

 

                                   The Hunter stepped in lightly through the deep dark cave. He could feel the presence of magic in the air strongly. "Whatever nested in here is still highly active." He felt the magic coming from the special crystals from the cave. They illuminated the cave with a bright shade of blue. That's when the hunter realized that these weren't ordinary crystals but were in fact a special type of unearthly crystals called Bliedhe el, a rare elvish material which forged weapons used to ward off beasts and darkness. Two millennium ago these were used to forge godlike weapons so they in the present times, were priceless because of their quality and historical background. The hunter nabbed a few pieces and stored them in his satchel. 

                                    As he used his senses to find supernatural activity, his nose picked up a stench...human stench. He looked above and saw a man dressed in strange fashion hanging entangled in the vines. The hunter took out a throwing knife from his utility belt  and cut the vines above freeing the man. As soon as he collided he woke up with a jolt. He had long hair and a stout nose. His cheeks were round and his attire was something the hunter had never seen before. "Holy Mother Dodola! Where am I? And why am I face to face with death?" The Bard ranted. The hunter wasted no time and held the knife near the Bard's throat. "Usually the audience loves my jokes but you are the lucky exception I presume. Helianthus II, at your service." The Hunter fastened the knife back in his sheath. "I have no idea how you got to this accursed place bard but I suggest you stick close to me unless you rather prefer getting mangled by a creature you sing tales of." said the hunter. The hunter helped the bard up on his feet and right then saw a nest besides him. "This is what I have been in search of." It was no ordinary nest but the nest of the botchling. The nest looked old yet still sturdy. Botchlings showed exceptional growth rate. The hunter came to the conclusion that the botchling was still alive and was still in the village yet no longer a baby but a little child judging by when the elder said the event took place. "I must say you have quite the dark sense of attire and clothing. I bet you haven't had any luck with the ladies lately." The Bard continued to pepper the hunter with meaningless questions. "If dragons can fly so was there some connection between them and a chicken?" The hunter wished he just left the bard to rot in the cave but alas. They made their way out of the cave.

                              "Say hunter, what are you out for in this backwood of a village anyways? Aren't you supposed to be all "I DO AS MY GOD COMMANDS ME TO DO" said Helianthus in a highly obnoxious manner. The hunter looked annoyed and gave the bard a look and asked " Tell me Bard, when was the last time you were to be sent to the gallows?" Helianthus looked confused but then answered with firmness in his voice. "Just  yesterday, why do you...oh" realization kicked in and the Bard shut his trap until they reached the village. "Say hunter, Why do you do what  you do?"

The hunter stopped. This was an enigma he wasn't able to solve. Why was he fighting? Who was he fighting? He killed so many beasts that his blade couldn't differentiate between man and beast. "I never asked to be like this, I wanted happiness as well, but destiny is a scandal. There are no happily ever afters nor are there any princesses to save or kings to slay. Life is just an excuse for us to churn the cogs of destiny further by using our blood, sweat and convictions as locomotion." Helianthus was held aback. No king or wise man had given him such a beautiful yet distressing answer such as the hunter. He realized then that fate had brought them together in an indissoluble bond. They reached Velenwood and it was still silent.

The wind howled through the stables and through the shade of the thatched roofs.

                                                   

                    

                          Suddenly Helianthus saw a poor crippled beggar embracing what appeared to look like a child, but on closer inspection it's skin looked pale blue and it's eyes of a different shade. The figure soon started scribbling on pieces of papers. It wore a leather tunic and a red loincloth. The hunter was held stunned by what he saw.

It was the botchling yet now it was a completely passive creature and looked more scared rather than angry and scary. As they approached closer, the Botchling started whimpering and cowering behind the beggar. The beggar got a glimpse of the Hunter and Helianthus and slowly approached them. " I know you mean to eradicate the botchling but please here me out. This curse of the black ravens is not upon us because of the wrath of a beast but rather due to the carnal sins of a beast far perilous than a leshen," The hunter was expecting this answer for in all of his contracts, his kind were only hired as an alibi. After all, that's why they were made to begin with.

"Hang on, you're saying that whatever foul beast lurks around these woods is more 

deadly than a Leshen?" asked Helianthus. That's when The hunter realized, Tina was filled with hate for Aldrin when he destroyed her trust. The monster was born through the hate coming deep through the heart. "Come kind hunter, I'll show you the base of the fertilizers we use for our crops. Do bear the stench, although you have killed a lot of them anyways." With that he led them to the basement of the Town hall and what they saw was enough to break a man's mind in pieces!