52nd Day of Spring, 513 AV
The weather was no stranger but rather an eccentric associate that had cursed Val'guanis from all of the years he can remember. However, It was incomparable as it wasn't at its vilest state, Val'guanis knew the winter's wrath would come to and end but it doesn't mean he'll forget the times when he was lingering at it's grasps. Brown heavy boots clasped the ground as he trudged the zone hoping to navigate precisely towards his distant destination. Val'guanis wore his usual kind of clothing: A dark thick cloak that blanketed his entire embodiment, concealing his dirt brown undershirt and his brown ragged pants. His hands were enveloped by old leather gloves which he found to be lying on the ground long ago after deflecting his presence from a group of hunters. A hood cloaked the upper portion of his face making it look like it have been thoroughly embraced by darkness. What seemed to be the years spent in solitude had created a shadow that endeavored Val'guanis' existence. Though it did not harm his state in any physical way, it was rather inevitable and melancholic for him to spend a life of loneliness. His solitary journeys had illustrated him of his desolate home or what seemed to be the environment he settles in that was completely devoid of remedy. Danger seemed to be mundane as deviating from it was his everyday achievement. The only crucial form of danger he could ever imagine is starvation during the vilest times of winter.
Wild northern beasts were the least of his worries, only if they tend to be a bigger threat is the time for him to carry out the self defense he gradually learned after the last fruitless years of scavenging. As of his own size, wild gargantuan beasts which are 2 times larger than him were the obvious dominant ones. Of course, he won't risk his life on facing them but a small pack can match up with his skills depending on their numbers however, if they happen to be vast and ruthless, then there will be no time for him to show off his bravado. Considering Val'guanis isn't a Kelvic who can be filled with much bravery, he can still manage to hunt alone and terrorize hostile companies with his wolvish nature. Val'guanis staggered sluggishly as he ventured further into uneven terrains engulfed with excessive chunks of earth. it was about several kilometers from the Northern reaches where he departed due north. His right leg began to feel the symptoms of fatigue from his restless voyage. From what he remembered to be noon became a vague photograph of dusk as the bright sky turned blood orange and slowly faded into the darkness of night. For him, the exhausting hours of travel wasn't enough but he had to put his stubborn habit to rest. There was actually no purpose of him to start venturing on the cold and desolate plains though heading towards the unknown is what he'd always do despite the risks. Regardless of the years he spent with the cold, it was still an unbearable companion to travel with; spring at the region of Taldera made no slight difference.
A black blanket was pulled over the sky, dotted with buttons of glistening silver stars and varying tints of the alluring sunset filled the endless sky above. Night fell, crickets started to parade and Val'guanis felt hungry and tired. He can relieve himself from hunger by enduring it but his right foot wasn't mimicking a morbid sensation. It was true to his senses and continued to strengthen its feel as he settled himself and sat on the coarse ground beside a tall leafless willow tree. He leaned his back at the tree's lower trunk while he gazed up at the scenery of stars gleaming out in the calm night. He then extended his arm to his right leg, casting it to from the upper portion down to his tendons and slowly massaged the part where the pain strongly lodged, he felt reconciled for the time being but surely his right leg will stiffen after a few hours of rest. For a brief moment after the pain temporarily subsided, his thoughts were encircled on a realm full of ghosts roaming their presence in the vicinity. It is however, far from his nonchalant pre-dreaming before submitting himself into sleep, it was somehow an unusual thought that abruptly dwelt inside his head. Val'guanis vigorously shook his head shivering mostly of it before he heaved a heavy sigh, released a jaded yawn then slowly closed his eyes as he abandoned his refusal to rest.
The nights of the season weren't as vile as the winter though there were streams of bitter breezes that infiltrated the warm temperatures. It was, in some way, bizarre to catch a glimpse of the Talderan tundras during spring but what seemed to be more than bizarre are the borders between Avanthal and the Northern Reaches where some plants remained withered while few trees had their leaves falling from their clutches. It wasn't some kind of plague that corrupted the lands, it was hard to put in mind how nature worked in such place not like how clear The Northern Reaches cycled. Civilization beneath the borders always seemed to be an extraordinary sight. The plains looked entirely desolate from its appearance but wasn't yet proven until fewer and fewer wildlife loomed out from distant habitats. Val'guanis wasn't as fortunate to journey within the borders. His right leg was the problem and the circumstances of wild carnivorous beast appearing in the midst of night might be quite difficult to face. Being ravaged by the wild was the last thing he'd want to happen, death may be imminent but he didn't to be on its embrace as early as his age.
The cold breeze whispered all throughout the vicinity, it continued its gentle stream while Val'guanis had a difficult time on sleeping. His thoughts earlier temporarily subsided but what seemed to be a shiver of relief, became an unending and unavoidable vexation. Though he didn't want to ponder about it, he submitted himself onto deliberately examining what his mind was attempting to illustrate. He questioned himself if the spirits---from what he described to be the unknown entities he had been encountering during his teen years mostly through dreams---was conveying with him once more after the vague communications that grew amongst them. Entering adulthood made him meditate less, there were no entities that spoke to him as the time passed until now but of course, his beliefs remained stable as signs of curiosity to find himself was strongly fostered during his maturity. Val'guanis blandly perched as he took a settled inhale, then breathed out an exhale before closing his eyes and calculating his focus. As he ventured himself to the deeper realms of his thoughts, he caught up to a presence which he acknowledged to hopefully chew off some communication he might apprehend and be conscious of. Sadly, his connections weren't potent enough; as he concentrated harder, the presence of the spirits slowly faded one at a time. He did acquire a bit of what the spirits tried to communicate but it was comparable to a blank message written on a torn paper. From what seemed to be a retrospect on a recent phenomena inside his mind, there were ghosts roaming on a certain realm, two of them at least, they were howling a word which had an unclear resemblance to Val'guanis'. The ambiance seemed eerie as well as the voices of the unearthly presence of the ghosts and overall it was too cloudy for his mind to interpret. It was disappointing for all he could think of, for a hope to achieve something on this absurd journey he embarked.
Night soon turned into a complete dominion of silence. The parade of Crickets had ended and the temperature got bleaker as time passed. Val'guanis did another attempt to fall asleep but unfortunately, there was no slight betterment. As he did one forced attempt after another, It got more and more frustrating; exhaustion came into his rest's stead. His right leg felt stiff just as it was supposed to happen after resting it in one piece. Trying to lift its weight was nearly impossible as pain and numbness strongly consumed it. At this point, Val'guanis had no idea what to do, It intentionally troubled him, being out in the middle of nowhere without having any food to consume while he sits beside a tree awaiting for his leg to awaken. More and more frustrations loitered in his mind until he couldn't bare being idle. In an involuntary attempt to stand on his feet, Val'guanis gradually depleted every adrenaline he had for a desire to continue his voyage since sleep was difficult and was utterly useless. He used every bit of strength on his left leg to lift his own weight while both of his hands were outstretched and attached to the willow tree's trunk to support himself from falling. Getting a tighter grip on the trunk, his left leg stood in an elevated position, his body leaned the trunk while his other leg remained kneeling on the ground. With much force exerted, he lifted his right leg from the ground slowly elevating its position but the pain did not subside as it continued lodging on his right leg. Val'guanis whimpered in anguish but as painful as it was, he managed to lift his right leg and stood both on his feet. He then sighed before departing away from the willow tree and off to the tracks he made due north.
Faltering constantly as the journey resumed, Val'guanis started to feel suspicious about his direction whether he's navigating himself to the north or heading towards the wrong path, it took him more than a minute before realizing he was heading to the right path; breathing a sigh of relief, he then continued to travel northward. Despite the darkness that had troubled him all through out, the bright moon dazzled its shine and illuminated the shadowy plains as well as the crystalline rocks that lay dead on the ground. Judging that he's not a Kelvic with the keenest eyesight, his little literacy for direction had kept him moving forward, his wolvish senses maintained his observations and awareness as sharp as knives. They were, however, ensnared by a multitude of steps that squelched the ground. The silence made the steps distinctly audible to Val'guanis's hearing, with no crickets parading through the night, He'd tell himself that someone or something might be up close whether they pose danger or not. Due to his endured hunger, his instincts told him that food might be nearby though he was uncertain about the possibilities. At that moment, he didn't trust his eyesight's ability, it was of little use to reveal what the darkness was concealing. The plains was a very open field, having several trees to hide his existence. The trees covered a bit of distance from each other unlike forest trees, they keep an open space for passage.
The steps got more and more audible considering that it was getting its distance closer by the minute. What Val'guanis had observed, from his perspective, was far from human hunters, his experience from them gave him several ideas on how they make their move, question is, was the experience decent enough for him to avoid being hunted?. Humans had their own ways of hunting and from what Val'guanis learned was that they lurk in the shadows and strike their prey with the weapons they forge. It clearly wasn't enough for him to deflect them. It was an hour before midnight when Val'guanis got a blurry glimpse of the object. A formless figure which distanced a few meters from him westward, walked towards an unknown destination, probably heading south for what his sense of direction distinguished. Thanks to the moon's luminous elegance, the figure ameliorated the shape that authentically distinguished its existence. He was unsure of it and did not trust whatever his eyes envisioned him. From what he saw, it was a dark humanoid silhouette that continued to walk at a slow pace wielding an object which seemed to be in a shape of a melee weapon. Val'guanis deviated from his course, he bent to pick up a rock from the ground and marked his tracks. Spotting a boulder that stood a few inches from him eastward, he took no hesitation and hid his presence under the aegis of it. As he deliberately observed the figure, there were more sounds of footsteps that traveled through his ears. He was sure there was a band of them but not certain if they were of the same kind. Hunters in the middle of the night and what puzzled Val'guanis was why were they luring themselves out in the midst of a malignant hour? where night predators might be prying all over for a chance to strike at their prey while they are at the comfort of their slumber.He sighed in disbelief, he didn't want to brag out and tell some ignorant folks that they're in danger. Val'guanis closed his eyes and took a moment to think and decide whether to warn the hunters or lead them to their deaths, perhaps doing it will give him a chance to navigate a clear path towards civilization but, as what he considered to be grasping on safety's hands, a form of threat bluntly struck right behind him. He felt a sharp wield of a weapon that passed beside. Val'guanis was alarmed and opened his eyes with fright as he saw a sharp silver dirk before him, leaning its edge at his throat and a humanoid hand gripping its hilt. The man did not say a single word, he pulled out an object from his brown ragged pouch which appeared to be a yellowish brown rope. Val'guanis clenched his fist but did no attempt of freeing himself from the man's grasps.
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"Darn it where in pig's mouth Is Landell?! sniveled a man with a quavering voice. Wielding a crossbow at his right arm and wore thick brown clothing as well as black leather boots, he was one of the hunters that took their expeditions down to the Southern Borders far from Avanthal. He has dark eyes along with a hideously messed up hairstyle colored by grey with hues of silver. The man was at his 40s judging from the wrinkles that rooted at his forehead and at the edges of his nose.
"I don't trust that bastard, It's already an hour before he told us he's going to scout the other vicinity. Maybe he left us" A younger looking man replied, his monotone voice resembled adolescent features of a typical teenager. Although his age(which seemed to be around 27-30) wasn't as young as some assumed to be, He has a flawless face that is almost comparable to a 19-year-old as well as the olive colored skin that he has. His eyes were distinctively attractive appearing to be blue as the sea along with a blonde hair that was cut regularly and is semi-short in length. He also wore clothing that is quite similar to his companion though not completely. He wields a sword that is short in length while his other arm gripped a gas lamp.
"maybe he's dead" The man in his 40s added, what seemed to be a quavering tone of voice turned out to be dark and husky
"Shut up Nelnon, Let's keep going" giving the older man that reply made his eyebrows slant slightly while narrowing his eyes to the younger looking man.
"Listen to me brat, I am older than you...therefore, you should render some respect and call me sir....got it?!!! Nelnon complained, his voice echoed throughout the silence of the night almost seemingly awakening predators that are waiting in shadows. The younger man sighed then gritted his teeth while his mouth was closed.
"you idiot! do you want to end up dead? Now come on, we have to keep going" the younger man whispered as he continued to walk, passing along a boulder that stood a few inches away from them both. Nelnon followed the younger man's trail and didn't bother himself to reply abruptly, he knew the consequences and might lure themselves to the predators if they kept on bickering.
"Going somewhere?" a deep and gentle voice flowed out from thin air, almost sudden that no footsteps were heard before its wake. Nelnon and the younger man froze, slowly turning their head to take a glimpse behind. The voice was very familiar to them, very much was until they knew who it was.
"Landell!!, you bastard! The younger man hissed. He saw a man before him standing about 6 ft. tall, his eyes were dark like Nelnon, his black hair with hues of brown was quite long but moderate in length that falls down to his lower back neck. Like Nelnon and the younger man, his age was in the middle(about 34-37) along with the same color of clothes that they wore. He wore a brown nylon cape that was torn and sewn judging from its old and ragged appearance.
"Have you found something? Cause we sure are tired as hell the younger man added. He took careful glances at Landell and was flabbergasted as if he saw something bizarre. He squinted before he trudged forward bringing up the light of his gas lamp towards what he believed to be odd. It was behind Landell and appeared to be shadowy and amorphous but as the light of his gas lamp drew closer, it illuminated the figure and was noticed for what it really looked like. After taking a few steps towards the figure, the younger man saw a dark cloaked man almost a shadow from what his eyes told him; the man's hands were restrained by brown yellowish ropes that were firmly tied all throughout while it was positioned at his front. He turned to face Landell who seemed to act calm regardless of what kind of being he caught. "You should be thankful......Ardev, You're good as dead if I haven't caught him" Landell spoke, he remained gazing towards the unknown as he didn't glanced at Ardev.
"Are you mad?!" Ardev's soft whispers were leveled, giving slight echoes as he spoke; eyes were at Landell as Ardev continued to criticize his actions "Here we are in the middle of the night....hunting for something that we're supposed to hunt......and then this?! Do you expect we'll be payed for gold after how stiff our bodies became?!" the soft whispers that turned into loud hissing have eventually became a series of blustering complains. Nelnon turned to the darkness travelling his eyes throughout every corners of the plains awaiting to hear the terrifying growls of the predators. Fortunately there wasn't yet; he then got his feet in the middle of Ardev's bragging.
"Hey have you forgot what you said earlier? No? Then keep it down you brainless idiot! or we'll be food for these beasts" Nelnon spoke bringing back his quavering voice. Ardev turned his head to Nelnon giving a crossed look in his expression. He didn't want to be called an idiot or any complements that resembles stupidity, especially not from someone older and less intelligent than him. Ardev took few steps forward towards Nelnon, discarding his gas lamp to the ground then pointed his sword at Nelnon's throat giving him a look of antagonism. "Listen to me.....sir" Ardev cut himself before temporarily breaking his grimness with hysterical laughs. He then cleared his throat then went back to Nelnon "Never call me an idiot.....or it will be the last word that you'll ever say..." Ardev's voice was flat and grew deeper as he continued then broke into a voice they feared. "GOT IT?!!!!!!!" as his outcry brought several echoes, a distant sound of ravens flapping their wings as they flew in numbers were heard. Their terrifying squawks brought chills to Nelnon as well as Landell; Ardev's sanity however, was crippled by his temper. "Fools" Val'guanis muttered from Landell's behind.
After a few seconds, the ghastly cries of ravens and the sounds produced by their wings flapping on a distant vicinity descended into echoes within the silence of night. The crickets have awoken, resuming their parade by chirping constantly as they sang their rhythm. The entire group's attention were at Ardev, their eyes narrowed while exasperation were on their faces. It seemed to be that the youngest of them was the most obnoxious one and practically have no respect for older people. Landell turned his attention to Val'guanis who haven't shown any signs of suspicious movement. He just stood there remaining silent, doubtful that he'll save lives by warning them. Landell cautiously studied the cloaked person, being puzzled as he wasn't positive if the guy was human. The aura was enigmatic, darkness painted his existence, Landell couldn't help but shiver in mystery. "who are you and what is your business here?" Landell's voice was a bit shaky, its as if he was talking to a demon. It took seconds before Val'guanis responded. He chuckled hysterically but it wasn't close to nonchalant, it sounded malignant and horrifying like he was some kind of villain. The Kelvic turned his head to face Landell surrendering from facing the ground, only the lower part of his face which includes his mouth, chin and the lower part of his nose was exposed as the darkness that embraced it faded.
"The question.........also applies" Val'gunis said; his voice was flat. Dissatisfied by the response, Landell clutched the collar of Kelvic's cloak, the terror of his eyes was replaced with mischief, Of course, He thought the cloaked person was mistaking him as a fool but he didn't want his image to be tainted by naivety.
"the guy is crazy, I don't know why you even brought him to us" Ardev said, his rage calmed down for a moment.
Landell ignored him, raising his eyes to the one he's talking "I don't want to be made fun of......now give me an answer or I'll............" Prolonged mournful howls were unleashed on a remote distance intruding Landell's controversies. He then shivered with fear, the sound was haunting as it denoted that danger was proximate. He released Val'gunis from his grip then turning back to the group noticing that they too, had fear drawn at their faces. Nelnon, on the other hand was agitated with fear more than what the others could be described, he continuously rotated his point of view at any site where the sound strongly breezed. Nelnon eyed Ardev for a moment, knowing that he was to be blamed for his actions but that would put them nowhere at the current situation. The bitter howls never stopped, as more partied at its assembly.
"calm down....I'm sure the sounds are faraway from he... Landell was cut off by Ardev's outrage
"calm down? are you telling us to calm down? YOU! led us here, to our deaths....and now you're telling us to calm down?! whats next? gather wood? "
The howls harmonized until they grew into furious snarls filled with hunger. The legion of howls became thunderous as the creatures that made it drew closer. They were unseen from the darkness until Ardev hauled his gas lamp and irradiated the field. Amber eyes glowed in the dark, as massive and sharp teeth were exposed while slobbering from their great appetite; a group with canine features enveloped the vicinity, they stood adjacent as they moved their paws in a slow manner.
"Wolves!" shouted Nelnon in fear. All of three hunters's attention were drawn out to the pack of wolves, keeping a sharp eye on the creatures as they moved from side to side. Nelnon pointed his crossbow while the two others wielded their weapons. As they kept themselves busy, A chance for Val'guanis arrived at a split-second. Noticing a big boulder enclosed by medium-sized rocks from his behind, he took the opportunity as he sneaked some hushed steps away from Landell then hid himself under the protection of the boulder. There were no wolves around his zone, it was perfectly safe not unless they decide to take a detour.
The group remained agitated as they continued to take watch on the wolves' movements. "So...Landell" Ardev panted from the sudden nervousness that recently grew with him. "I thought you were the smartest in this group, what's your plan now?" Landell was blank, his thoughts were out of question then turned his head again behind in a hope that Val'guanis might serve as a bait. Sadly, frustration grew abruptly as what he expected to be there was gone. Landell didn't questioned himself further until he got desperate.
"We run" Landell answered.
"What? are you even....."
Without waiting for a response, Landell took a breathless sprint towards south. Dashing at a fast pace, he reached himself ahead of Nelnon and Ardev leaving them eyes wide open and at the pack's grasps. "cowardly bastard!!!" cried Ardev. Without sparing time, Ardev started off with a jog then broke into a breakneck sprint as he gathered some distance. Of course, Nelnon followed them but as stiff as his body was, his speed wasn't fortunate. Filled with hungry and dreadful barks, the pack of wolves altogether stirred their feet, then broke out in a disarranged order as they chased the group southward. The group had some decent distance from the wolves but catching up to the hunters will just take minutes not unless the plains were crowded with towering trees.
After a few minutes of waiting, the terrifying snarls of the wolves sank at a distance. Danger shifted further from where Val'guanis hid, it took him seconds to gather himself before taking a peek outside his zone. He breathed a sigh of relief, knowing that he won't be pestered by anymore troublesome humans. The sounds of the chase could still be heard though, until they abruptly ceased into anguished wails. Disappointment streamed through his thoughts, he knew warning them couldn't save their lives but there was nothing he could do, not even a single idea popped out to help him. Val'guanis stood from the rock he sat, trudging forward and away from the boulder. Val'guanis strolled the area, checking if something remained skulking behind the darkness. He then observed something obscure, like something he saw earlier before the chase. It was one of the hunter's lamp still dazzling it's light throughout the darkness standing bright on the ground along with a brown pouch that lay beside it. His hands were still tied down but it seemed to manage on getting a grip on an object. Val'guanis moved towards the objects, then grabbed the pouch seeing that it wasn't secured by any knot. He opened the pouch and scoured everything that was inside. Luckily, it was filled with everything that'd prove useful for his journey. He rushed as he saw a knife, then liberated his hands from the bothersome rope that bound it. There were more inside the pouch from what he didn't expect. In-ward, showed off a crumpled paper and a decent allowance of food and water. Sadly, no meat was found but rather, a variety of fruits that proved unpleasant to his taste buds though hunger wasn't endurable anymore; taking it was essential for survival. The crumpled paper however, caught most of his attention. Pulling out from the pouch, Val'guanis slowly unfolded it then took a peek of what was written. He narrowed his eyes until he caught its contents. There, contained geographical features and drawings. A slanted line was drawn between two certain points where words in readable sizes were written beside the landmarks. The first one he browsed and perused was the word "The Northern Reaches" the order of the letters were somehow in a cluttered manner but it was readable enough for Val'guanis' literacy. The Northern Reaches was familiar to him but the other which lines marshaled from south to north wasn't "Avanthal" Val'guanis recited. The word was nothing he had ever heard of. It took him about a minute before arriving to a decision where the place called "Avanthal" will be his destination. Val'guanis didn't spared a single bit of his time as he went back to his tracks. Midnight passed, it was morning but darkness still engulfed the entire locality.
