CHAPTER 03: A NEW HUNT
With my newfound knowledge, I moved toward the edge of the Deep Woods in the direction I now knew would be the most likely for adventurers to appear. Father's chastisement had been small, but it was clear that he did not want me venturing back to the edge of the forest.
The Deep Woods was not a small place. If I were to walk it, even knowing every safe path and immune to the many enchantments, it would still take two or three days of travel to move from the castle to its edge. Only through the use of the hidden Shadow Gates could one shorten the travel time within the Dark Forest at all, and those could only be accessed by vampires with the right gifts or powerful shadow mages. Any attempt at using normal spatial or transport magic within the forest would meet disastrous consequences.
The forest's edge was still a large area, but it could be crossed in a single day if one were to travel in a straight line and find incredible luck in avoiding monsters. There were no shortcuts, but adventurers willing to risk travel closer to the Deep Forest could use spells, abilities, or even mounts to shorten their travel time with speed. It was a very risky way to travel with how many monsters and dangers there were within the Dark Forest, but to some, it was worth it.
My journey was far less thrilling than that of anyone running the gauntlet of the Deep Woods. From the castle, it was a short dash to the nearest Shadow Gate, a brief sprint along hidden paths to the next, and so on. Barely an hour had passed before I neared the forest's edge. I'd left early enough to see several of the forest's greatest predators returning to their lairs, slipping past them just out of sight.
If I wasn't going to step into the forest's edge, I needed to reach my destination before anyone slipped by…
The realization of what I was doing hit a few seconds late, and I forced myself to slow from a run to a brisk walk. I was here to hunt as much as I was here to protect our home. That was my duty. But this frantic fear of missing a potential target? Ridiculous. Father had warned me not to let the thrill of the hunt cloud my senses.
I drew a steadying breath and pressed calm over the excitement creeping up my spine. It wasn't hunger stirring me; it was pride. I wanted a powerful foe, something to wash away the taste of failure in their blood. There was no logic to it. I needed to remember my purpose.
I continued on until I reached a promising place to wait. I wasn't here to patrol; wandering aimlessly would only waste time. The largest trees in the forest were ideal for resting and serving as watch posts. From their heights, we could spot disturbances: the sway of trees from a rampaging beast, the shock of combat, or the flare of magic. It was also easy to catch scents carried on the wind—vegetation releasing warning pheromones when intruders entered the woods, or simply the metallic trace of blood.
The canopy was far too dense for anyone below to notice that these trees were different, just as it was too thick for me to see the ground clearly from above. That didn't matter. I only needed to know the direction of the disturbance to find the invaders. Then the hunt would begin.
I had only been exploring the border of the Deep Woods for a few minutes when I found a tree that suited my purpose. I stepped beneath a low branch and bent my knees to jump… then caught the scent of old blood. I froze, listening for any sign of movement, but the forest around me remained still. Straightening, I drew a slow breath to trace the scent's direction, then started toward it. I didn't expect much, but ignoring it would have been foolish.
Moving carefully and keeping concealed, it took me about ten minutes to locate the source. Along one of the wider game trails lay the body of a ridgeback—a large forest drake—its head almost severed from its neck. They were common near the outskirts of the Deep Woods, so this wasn't far from its territory. It hadn't been dead long; no scavengers had reached it yet. The worms from below likely had, though, so I gave the carcass a wide berth as I studied the scene.
It had been a running fight. The ridgeback had chased a group down the trail, the forest around us showing signs of their struggle. They had stayed just ahead of it, pelting the beast with arrows and spells to lure it away. From the direction of their retreat and the splashes of acid scarring the ground, it had gotten close enough to spray them more than once before they were forced to stand and kill it.
The lingering scent of human blood and bits of torn armor told me they'd been injured. At least two of them were bleeding, and they had left someone behind. I continued up the trail and soon found a flat stone beside the path. In its center, lifting his head to whimper at my approach, lay a very large dog.
This was unexpected. Only Beast Tamers or Rangers would bring a creature like this into the forest. Without their skills to empower it, a companion animal would stand no chance against the dangers here. For one of them to abandon a bonded beast meant they were either dead or in a truly desperate situation. If the dog considered me a threat, he had already surrendered to his fate; he simply lowered his head again and waited.
Unlike with other vampires, most animals were unafraid of me, often calm and even comforted by my presence. Creatures trained to guard against humans usually treated me with indifference at worst, though I had little experience with animals trained to protect adventurers. If they became separated from their handlers in the forest, they rarely survived long enough to be found.
I approached slowly. The dried blood told me he had been here for a while. He was larger than I first assumed, easily two hundred pounds. Thick black fur was matted around a deep wound in his side, and the longer silver fur along his back suggested he was more wolf than dog. It was unlikely his party was anywhere nearby. I had already begun to turn away when he let out another soft whine.
He was frightened and alone. If his injury didn't kill him soon, I knew something else would.
I told myself I was only considering it for practical reasons. If his humans still lived, he might lead me to them. If not, he could at least show me which trails they had used. There could be more humans in the area. … They were excuses, and weak ones. I had no intention of going deeper into the forest's edge.
But then I met his pleading eyes and exhaled in resignation. Kneeling beside him, I drew my dagger and made a small cut across my palm. He didn't resist as I lifted his muzzle and let my blood drip into his mouth. As my wound sealed, I watched his knit closed as well. Within minutes, he had enough strength to sit up and, much to my horror, lick me across the face.
I sputtered, falling onto my backside before scampering to my feet. I took a moment to wipe my sleeve across my face and looked at the dog now sitting beside me. "Alright, dog. Your duty is to take me to the humans."
As if he understood, he circled the trail with his nose to the ground, then turned in the direction his party had fled and began to trot away. I glanced back toward the faint mist that marked the border of the Deep Woods. I knew I should return… yet this was an opportunity. Any group capable of killing a ridgeback was a group worth hunting.
"Worth" shouldn't have mattered—but I felt an irrational urge to prove myself to Father. Besides, telling me to remain within the Deep Woods was nearly the same as forbidding me to hunt at all. He had to know I would push into the forest's edge to find prey. It was rare for adventurers to come so close to our home, and to have a second party appear so soon was truly unexpected. A brief pursuit would be entirely reasonable.
What unsettled me was that this party seemed just as intent on moving toward the Nexus as the previous one had been. Understanding why felt like the responsible course. I turned and sprinted after the dog.
After I had caught up, he really began to run, far faster than a human could manage. He only slowed occasionally, nose sweeping the ground as he momentarily lost the trail, then found it again and surged forward. We passed several signs of the group's passage as they cut their way through the weaker creatures along the forest's edge.
I wasn't sure how much time had passed before I finally caught the scent of fresh blood. Nearly four hours, at least. I already knew explaining how far I'd come would be difficult, but I was too close to turn back now. The dog veered sharply off the trail and out of sight. I followed, only to come sliding to a stop.
Ahead, the trees broke, revealing open night sky and rolling farmland stretching almost to the forest's boundary. Just a couple of miles beyond stood the brightly lit walls of a large town. On the fields between us, I spotted a group of nearly a dozen people a little over halfway to the gates. There was no possible way to approach without being seen. The dog, however, didn't care in the slightest. If anything, he ran faster.
I stood frozen, only a few steps from leaving the forest, staring at the walls of Angelshade. I had expected it to be more lively… but I hadn't imagined it would be so large or so bright. It had to be near, if not past midnight, yet the town glowed in open defiance of the hour. I found myself taking a step toward it, captivated by the sprawling sight. Nothing had prepared me for how different it would feel. The air carried the scents, pleasant and foul, of thousands of humans. Perhaps tens of thousands.
My third step carried me past the boundary, and the jolt of that realization snapped me back. I felt the change immediately. The darkness that cloaked the Deep Woods fell away behind me like a lifted veil. I turned, staring back into the treeline, debating whether I should retreat at once. A distant call from the wall to the approaching group pulled my attention sharply forward again.
I knew my desire to go and see the town was irrational, but I had come too far to go back empty-handed. I activated Celerity, letting speed and agility flood through my limbs, and sprinted after the dog. A few minutes later, we reached the firelight together, startling the guards completely. Our lack of a torch or any visible light source had caught them off guard.
The gate stood open, but several humans were stationed there to defend the entrance, and each drew a weapon at our sudden arrival. I stopped several feet short of them, but the dog ran straight to the guards, bouncing around and trying to push past.
"Whoa! Whoa there!" one of the guards called out.
I wasn't sure whether he meant me or the dog he was trying to block. He shuffled back and forth for a few seconds before the dog finally sat and whined at him. The scene was comical enough that the rest of the guards shook off their shock, some amused, others irritated. At last, one of them focused on me.
"Is this your dog? Why are you alone?"
I shook my head, "No, this dog's owner just came through. We were separated from our group."
Another guard spoke up. "Aye, that's Midnight. Chancy's companion. Didn't think he'd leave him behind!"
"Midnight was protecting me." I lied with a nod.
At the sound of his name, Midnight spun around and head-butted my stomach, nearly knocking me off my feet. I awkwardly patted his head. I'd read about dogs, and I wasn't entirely sure if I was doing it correctly, but I knew patting was the appropriate response. It must have been close enough. Midnight seemed pleased, and the guards waved me through.
"Get on inside. There's plenty of dangerous things out here at night. We don't need the guild or your parents sending us runners looking for you."
I could only agree. "Yes. The last thing anyone needs is my father coming to look for me."
I stepped forward into the town. The streets were paved with cobblestones in varying shades of red and lined with lamp posts. Midnight shot past me with a sharp bark, and I followed. I had no idea where he was leading me, but choosing any other direction would have shattered the ruse. Fortunately, his pace was much calmer now that we were within the walls, allowing me to take in the colorful buildings and signs as we moved through the streets.
Just inside the gates, the town opened into what appeared to be a sprawling marketplace. Every building displayed a large painted sign above its door, symbols and names meant to identify the business even for those who couldn't read. I had assumed humans spent the night sleeping, yet several shops remained open, though the streets themselves were completely empty. I kept a half-hearted watch for anyone who might be suitable prey, but there was no one in sight.
Midnight eventually guided us into a wide square with a fountain at its center, and a massive building looming on the far side. The dog barreled through its double doors without hesitation. I slowed to a walk as I crossed the square, taking a moment to study the fountain statue. It depicted adventurers in heroic poses arranged across three rising tiers. I wasn't sure if it held any particular meaning, but the craftsmanship was impressive.
I glanced up before stepping inside to read the sign. It was an intricately carved wooden plaque, weathered yet still vibrant, shaped like a shield. At its center, a crossed staff and sword sat beneath the words Adventurers Guild, with a stylized banner unfurling below that read Courage, Unity, Honor. The border was etched with monsters and magical beasts, but I was already pushing through the doors before I could study them further.
Stepping inside was like walking into a wall of sound and scent. The door opened onto a vast hall filled with rows of tables, nearly all occupied by reveling adventurers. Platters of food—more varieties than I had ever seen—covered every surface. It felt as though every person in the room was talking at full volume while also laughing or shouting. Music played somewhere within the chaos, somehow audible over the uproar. The sheer assault of noise hit me so hard that I half-ducked and instinctively clapped my hands over my ears.
I stood frozen like that for several seconds, wide-eyed, before noticing a few people beginning to stare. Forcing myself upright, I tried to appear composed and dignified as I took a closer look around the room.
Several injured people were gathered at a counter on the far side of the room, a cleric healing them one by one. A man was kneeling beside Midnight, sobbing into his fur. I had seen humans cry before, but this seemed like the wrong moment for it. I had assumed he would be happy to have his dog back. I doubted I would ever truly understand humans.
I began scanning the hall, watching them, and trying to make sense of what I saw. It soon became clear that the tables didn't define the groups; the people did. Some groups spilled across multiple tables, others occupied only half a bench. More than once, I saw seemingly random humans pair off, slipping away to talk alone or dragging each other upstairs. Those who remained ate and drank together, and fresh food and drink appeared for each group as if summoned to them.
The longer I observed, the more I realized this was a fantastic place to hunt. Not the kind of hunt I had always imagined, stalking invaders through the forest in a contest of wits while avoiding the monsters lurking in the shadows. Here, humans drank and reveled freely, unaware of danger. There was an entirely different social dynamic at play.
I would need to learn how to join a group—apparently with the added benefit of receiving some of that wonderful-smelling food. I would have to decipher the social cues for when they lifted their drinks and shouted, and understand how the pairing-off was decided. If I learned their rules, I could guide it so that the humans with the most enticing, magic-rich blood would choose to go somewhere alone with me. It was a completely new kind of hunt. It lacked the usual thrill, but I found myself very interested in the idea.
As I stood there, staring around the room, one of the food carriers approached me.
"Hey, miss. Are you just going to stand in the door all night?"
I blinked at her in surprise. It was so abnormal to be spoken to like that. Was it a challenge or an insult? Or perhaps she was trying to start a conversation. I took the safe path and simply asked a question. "How do I know which group to sit with?"
A wide grin split her face. "Oh, a newbie, huh? Where you from?"
"I came from the Dark Forest." The words slipped out before I could reconsider. Her gaze swept over me, pausing briefly on my blood-stained boots.
"Oh. I see. No one else with you?"
I shook my head, "No, I only brought that dog with me. Now he is with his master, so I am alone."
She shook her head sadly, "That happens sometimes. Not every party makes it back. Don't let it eat away at you. Adventuring in the forest is a dangerous business. They knew the risks."
The party had clearly made it back; I could see them now, clustered around Midnight, smothering him with affection. My confusion must have shown, because she gave me a gentle, reassuring smile.
"Just sit anywhere there's space. I'll bring you a drink and a plate—on the house. You look like you need it."
I nodded and glanced around for an open seat, but immediately noticed several rough-looking adventurers staring right at me. I had marked them earlier: hunched over a table with a map, speaking in hushed tones. When they realized I had caught them staring, one scooted aside and gestured for me to sit. I almost smiled. That was easier than expected.
I walked toward their table, drawing surprised looks from several of them, and a few began muttering to one another as I approached. As I closed in, I heard the man who waved very quietly say to the woman beside him, "Yes, I'm sure it's her."
On the table, I now saw the map more clearly. It was an incomplete chart of the region surrounding the Dark Forest, with several of the outer rim trails labeled. A small stack of papers sat beside it: a few notes, and on top, a sketch. It looked like me as I had a couple of years ago. There was no color, so my ice-blue eyes weren't obvious, but the dark hair and facial details were unmistakably accurate.
Curious, I quirked my head and confirmed his suspicions, "That sketch does look like me. How did you get it?"
The confirmation made the man gulp. "A contract. Someone in the Far East wants to meet you. Why don't you sit with us and have a meal? We can get to know each other, and maybe I can tell you more. You do eat? I mean food, not people, right?"
I nodded, "Of course I eat food. What an odd question. And no, I do not eat people. I surely hope that was a poor joke." That was true. I drank their blood. The idea of eating human flesh was repugnant.
He looked a little surprised, "I just thought that with your father… Well, enough of that. What brings you to town? We expected to have to go into the forest to find you."
As he spoke, the food carrier returned and set a large mug in front of me, followed by a plate piled with meats and vegetables. I turned to her. "Thank you. I appreciate your hospitality." She smiled and moved on, and I watched her for a moment, wondering where she had gathered all this food. Then I picked up a knife and fork and began cutting into the meat.
"I was returning a lost dog. That one over there." I said with a nod in Midnight's direction. "Someone left him behind after a fight with a ridgeback as they fled the Deep Woods. Coming into the Dark Forest to find me would have been a poor choice. Some of you might have escaped, but no one makes it through the Deep Woods."
"Aye, that was the very problem we were wrestlin' with. Imagine our surprise when fortune landed you right here with us."
I hardly heard what he said. The meat was divine. I'd never had anything so flavorful that wasn't blood in my life. Instead of replying to him, I began to devour my plate.
"Wow. I didn't realize a lass so thin as you knew how to eat so much!" he said with an amused tone, and I looked up.
I remembered my manners and sat up straight, cutting off a small piece of what was left of my meat. "Yes, of course. It is the first food I have eaten in some time. I've never had the like. What is it?"
He laughed, "Short ribs. You should try the wine. I hear it's to die for."
I couldn't imagine why anyone would want to drink wine that would kill them, so I gave him a strange look. He laughed again, "Girl, means it's really good."
My eyebrows rose in understanding, "Thank you for the clarification."
Taking his advice, I picked up the mug and sniffed it. It smelled like any other wine, so I took a drink. I managed two gulps before I lost my grip on the mug. It fell, covering my front in red, but I didn't really notice. My arms fell limp to my side, and I'd have tipped right off the bench if the man beside me hadn't caught me. I was suddenly very cold, and my breath left me. I felt my heart stop as darkness rushed in from the edges of my vision.
The world was going quiet around me, but the last fading thing I heard was his words, "Damn. I almost thought it wouldn't work. She was so damn human. Almost can't believe she's really one of them. Let's..."
But I knew what this was. I'd felt it countless times before. The death of torpor was something I'd not felt since childhood. My last drifting thought was that I was too far away from my room for this.
TO BE CONTINUED...