It had been a month since I started traveling with this group.
Every day I asked myself if I really deserved to be there, surrounded by rapists and murderers. But then I remembered: from a general point of view, I was probably one of them too.
Without wasting time with these thoughts, I began to focus on how to deal with the situation. They, from the twin to the guy who now dressed as a woman, were smart—their standard was well above average.
But at the same time, they had unstable and irritable personalities. They didn't know much, but I realized that some had been meditating for a while. During the trip, they made several agreements with each other.
The first was a non-aggression and space-respecting agreement. They did not travel together all the time, meeting only before nightfall, without questions or demands.
They updated the route and spread out in the meantime, each maintaining its own territory.
After a month, they had already adapted to the routine, but I could see the first signs of instability: they all seemed as if they were in withdrawal—quieter, more sinister.
The road was hell: full of trees, thick roots, rocks, and even landslides. Even with all this difficulty, we still found traces of the past—location signs, bodies, and abandoned tools.
Then, after a month of walking, we saw the second ruin.
I watched from the top of the plateau, the others were next to me or behind me, keeping my distance. Ahead, what had once been an occupied village now lay in ruins. A wooden wall still rose, forming a circle around the site, with four roads clearly visible, running east, south, west, and north—perfectly defined from above.
"It doesn't look like it's inhabited" Anker sniffed, sniffing the air, but he didn't detect any common smell there.
"Not by humans" I replied, with a serious face, pointing to the totems placed at the gates. They were human skeletons, assembled in bizarre, grotesque shapes.
"Green blood?" he asked.
"Yes. They're imposing their territory" I said, as I heard faint buzzing sounds coming from those figures. They were distorted laments, like echoes of something caught between life and death.
For the past few months, I had been meditating intensely, making basic changes to my runes. My soul fire was becoming more stable, and with that, my sensitivity to detect these anomalies increased.
The mind, which had previously been easily lost in complex topics, now clearly retained what had previously escaped. It was a subtle but remarkable change. I could even feel the light of life ignite within my bones with a new familiarity, as if my own being was awakening to something greater.
I felt an improvement in my technique—a direct result of the increase in my perception. For this reason, he never stopped meditating a single day. He was too curious to ignore any subject connected with it.
"I vote for us to go in and rest for a few days. First, we need to take care of those who are inside" I said in a calm voice, and everyone nodded in agreement.
After that, we started to descend the plateau. The group of eight split into four pairs, each heading towards the two gates.
I was walking next to Number 01 as we approached the entrance. Then I turned to that unknown figure.
"Can you stop the Faceless One from killing Morrisa?" I asked, watching the killer shake his head slowly in denial.
"Is it an order?" he replied, his voice cold but with a hint of doubt.
"A request" smiles, trying to leave him undecided.
He was silent for a moment, then gave in:
"That's okay. I owe you one, for my people who tried to murder you"
"Good" I smiled again and moved on.
Number 01 stood still for a few seconds, and then, in a moment of distraction, his figure suddenly disappeared.
(How does he do it?) I wondered, as I picked up my bow.
I could only pick up delayed signals from him. If he moved too fast, I would never know his full position. How can someone erase all his presence for an instant? It was scary.
That reminded me of Felipe.
I bent down and walked quickly down the path, surrounded by tall vegetation on both sides that blocked my view.
After advancing for several meters in silence, I stopped. I positioned myself behind a tree and began to feel the presence of life around me.
tu-Thump!
A subtle vibration of vital light spread through the room, small and fast.
tu-Thump! tu-Thump! tu-Thump! tu-Thump!
The pulse was static and constant, like a heart marking the rhythm of the place.
I selected an arrow, pulled the bowstring, and stepped to the side. I turned my whole body, keeping the tension, and let go of the shot.
The arrow streaked through the air, leaving a black streak, and hit one of the bone totems. A low grunt came from the spot, and a small figure appeared there.
About 60 centimeters, humanoid in shape, green skin and thin limbs, he had a slightly swollen belly. His pointed ears stood out, and his eyes shone in a light cyan hue.
He held a curved horn in his hand—a kind of horn.
I approached slowly, with an arrow already prepared in the bow. I crouched down near the corpse and watched. The arrow struck the heart precisely, and a dark green, oily blood leaked from the wound, forming a dirty puddle on the ground.
My eyes scanned the surroundings, looking for traces, any sign that might indicate who or what was nearby.
In my ear, indistinct whispers began to emerge, like distant echoes coming from somewhere close but inaccessible. It was as if the surrounding forest held secrets that I couldn't reach.
With cautious steps, I advanced to the abandoned village. My body went through several traps: signs on the floor, feces, blood... all without hesitation.
Rotting limbs were scattered around the place, a disgusting and desperate scene.
(They captured people recently) I thought as I saw a relatively preserved arm thrown next to the gate. It was exposed, in plain sight, as two bodies hung from each window of the monitoring towers, swaying slowly.
In less than a minute, my two quivers were empty. I had killed hundreds of those green creatures—small, fast, and dangerous.