IN A FOREST
A group of men were gathered in a forest; they were huddled into in a circle with a large wooden table being in the center of them. On the tabled laid a large leather scroll detailing the layout of the Rubo kingdom and its nearby forest's, in which the men were approaching.
Inscribed on the scroll was a variety of markings ranging from large Xs to arrows pointing in the direction of where they were going. In the middle of all the men stood a tall man with black hair and red eyes that were piercing into the souls of everyone around him.
Behind the man was another figure and just like him they were tall, but their appearance was being covered by a large black robe that clung onto their skin like it was a part of it.
"Let me begin gentlemen. So, as you all know, the recent drug movements into Rubo have been halted for some time due to the recent raids on your carriages. It seems as if the Estrella guild deep darkness has found out about your recent routes and now you can't get anything moving unless we either find an alternate route or fight our way through. But don't worry I have a perfect solution."
"And what would that be?" One man asked from the circle surrounding table.
"You see I've been keeping track of your movements, and I got to say. You guys are really fucking stupid." The man said with a giggle in his voice. "If you look at the map you would see that you guys are going in a linear path. Traveling directly from Estrella to Rubo without making any changes in direction."
The men surrounding him were beginning to show frustration. Over the past couple of months, they've been slowly losing money and with the new arrival of the mysterious man who openly mocked them, they couldn't do anything but accept his words of cruelty and wait out until they've made it to Rubo.
"Now here's the new plan. Right now, we're about halfway from Rubo, when we depart, we're going to not go forward but instead turn left and then keep going left until we've created an equal amount of distance from the linear path that you usually take and the new path we'll take."
"What? But why? Why wouldn't we just take the left and keep moving forward after?"
The man in the middle enthusiastically shot his pointer finger at the random man who asked the question and had a wide smirk across his face.
"Good question pal! And I'm thankful you asked. The reason why we must do this is because there is a hidden entrance into Rubo that only a few people know about."
"If that's true then why haven't we heard about it?"
"Because that hidden entrance is reserved for only special occasions. You can't use it for any normal thing."
"And what are these special occasions it's used for?"
"Wow you guys ask a lot of questions. It doesn't matter what it's used for, all that matters is that it's there. Now is there any more questions for the teacher or is that all."
"N-no. I think we're ready to depart."
"Ok good." The man in the middle of it all wrapped up the brown leather scroll and stuffed it into his black coat. "We'll depart in an hour, make sure you have your stuff packed up and the horses are well fed."
The man turned his back on them all and began walking away into the forest. The figure behind him turned their back to them and followed him into the forest. Throughout the meeting, they didn't mutter a word, instead they insisted on letting their boss speak the entire time.
Suddenly one of the men who stood in the circle spoke up.
"Wait! I forgot to ask. What's your name?!"
"Call me Paul."
"That's it Paul? Nothing else just Paul?"
"What do you want me to have a stupid fucking name like Dicklen, ha-ha."
"N-no I just thought it was interesting that you had a name so simple."
"... What's your name?"
"It's Kendall-"
"Wrong its slave 1. And you no longer respond to anything other than that got it. If you don't, I'll stick my hand up so far, your dick hole you'll feel me cleaning your bowels."
"S-sorry it won't happen again Sir Paul." The man said instantly with fear creeping into my body.
Paul didn't even choose to respond, he simply walked into the forest with his subordinate. Putting his back to the glares of the men he was supposed to protect. He quickly disappeared into the darkness of the forest with his underling.
...
The forest was dark.
It felt never ending, no matter how much I walked it felt as if I would never reach the end. As I continued walking, I saw a dirty brown log resting on the equally dirty soil. I sat on it. My thoughts swirled around like red wine in a glass. The person who stood behind me during the meeting walked to a tree and rested their head on it. I could see the faint glint of their pale chin as their head leaned back onto the rough bark of the tree.
They didn't say anything, they almost never said anything. I looked at them intensely, my eyes burning into their flesh and muscles. My red eyes glowed in the dark as the rest of my body was consumed by the darkness of the endless forest.
"What did you guys think?" I suddenly said while staring at the person enthralled in blackness.
Several figures stepped up from the shadows; black robes clung to their bodies like it was a piece of them. They didn't speak talk, nor did they show their faces, but their presence was louder and bolder than their shunned bodies.
However, one of the black figures stepped up. They were smaller than the rest, but a dark aura enraptured them, despite the robe hovering over their body. Their eyes glowed in the dark. A diamond blue color that could make any man fall to their knees in awe.
"We should keep our eyes on them" The figure said. Caution heavy in their words. "The leader looks strong. The rest, however... we don't need to worry about."
The rest of the dark figures nodded in silent unity.
"Ehhh~ Do you think he's stronger than me." I said. My finger pointing at myself with my mouth open.
"No." Almost immediately the dark figure answered. "No one is stronger than you." They continued. Their words were laced with nothing but the truth.
"Aww~ man! I thought we would have been at the very least a challenge."
"Sorry."
"Do not worry, friends! For I the former hero will find a challenge!" I said standing upright with one leg lunged forward and the other leaning back.
The group clapped their hands in perfect unity. My lips curved upwards, and my teeth were gleaming with pride.
"Well anyways~ it's about time we begin our plan."
"You all know what to do right?"
"Yes...
Father."