The forest was a living, breathing entity, its silence punctuated only by the deer's labored breathing, its life force ebbing away like the tide retreating from the shore. The air was heavy with the scent of damp earth and decaying leaves, a morbid perfume that cling to Cyan's skin like a damp shroud. As the deer collapsed, Cyan approached it, his mask removed, revealing his black hair, slick with sweat, and piercing red eyes that seemed to glow with an otherworldly intensity.
His gaze was like a cold wind, sending a shiver down Randell's spine, even from a distance. Cyan's hands came together in a prayer-like gesture, his voice firm and collected, yet tinged with a hint of remorse. "Forgive me for making it painful. I should have ended it in one shot from the very beginning. Please rest in peace." The words were a gentle whisper, a soft lament for the creature's demise, but they seemed to hang in the air, suspended like a fragile bubble.
Randell, who had been watching from a distance, his eyes wide with excitement, yelled out, "Cyan, you did it!" His voice echoed through the forest, shattering the silence like a stone thrown into a still pond. Cyan turned, a confident smile spreading across his face, his eyes glinning with a hint of amusement.
Randell, still fueled by adrenaline, launched himself towards Cyan, his movements reckless and uncontrolled. Cyan, however, was a statue, unyielding and immovable. He dodged Randell's cl clhes attempt at a tackle with ease, his body swaying like a reed in the wind. Randell face-planted into the ground with a thud, his body bouncing off the earth, sending up a puff of damp earth and leaves.
Cyan's chuckle was low and husky, a sound that sent shivers down Randell's spine. "You really are a liability, Cal," he murmured, offering Randell a hand up. His eyes glinted with a mixture of amusement and exasperation.
Randell rubbed his sore cheek, looking sheepish, his face flushed with embarrassment. "Hey, I'm just trying to... um, show some enthusiasm?" His voice trailed off, and he looked up at Cyan with a hopeful expression.
Cyan's smile never wattered, but his eyes seemed to bore into Randell's very soul. "Enthusiasm is one thing, Cal. Recklessness is another. You need to learn the difference." His voice was low and even, but the words carried a weight that made Randell's heart skip a beat.
The forest seemed to hold its breath, the silence stretching out like a taut thread, as Cyan's gaze lingered on Randell, his eyes glinting with a hint of something primal.
A whistle pierced the air like a knife, and Cyan's movements were a blur as he drew his bow, shooting two arrows into the sky. The sound was like a crack of thunder, sharp and commanding, sending a shiver down Randell's spine. "Let's focus on the signals, Cal," Cyan said, his voice low and urgent. "We need to get back to work before it gets dark." The urgency in Cyan's voice was unmistakable, and Randell nodded, his expression serious, his eyes scanning the surroundings with a growing sense of unease.
The day wore on, with Cyan, Randell, and another figure, Ryan, working in tandem, their movements practiced and efficient. The sun beat down on them, casting long shadows across the forest floor, and the air was thick with the scent of sweat and damp earth. Ryan's eyes wide with excitement, and together they stood before a massive pile of dead animals, their faces flushed with excitement.
"What a catch!" Ryan exclaimed, his voice barely above a whisper, his eyes gleaming with a mixture of wonder and concern.
Cyan grinned, his eyes cr crling at the corners, but his smile was tinged with a hint of unease. "Yeah, though it's smaller than yesterday's." Randell's expression turned serious, his brow furrowed in concern, his voice laced with self-doubt. "We could have caught more if I wasn't getting distracted, sorry about that."
Cyan placed a reassuring hand on Randell's shoulder, his touch warm and firm. "Don't beat yourself up over it, Cal. It's not your fault. We've all been having doubts about the hunts, but every time we go out, those doubts seem to be turning into fact." His voice was low and soothing, but Randell detected a hint of tension beneath the surface.
Ryan nodded in agreement, his eyes clouding over, his voice tinged with worry. "We're catching less with each passing day. It's like they're getting scarcer, or smarter." The forest seemed to grow, the silence stretching out like a taut thread, and Randell's eyes widened as realization dawned on him. "They're right," he thought, his expression changing to shock, his heart racing with a growing sense of unease.
The trees seemed to loom closer, their branches like skeletal fingers reaching out to snatch them, and the air was heavy with an unspoken threat.
The silence was palpable, the tension between them thick and heavy. Ryan broke the silence, his voice light, but with a hint of unease. "Hey, let's just leave it at that for now and focus on our current task. We wouldn't want to attract any unwanted attention." Cyan nodded, his eyes scanning the surroundings, his gaze piercing the shadows. "Truth be told, you're right, Ryan. Cal's getting reckless again."
As they began to gather their gear, Cyan instructed Randell to bring their coach. With a nod, Randell leapt into the trees, his movements silent and precise, like a ghostly apparition. The forest swallowed him whole, leaving Cyan and Ryan to their work.
As the sun dipped below the horizon, Cyan and Ryan lingered behind, meticulously carving the sellable materials from the monster corpse they had hunted. The fading light cast a warm orange glow over the forest, and the night winds began to whisper through the trees, carrying the scent of damp earth and decaying leaves. The air was thick with the smell of blood and death, but Cyan's senses were numb to it, his focus solely on the task at hand.
Ryan's gaze was fixed on his hands as he worked, his brow furrowed in concentration. "Hey, Cyan, have you noticed something?" he asked, his voice low and curious, his eyes flicking up to meet Cyan's.
Cyan's hands moved with precision, his eyes locked on the task, his voice a gentle rumble. "What exactly, Ryan?"
Ryan's eyes met Cyan's, a hint of intrigue in his expression, his voice dropping to a whisper. "From the very first day you picked up your bow, no one in the village has ever craved meat." Cyan's response was laced with skepticism, his brow furrowed in doubt. "You're exaggerating, Ryan. That's impossible."
Ryan's smile was unwavering, his eyes sparkling with amusement, his voice low and teasing. "No lies, Cal's partner in crime. I know, because I too haven't craved meat for the past two years. My grandma mentioned it too. Which raises a question, Just how do you do it, Cyan?" His words hung in the air, suspended like a challenge, and Cyan's eyes narrowed, his expression thoughtful, The forest seemed to grow quieter, the only sound the distant hooting of an owl.
Cyan's shoulders shrugged, his hands never faltering in their task, the sound of scraping flesh and the smell of raw meat filling the air. "I still think she exaggerated, but if you want to know how I use the bow... I just trust my instincts, then bam!" His voice was laced with a hint of nonchalance, but Ryan's eyes narrowed, his gaze piercing.
Ryan's laughter echoed through the forest, his eyes sparkling with amusement, the sound sending a shiver down Randell's spine. "Bam? You're the worst teacher I've ever had, but I'm glad you're my best friend." Cyan's face flushed, and he muttered, "Thanks, dad."
The sound of laughter was short-lived, as Randell arrived with the coach, the lantern torch casting a fiery glow over the surroundings, illuminating the darkening forest. The smell of smoke and oil wafted through the air, mingling with the scent of the forest. "That was fast," Ryan said, as they finished collecting the sellable parts.
Randell grinned, his eyes gleaming with pride, his face flushed with excitement. "I rode as fast as I could. I can be an excellent coach-man when I feel like it." His voice was laced with a hint of pride, and Cyan's expression turned serious, his eyes scanning the surroundings, his gaze piercing the shadows.
"You two can brag about your talents later. Let's load up and get out of here. The smell of blood will attract unwanted guests soon." The urgency in his voice was unmistakable, and Ryan and Randell quickly set to work, their movements efficient and practiced.
As they loaded the coach, Randell asked, his voice low and curious, "Guests? How can you call those mongoro's guests with a straight face?" Cyan's response was matter-of-fact, his voice low and even, his eyes glinting with a hint of warning. "Think about it. They're just creatures trying to survive, like we hunted these animals for food. To them, we're just another main course for dinner" he paused.
Then added " try not to be too delicious."
The three of them exchanged a look, their faces a mix of amusement and unease, the tension between them palpable. As the coach moved, the sound of creaking wood and clattering hooves filled the air, and the forest seemed to close in around them, the trees looming like dark sentinels. The three friends kept their guard up, their senses on high alert, their hearts racing with anticipation.
And then, in the distance, a howl echoed through the night, a chilling sound that sent shivers down their spines. The coach fell silent, the only sound the creaking of the wood and the heavy breathing of the horses.
😱 Here's the revised finale:
Suddenly, Cyan's head snapped up, his eyes locked on something in the distance, his face a mask of urgency. "Cal, stop the coach!!" The coach halted, and Ryan asked, his voice muffled by the cloth covering his mouth, "Is it them?" Cyan's response was tight-lipped, his eyes scanning the surroundings, his gaze piercing the shadows. "Don't know. Let me check."
With a fluid motion, Cyan leapt onto the coach roof, his eyes scanning the surroundings, his body language tense. Randell peered into the darkness, his grip on the reins tense, his heart racing with anticipation. The air was thick with the scent of fear and adrenaline, and the forest seemed to hold its breath.
And then, Cyan saw them – eyes glowing in the dark, their growls audible, the sound sending shivers down Randell's spine. "Cal, go!" Cyan yelled, as Randell whipped the horse into a frenzied gallop, the coach lurching forward with a jolt.
The horses' hooves pounded the earth, the sound echoing through the forest like thunder, and the pack gave chase, their snarls and growls growing louder, closer. The coach careened wildly, Ryan and Randell cl holding on for dear life, as Cyan stood tall on the roof, his bow at the ready.
The trees blurred together, a green and brown haze, as the coach hurtled through the forest, the pack closing in. Cyan's eyes locked onto the lead creature, his fingers tightening on the bowstring, his heart racing with anticipation.
And then, in a flash of movement, the lead creature leapt into the air, its jaws wide open, and Cyan drew his bow, a deadly whisper of death...
END OF CHAPTER 3