* * *
It was supposed to be a routine reconnaissance. Our task was to determine on which trail the mysterious disappearances were occurring. There was a high risk that bandits had set up camp in this area.
First, the daughter of an influential magnate vanished. She was returning straight from our arena, and the next day she was supposed to stand at the altar. Since that incident, travelers began to disappear one by one, as if the earth were swallowing them whole.
The matter became so notorious that the adventurers' guild issued blood bounties to investigate the routes. That was when Kwiryn ordered us to comb through all the roads leading from the arena to the nearest city.
There were ten of us in the squad. Seven men-at-arms, two medics, and me—the best tracker the walls of the arena had ever seen.
That day, we had already checked three trails. We were returning via the fourth to deliver our report. Then I noticed disturbing details. The tracks on the highway were unnaturally chaotic. As if someone at a full gallop had violently tried to turn back. I halted the squad to thoroughly examine the ground.
I parted the nearby thicket and immediately understood that we had stumbled into the very heart of darkness. By the road, I discovered a network of trampled paths, but this was not the work of animals. The arrangement of the tracks was too precise. Someone had deliberately set up a feeding ground here. Suddenly, I froze. I came across a pile of discarded iron. From dented armor and chipped weapons, to gold pendants and signet rings... I recognized the crest on one of the rings. It belonged to the missing noblewoman.
Discarding such vast wealth... That was not human behavior. No bandit would have left this behind.
I know the woods and I know what monstrosities hide within the thickets. I did not think, however, that IT had taken up residence so close to human settlements. Only one kind of forest entity felt such repulsion toward iron. A dryad. Judging by the amount of discovered metal, she had to be powerful. I passed this news to the men-at-arms. And then something happened that I did not foresee. The forest knew we had discovered its secret.
I gave the order to fight. When I placed my hand on the hilt, my intuition screamed at me to run. The wave of primal fear was so overpowering that I immediately wove the magic of blending into the surroundings. I felt in every cell of my body that if I made the slightest movement—I would die.
Damnation!
My intuition did not fail me. The first warriors fell dead right in front of me. The blood froze in my veins.
What was happening before my eyes exceeded the darkest nightmares. It was not just a dryad ruling the forest.
The animals have transformed into bloodthirsty beasts! It is far worse than we assumed!
The forest creatures had gained a murderous sentience. They knew exactly who and where to strike. From behind the trunks, the silhouette of the man leading them finally emerged.
Plague take it! It is him!
I could not believe my own eyes.
It is that slave who escaped a month ago!
Never in my life had I felt such terror. My body stiffened in paralysis. The slaughter taking place on the trail took my breath away. I observed it all from hiding, not daring to blink.
The slave finished off those who were still breathing. In cold blood, he stripped the metal accessories from my companions and hurled them onto the pile. Then, one by one, he took the bodies and vanished into the depths of the dark forest.
Hours passed. I stood motionless for so long until the night consumed me. Only when I had not registered any animals or the presence of that monster around me for a long time did I throw myself into a retreat. I dashed forward, not looking back, until I felt the hard trail leading to the arena under my boots again.
* * *
"What is this damn pounding in the middle of the night?! WHO IS BARGING IN?!"
I was just about to fall asleep when someone decided to disturb my peace. The banging on the office door was so insistent that it nearly blew it off its hinges. My blood began to boil.
How dare you!
I approach and open the door with one violent yank. The tracker I had sent to scout bursts inside. He is filthy, trembling, and reeks of fear.
"DO YOU THINK YOU ARE IN A TAVERN?! I WILL FLOG YOU SO HARD YOUR OWN MOTHER WON'T RECOGNIZE YOU!"
The tracker scrambles up from the floor. He begins to shout, completely ignoring my threats.
I will show you...!
"Master Kwiryn! I found him! Akar, that fugitive!"
I fall silent. My mind immediately shifts into the highest gear.
"WHY ARE YOU JUST STANDING THERE?! SPEAK ALREADY!"
"Master, he is hiding in the western part of the forest, near the trail to Ort'Alion! He is the one behind the disappearances! He has become a dryad's herald, and the forest has transformed the animals into bloodthirsty beasts!"
Despite immense focus, I cannot fathom how a wretched slave could have brought about such a situation. I collapse into the armchair and order him to recount everything once again, detail by detail.
*
You did not enjoy your freedom for long, you son of a bitch!
I sit alone in the thickening gloom of the office.
"Prepare yourself, you dull maggot... I am coming for you."
As soon as dawn breaks, I will summon everyone. Anyone who can hold a sword will go on the hunt. We will depart under the cover of night, when he will least expect an ambush.
"From one captivity you fell into another, far worse. If I did not despise you so much, I would pity you."
I lean back comfortably in the armchair, hissing the words into the empty space.
"The High Priest was right, after all. Women truly are your doom."