The World Wanderer Chronicles

Chapter 5 (or the one where it's normal to lurk in the woods)

The air was ice-cold. So cold that he believed the weather could freeze time itself. Indeed, he could feel everything slowing down. The icy wind calmed down, leaving behind a hint of its deadly breath. The lively rustling of the forest fell silent. Even the joyful chirping of birds couldn't be heard anymore. As if they knew not to anger the dangerous creature within them. He himself controlled his breathing. Slow and steady. Until his heartbeat was just as calm. The black and white creature that drank from the half-frozen river hadn't noticed the shift in his environment yet. Normally, it didn't have to. Nothing was able to rival its monstrous size, fangs, and claws, which were longer than a human's arm. Its head could be compared to a tiger's, but in a deformed kind of way. The massive body reminded the silent hunter of an elephant, but it still had the dexterity of a panther. His smooth, pitch-black fur was interrupted by long white streaks. It appeared as if someone, or rather, something, had wrapped itself around its torso and burned itself deep into the creature's skin. Clearly, it wasn't successful in killing the beast. While he crept nearer, the beast whipped its slender tail around with deadly precision. Narrowing his eyes, a smirk appeared under the black fabric that covered half of his face. He loved the challenge. Even more so if there wasn't a clear sign of how it would end. Sword or bow. He thought. Not daring to make the slightest whisper. Sword or bow. When the beast finally turned around, seeing nothing but a dense forest, the shadowy figure in the midst of it grinned with satisfaction.

He hated it. The rush he felt. Gone. The proud and victorious feeling after a successful hunt. Gone. Cursing under his breath, he struggled to move the cadaver. Suddenly, a short caw disrupted his endeavor. A sigh of relief escaped from his lips. He whistled a response back, and not long after, a white raven dived past him. Landing on the mountain of dead meat, he tilted his head in a questioning way.

'Help yourself,' he said, waving his hand dismissively. Letting his friend devour pieces of raw meat, he sat down on the frozen ground and leaned against a tree. Normally, the coldness would creep through his clothes into his bones, but he felt fine. Not because of his clothes, of course not. The roughly knitted sweater under his thick coat and the durable pants that stretched comfortably as he drew his knee up helped with the cold, but not nearly enough. The only reason he didn't violently clatter his teeth was because of the protective shield he had around him and the way he warmed up the air. His family members only turned their shields on when they had company, but not him. He was always on alert. And always surrounded by a thick wall that protected his body, soul, and mind. A satisfied caw disrupted his wandering mind, and he turned his attention back to the raven.

'You know, real friends don't need bribery to help each other.'

His feathered companion ignored his remark and jumped clumsily toward him. With a low sigh, he snatched the small scroll from the raven's leg. As he read the short note, a low grumble echoed through the forest. The white bird shook his wings alarmingly but settled back down when he realized that the growl came from his friend and master.

The hooded hunter would have loved to punch the tree beside him, but instead he crumbled up the piece of paper and let it go up in flames inside his palm. The ashy residue was quickly picked up by the wind and dispersed in the air.

'Let's go kill some Aracians, Blank. The deep can freeze over, but I won't let history repeat itself.' He stood up elegantly and brushed some ice crystals away. 'As if they're so dumb to think we wouldn't do anything against their pitiful delegation. I would love to meet the poor bastard who got the ambassador role. And I'm going to love it even more when I rip out his throat.' Blank screeched happily and flew onto his shoulder. He began nudging its beak softly at his hood. A soft laugh escaped his pale lips.

'Of course, I'll let you pick out their eyes.' He shouldered his bow and arrow on the other side of Blank and checked if his sword and daggers were correctly put away. Only then he began to walk.

'I'm sure everyone wants to be a part of these wretched fools, commoners, even more than royals, but patience, my friend.' He stopped before two trees that intertwined themselves into a round shape that looked like a gate. 'First, I want to see them struggle. I want them to beg me for their death, like they made our people do.' A sharp fire glimmered in his dark eyes, and despite the freezing air, he felt hot. His veins were burning. For a second, he imagined he could hear his innards boil. A raging flood of blood swirled inside his brain until Blank let out an agitated screech.

'Thank you,' he said softly, nudging the curved beak of his friend with his fingertips. Despite all the anger, he stroked one of the trees' barks with a gentle tenderness. Seconds later, a bright vortex appeared. Hundreds of pastel-colored light streams swirled together, creating a portal.

'Now, let's see who would pay the most for some Aracians on a spike.' He entered the portal, and the colors wrapped around him like a protective cocoon. In a matter of seconds, he and Blank disappeared, leaving the wilderness to tend to the fresh sacrifice. The dead carcass was indeed a true feast for the hungry forest.