„UH OH!!"

TEASER!!

You sat on a rock, sharpening your dagger with a stone while staring blankly at your destination. The witches cabin, folklore telling everything you had needed to know in order to locate the small grimy place within the swamps.

Swamps that held various creatures that people would kill to have the heads mounted on their wall as a trophy telling lies through smiles of the hardship they went through just to get said heads when in reality, they hired others to do so, paying them a good penny for the work and effort they had to put in.

Nervousness was a clear emotion, despite doing this exact job even from your twenties you still felt nervous about what was out there, creatures, monsters, beings that could snap your neck within seconds if you weren't careful enough, every crack, every russel made your fingers twitch, each time your horse made a noise a little to loud it would make your body tense up, 'a few more monsters' you'd say to yourself. 'A few more times than you can retire with ease' words of reassurance went a long way, just to calm yourself.

Your teeth clenched, grinding against one another subconsciously as you placed your dagger back in its holder, throwing the stone elsewhere as you whistled for your horse- sunset, a perfect time to meet the witch.

Mounting the dark brown horse you ushered it with a low whistle to get a move on, using the reins to steer it down the mountain safely.

Giving your horse a few pets as she picked up speed, hooves squelching in the ground due to the muddy dark green grass.

It only took a few minutes for you to arrive In front of the worn down cabin, the clear water damage shown as you hopped off of your horse, your shoes squishing into the ground as you hitched your girl up, giving her one last scratch as you headed up the creaky stairs, causing your horse to let out a small neigh.

You knocked on the door loudly. "Ada?" Voice filled with curiosity, hoping to catch her at a good time. Only when you heard the familiar noise of her heels clicking on the floorboards did you perk up.

She opened the door, a smirk on her lips "So soon? Missed me that much?" She teased as she let you enter her humble abode. giving her a mocked amused look as you immediately walked in, heading straight for the table that was set up, as if she had expected you to come at this exact time. You took a seat at the chair you always sat at "how funny." You almost sneered, a dislike you had for creatures- monsters, witches, werewolves, and especially Vampires, you hadn't encountered anything else luckily for you. Though, you knew you couldn't do anything else without her, seeing as she held some sort of power over you- the knowledge of knowing where certain creatures were.

She was a valuable source, clearly she was. Ada gave you an almost mocking smile, loving how your hand twitches towards your dagger, she knew you hated her, she knew you despised her, yet it made it all the more appealing.

She tapped her table. "Pay up." Chuckling as she did so.

You grumbled while going into your pockets and pulling out a desired item she requested for and putting it on the table for her to grab, an orcs tooth, still slightly bloody from being ripped out.

"Not so easy to get." Ada mused as you huffed. "Not so easy to get indeed, nearly crushed me." Muttering under your breath as she pocketed the item before leaning forward, hands on the table In Front of a small crystal ball.

She started talking, eyes narrowed. "What would you like to hunt." She had another one of her mocking smirks on her face that made your knees slightly weak despite already sitting down. Your leg bounces while you stare at her hands.

"List em'" a deep frown etching onto your face as your fingers tapped rhythmically.

She let out a sigh, grabbing something from the side, inhaling the fumes before blowing out red smoke into the crystal ball before rubbing it softly. "A dark creature lies here in the swamps, terrorising the locals at night, one. Two. Three. Four. Five.. people have gone missing in the last three months due to this monster.." she smiled, noticing your curiosity before continuing. "A pitch black figure, a black water like substance dripping off of this creature, lanky, tall and monstrous sure would catch you a good penny.. not far east of here" she said knowing the mention of coinage would make your interest in killing said monster higher.

"Or..." Ada brings out her sentence, knowing it will agitate you.

"Or?" Curiosity, another emotion you've been feeling a lot, something that's bound to get you killed.

Ada smiled as she grabbed another one of her things, breathing in before puffing out a sandish colour onto the ball. "A siren, a little bit further away- a melody that can attract you into certain death if fooled hard enough, a wetland, a lake further north- a place where many has died, corpses filled the bottom of the lake, never to be seen again, a price higher than the previous one but much dangerous due to the enchanting vocals this siren has, surely will lead you to your demise if tempted.." Ada's eyes were trained onto the ball before snapping back up to meet your gaze. "Well? What do you say?" Her lips quirked upwards, seeing your expression; thinking long and hard about your decision.

Seconds felt like yours to her as she anticipated your answer. "... Guess you'll have to find out when I drop your share off." You gave her a smile, while standing up from your chair while Ada gave you a dumbfounded expression.

"That isn't a part of the contract." She mused, a hint of an annoyance undertone in her voice.

"Nor does it say I have to tell you." You shrugged while getting up from your chair and walking towards her door. "See you soon Ada." She didn't reply back– as the stairs creaked under your weight while you stepped down from them going straight towards your horse. Unhitching her as she shook her head, ears flopping about as you mounted the saddle in her back before whistling- ushering her to start trotting as you steered her in the direction of town. You desprately needed a drink.

"Another one!" You called out to the bar tender after finishing your tankard of ale, licking your lips of the residing substance before giving the man three coins, and waited patiently for him to finish pouring.

As soon as he placed the tankard down you grabbed it giving him an appreciative nod before taking another gulp, licking your lips once more as you let out a sigh, ignoring your surrounding, the noise of the piano playing, the footsteps of people walking- the angrily yelling whenever someone lost at a game of cards, was all blocked out as you blankly stared at your hand, scanning over the multitude of injuries that you got over the course of your job.

You took another gulp of your ale finishing it up as the bartender went to refill it, causing you to wave him off. "I think I'm done." Mumbling to him as he nodded, waving you off knowing you'd be back another day.

A certain pair of eyes followed you as you left the tavern, immediately going up to the bartender to question the man about you.

You almost stumbled out the door, bumping into a man that gave you a snide look as you glared back at him. Mumbling an insult under your breath while taking careful steps down the two straights, you mumbled a quick 'horsie' towards your horse unhitching your her from the post then proceeding to struggling to get on the saddle before flopping on it sideways, leaving the horse to happily trot back to the old small cabin you lived at, the heavy scent of liquor not only on your breath but on your whole person too.

You sluggishly patted your horse mumbling another 'good horsie' before flopping down sideways on the saddle, legs hanging off one side while the other side your arms and head hanging off the other side.

A small sliver of drool escaping your lips as you stared at the ground without a care in the world. "Good.. good horsie..."

(Hero & villains au coming out soon😈💥)