Chapter 20: First Mission
“So… this is our first mission. Heading to the North Village?” Aspen asked.
Flick chirped brightly.
“Yes, master! The village is being attacked by beasts, and people are vanishing out of nowhere!”
“Vanishing…” Ryl muttered.
“Aren, I think we should forget this mission and head south instead. My Bolt suggested it.”
“Isn’t the south mission just killing crop eating slimes?” Dior snapped.
“That only suits someone lazy like you.”
“At least I’m not foolish enough to walk straight into a lion's den!!” Ryl yelled.
“It’s just a village, not a hungry lion’s den,” Dior said flatly.
“I MEANT IT’S DANGEROUS, YOU IDIOT!!”
“Alright, calm down,” Aspen stepped in. “Ellie already left for her mission, so it’s just the three of us. Dior, what did your owl suggest?”
“My owl…?” Dior paused.
“…It’s sleeping.”
Ryl burst out laughing. “At least my Bolt’s more useful than your sleepy poker-faced owl!”
“It’s a nocturnal bird. Even a kid knows that,” Dior muttered.
Ryl huffed.
“Fine. Let’s head north,” Aspen concluded.
_ _ _
They began walking the forest path.
They wore their brown uniforms. Their short cloaks bore the emblem of the hunters.
“Huh… I wanted to show that blue bird my Bolt. But Wren left without even saying bye,” Ryl muttered.
“Yes. I think he got an important mission. He is a wielder, after all,” Aspen replied.
KREEE—AR!!
Bolt swooped down and landed on Ryl’s shoulder.
“You human. Feed me.”
Ryl blinked. “Didn’t I just feed you this morning?”
“I only had twenty. And they were thin like sticks. Not satisfactory.”
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“They were sausages, not sticks. And they’re finished.”
Bolt pecked him on the head.
“I’m hungry!! I, the King of Birds, command you to feed me!”
“I SAID THEY’RE FINISHED! YOU ATE THEM ALL!!” Ryl barked.
“Bolt, why don’t you eat this?” Aspen offered a fish.
“You mock me with one fish?” Bolt puffed up.
“I know you’re a great king. And I heard great kings can survive on empty stomachs for ages! Isn’t it amazing?”
Bolt blushed.
“Hm… I suppose I can adjust for now. But I want the sticks tomorrow.”
Aspen smiled while Ryl glared at the bird.
Aspen turned to Dior. “By the way, did you think of a name for your owl?”
Dior thought deeply. A single image popped into his mind: his owl with a melon for a head.
“Yes,” he said confidently.
“Mellow.”
“Mellow? It’s good!” Aspen said.
“Not bad,” Ryl agreed reluctantly.
_ _ _
By evening, they reached the North Village—Remeral.
The village was unnervingly quiet.
So quiet that their footsteps echoed. Mist wrapped around the houses, and only a few villagers walked outside.
“It’s strange…” Aspen murmured.
“You’re wrong. It’s scary…” Ryl whispered.
“I told you both… we should’ve gone south!”
Dior, unfazed, walked ahead. Aspen and Ryl followed.
“Hey, kids!” a hoarse voice called. “Are you new here?”
“Y-yes! We’re looking for the Hunter’s Guild,” Aspen said.
“So you are hunters.” The old man sighed.
“Just go back already. Many came here and lost their lives.”
A few villagers stopped and stared. A kid peeked at them.
Noticing the attention, Ryl puffed up dramatically.
“You rusty old man!” he declared.
“Are you looking down on us? I’ve slayed tons of beasts with these mighty hands! So shut up and—”
BONK!
Aspen smacked his head.
“I’m very sorry for him. But we’ve decided to stay. If you want to help, please tell us where the guild is.”
“Go straight, turn left, last building in the corner,” the man said.
Aspen thanked him and they walked on.
_ _ _
Aspen’s thoughts spiraled.
“Something strange is happening here… I hope we can solve this and find the missing people.”
Suddenly—
Something darted between the trees.
Dior noticed it first and sprinted.
“Dior, wait!” Aspen followed.
Ryl, who’d been staring at some random direction, finally noticed them running.
“WAIT FOR MEEEEE!!”
He sprinted to them.
_ _ _
Dior hid behind a tree and peeked.
Aspen just arrived and noticed him.
“What happened?”
“Shh!” He gestured sharply.
“A weird figure went this way.”
He pointed to the path paved with trees.
Aspen tensed as they tip-toed.
“DON'T LEAVE ME!!”
Bump!
Ryl tripped and crashed into both of them.
Dior shot up—
Too late.
The figure vanished.
“You brainless mutt!!” Dior yelled.
“We lost it because of you!”
“ITS YOUR FAULT TO LEAVE ME BEHIND!!” Ryl snapped.
“Enough!” Aspen cut them off, glancing toward the direction where the figure disappeared.
“There is no use now, we missed it. So let's head to the guild.”
Dior reluctantly agreed to him.
_ _ _
At the Hunter’s Guild, they questioned the receptionist.
“Nearly twenty people have gone missing,” she said with gloomy eyes.
“They disappear only at night. Even hunters assigned to this task… disappeared.”
Aspen frowned. “Did you see anything unusual?”
She shook her head.
“Alright.” Aspen said.
“Then we will have a look.”
“Please be careful... It would be a shame to lose more hunters.”
As they turned to leave, Ryl lingered behind.
He leaned on the counter dramatically.
“It’s rare to see a rose among wildflowers.”
She blinked, confused. “Excuse me?”
“You work so hard despite having such delicate hands.” He gently held her hand and winked.
“Looks heavy. Can I hold it for you?”
She smiled awkwardly.
BONK!
Aspen smacked him again and dragged him out like a sack of potatoes.
“Let’s plan,” Aspen said, reaching out side the guild. “We can’t jump blindly into unknown waters.”
“I don’t have any ideas,” Ryl muttered, rubbing his head.
“Let’s send Mellow to search,” Dior suggested.
All agreed.
Mellow—woken from his bag—took off into the dark.
“Why don't you both search? I will find an inn for us and wait for you there!” Ryl said.
Aspen and Dior glared at him.
“F-fine! I’ll stay!”
They walked the forest path, footsteps quietly crushing the grass.
After a long search, Mellow returned and perched on Dior’s shoulder, shaking its head.
“This is pointless,” Ryl groaned. “My stomach’s empty!”
“You’re right,” Aspen sighed.
“We’ve looked for two hours. We’ll return tomorrow.”
They found an inn and settled in.
But Aspen couldn’t sleep.
“Beasts attacking only at night… people vanishing… it's not good.”
He turned sideways in bed.
“I just hope it’s not what I’m afraid of…”
Then—
Flick fluttered over with a piece of cloth with a red stain as Aspen woke up and sat on his bed.
“Master! I found this on the ground at the east side of the forest. It felt suspicious!”
Aspen took, examining it. “Is it blood!?”
Then he smelled it.
“It smells sweet… I think it's a fruit. But why would someone crush fruits in a cloth?”
He lay down again, groaning.
“It's getting twisted and hard to understand!”
He sighed deeply.
“No matter what… I will save this village. And I have Ryl and Dior with me.”
He clenched his fist and finally drifted off.
*****
Chapter 21: The Drag Trail
