PvP Dungeon Hunter

A New Player

Canta was more powerful than he had imagined. Fowler had relied on her to keep the spiders at bay and now over Fowler’s shoulder, Akuji saw it. It looked like glimmering hope after trekking through this forest filled with webs. The Belladonna stood in the centre of open plains in the forest and swayed gently in the breeze. Fowler rested Akuji down as he went over to pick it. He examined it first, before taking the book out and comparing the two. A small smile was on his face as he cut the plant by its stem. He looked around the surrounding areas.

“We will camp here for the night,” Fowler said, as he started to create a fire.

Akuji watched his actions as Canta sat quietly next to him. Fowler cleared a circular space on the ground as he chose the ground that was mostly dirt. He gathered a few large rocks and placed them together. Next, he gathered twigs and dry leaves that were upon the ground.

What was he doing with the sticks? Akuji wondered. It looked like he was rubbing it together.

Fowler’s gaze met his, “Without friction, the fire won’t start. It’s critical to surviving out in the forest unless you’re a mage that can make a fire on your own or have a scroll or an item that can.”

“Oh,” Akuji responded.

“Nothing beats the old fashion way of doing it. Come closer the both of you and see what I am doing. When we head back the next time you will have to make it yourselves. Otherwise, we will be in the dark.”

Canta and Akuji drew closer and listened to Fowler explain to them the importance of gathering and creating. Some of what he was doing sounded familiar to Akuji, he believed it was something called a fire drill, but on saying the word to Fowler it was brushed aside. Why did that word seem exactly like what he was doing? He didn’t have an answer for it.  It took a while, but Fowler got the fire started. It was low, but the heat was strong. They ate food and drank water in silence. It wasn’t long after, that Fowler was asleep, leaving both Canta and Akuji alone.

The two stared at the fire for a while without saying anything much. There was no noise in the background to ease the silence. The forest was quiet, even Moonlight lay still by the fire.

“Akuji am I evil?”

“Why would you say that Canta?” Akuji asked as his eyes turned towards her.

“After what I did today, maybe the villagers were right about me. Maybe my parents---.”

“You aren’t evil, you saved our lives and you helped me. I have never seen you do anything that can be considered evil.”

Canta was quiet for a while.

“I am not so sure, I miss both my parents, but I know I won’t see them again. I try not to think about them, but I can’t shake the feeling after today that maybe that they were right.”

Akuji opened his mouth to say something, but he went silent.

Her hands shook. “Maybe I was the cause of what happened and what the villagers blamed me for about my brothers. If I can do something like what I did today, it’s possible is it not? I almost hurt you. I was afraid and I got angry thinking Moonlight was hurt. I lost control and wanted them all to pay.”

“What you did, still even if I got hurt, I think it could have ended a lot worse. I don’t have the answers for you that you need and I don’t know honestly. I don’t even know who I am truly, only my name and some pieces of information. To me, it feels as if this whole world is a game.”

“A game? What is that?”

Akuji looked at her as he himself struggled to find the words to best describe it. “Something you play.”

Canta chuckled. “Akuji you say some of the weirdest things. Still, I really do miss my parents. I wonder if they still miss me or glad that I am gone?”

Akuji reached his hand out to her and placed it on her shoulder. Canta looked at him, but he didn’t know what to say to ease her worries. He left his hand on her shoulder before she shifted it to her hand. He looked away towards the fire.

“Don’t worry, I may not be your brother or able to take the place of your mom or dad, but I will always be here for you as your friend. I promise that regardless of whatever happens I won’t leave you.”

The fire crackled as Akuji continued to look at it.

“Thank you,” Canta replied.

He smiled. “Didn’t we say that we both will become adventurers? I bet once you master that power you will be super strong.”

Canta merely nodded in response.

                                                                                 #

Heading back seemed a lot easier than coming here. Fowler seemed in high spirits as he had been humming to himself and talking about every bush, plant, and tree that they passed. It all was merely registered by Akuji’s eye from ???? marks to an actual display. Fowler had drilled into them how to start a fire and although their first attempts were unsuccessful, they both eventually got it. Canta figured it out first and after her showing him, Akuji figured it out. It was a great feeling to get it done mostly because they both were hungry and Fowler had said a hungry man makes a determined man.

 Akuji at first was happy to be going back. Seeing the webs lessen down, but now he was dreading it from Fowler’s talk about teaching them to hunt and skin animals. It all seemed like things he would rather not do. How was Canta so interested in learning this, he was supposed to be the man here. He sighed to himself as the webs finally disappeared and the sun’s light finally soared its way through the forest again. The birds chirped and he could hear the annoying insects at work.

There was a turn up ahead and directly in view after they made that turn were the remains of what looked like wagons.  From the short distance bodies laid almost mauled, armour battered and a few horses were slain. It looked almost like adventurers a lot of them too, but most of them lay naked on the ground.

Akuji’s eyes moved from the site to Fowler. What happened weren’t these roads supposed to be safe? He thought.

He waved his hand back at us as we fled back to the safety of the bushes on the road.“Trouble,” Fowler said, he looked across at each side of the wagons. “I don’t sense any ambush.”

 He got up from his position and walked across to the remains of the scene, Canta and Akuji followed slowly behind, their eyes looking everywhere. Akuji held his knife before him not knowing what to expect.

They were all standing in the centre of the c*****e when a voice shouted. “They came back!”

Out of the wagon a scant few adventurers, sprang out their weapons drawn but shaky. In one’s hand were flames and mages clothes another held a bow. There were at least eight of them, they had the advantage in numbers. They were now trying to encircle them and Moonlight growled in response, Akuji pointed his weapon unsure of what was going on, and just like the others, it shook in his hand too. Above head, he heard the raven caw in the sky. Fowler was slightly ahead of them, but he didn’t draw his bow or react in any hostile manner. However, Akuji knew how dangerous Fowler could be.

“Wait,” Canta said, “I think you are making a mistake.”

“It’s their boss,” another said, “I know his face anywhere lad, that person is the Bandit King.”

“Bandit King?!” Akuji said out loud.

“You’re both in danger has he brainwashed you or kidn*pped you? Get away from him!”

“We have not been brainwashed, you don’t understand! He helped us!” Canta said.

“You don’t understand lass,” the man said, “all of this has to be his doing.”

 “I don’t understand what’s going on but it’s clearly a mistake, we can talk it out instead. There is no need for violence. If he’s so dangerous as you said, why hasn’t he drawn his weapon and why hasn’t he hurt you yet?”

Bandit King, Fowler? He couldn’t see it being possible. They were probably trying to throw them off yet Fowler still didn’t move. Akuji’s eyes gaze over their rank to estimate the odds. Most of them were only a level or two above except an old man with one skull. Fowler should win, right? He thought until his eyes gazed on one more. This one was different from all the rest; in his name was marked, Player.

The other's called him Brun.

A voice played over and over in his head, each felt like a stab of a knife as Akuji dropped to the ground.  He screamed in agony and torment as his mouth foamed, the words kept playing like a broken record. Commands that he couldn’t shut out or turn off.

 Kill, Kill, Kill, Kill, Kill, Kill, Kill, the player.