Chapter 5: Where Mystery Terrifies

Moments ago, people with distorted figures and inhuman strength attacked passing travellers.

But it was they who got hurt.

Yet, the travellers were outnumbered and out powered.

One of the four travellers that's a doctor, Yiss, said

"We're doctors, not witches—"

"How?!" a young adventurer screamed at her.

"How what?!"

"How did you and Lina use smoke from a small sack to kill these people?!"

Lina interrupted them.

"We prepare ahead. We figured if we were going to lands we knew not of—strong as you two are—we still needed an extra plan."

"How are these monsters dead and we're not?" the adventurer Rye asked.

"For starters, these aren't monsters. They're real men."

Lina's words stiffened everyone.

"They contacted something. Their inhuman speed and strength is their adrenaline pumped beyond a normal person.

So they were gonna die anyways. And what ever made them like this, left them with madness."

Lina said while intently looking at the bodies.

"I know of this cause, this happened to match a description I was studying at the Medical Camp the other day.

But the problem is, these only happen in Misk.

So are they Miskans?—"

"How are we alive then?" Roy asked.

"Roy, remember when you and Dil were summoned to our place of work, the Medical Camp?"

Roy and Dil looked at eachother and recalled being offered cups of water.

"Right." Yiss said.

"That water contained chemicals that would shield the consumer from the smoke that killed these men."

"Why didn't you use it sooner?" They asked.

"We needed to be sure there was nothing we could do. You two were overpowered, weren't you?" Asked Yiss with a grin.

But they didn't answer as they started to question their worth.

Adventures are conquerors, explorers or actue hunters.

And not being able to deliver on the service the Medical Camp paid them 200 silver made them question their worth.

"There's no time for any talking. Only walking. Roy and Dil, are you two still coming or should we take back our money?" Lina asked impatiently.

"But... Our horses, they're gone due to these men's attack" remarked Roy.

"We walk." Lina said and went ahead of them all.

Three hours of journeying and resting passes and their current spot worried Dil.

"Everyone, it's about time we realised" he swallowed hard while continuing

"That we are 50 meters away from 'Blood Forest'."

Roy was ashened at those words.

"What about it?" Yiss asked in arrogance.

"We're the adventurers here's. We know where to and not to go. People come here and leave scared."

Those words were bone chilling to Lina.

"Good" she said

"Our country had been struck by something mysterious. Maybe this forest can help us."

Roy and Dil didn't look convinced.

"You two lead the way. We the doctors will take note of anything note worthy."

They journeyed on and were halted by a placard on a sign board hung on a tree.

It read:

"Want suicide? Taste the tree's fruit."

"What those this mean?" Dil wondered.

For there was no nearby tree with fruit.

"Jokers! Someone probably had treasure stored up for themselves. So they said "you touch it you die"" Roy replied.

"You say that why?" Lina asked.

"Well, that's what these lonely folks do sometimes. 

After my grandmother's husband passed away, she had fertile land but her family weren't close by to protect it for her.

Her defense was putting sign boards in red with one deadly warning or the other.

Of course, you guys don't believe in superstition now, do you?"

Everyone nodded in the negative.

"Great! We go in. Maybe there's loot!"

Dil shrugged. Lina and Yiss followed and they entered the Blood Forest.

While walking further, they saw a horse charging towards them.

At full power, but without a rider.

"What, what is that?!"

It was no illusion.

A horse without a rider was fixated on trampling any of them.

They dodged it, but it turned around and slammed it's head onto Roy.

Lucky for him, he used his breastplate on it on the process.

While on the floor, Dil slashed its throat, which bathed Roy in its blood.

"Aah! Dil!" Roy screamed as he wiped the blood off his face.

Lina and Yiss had been hiding behind trees.

"Excuse me everyone, but I think this forest hates us." Remarked Yiss with fear.

"What now?!" Roy asked impatiently, while wiping off blood.

"Other ones are coming!"

Everyone's heart sank at those words.

Cause it was clear that there was something these animals wanted.

The travellers' death.

***

Ever since Tye arrived at Misk, he's been in a black robe and hood, leaving only his nose and mouth visible.

But this time, he took it all off and put on the casual tunic, trousers and shirt.

*Clank clank* 

His eyes sparkled as he heard a blacksmith at work.

He rushed over to him and said

"Greetings! Having good business lately? I need you to do me a favour."

A heavily bearded and large man stopped shaping hot metal and looked at him

"What?!" he asked enraged.

"Well, that'll be to make armour for me."

"I've done several ones already. Look over there at my shop and you'll see—"

"I've looked already. They're not what I'm looking for."

"What are you looking for? I sell in Adventurers' Package, Assassin Package, Knight Package. Tell me what you—" 

"I don't need those. Do you sell in custom package?" Tye grinned with malevolence.

"For sure—"

"How much? 50 gold per item? 100? 500?"

The blacksmith was getting annoyed at his interruptions.

"Custom is usually at 500 gold upwards—"

"Great. Now, I need you to do something 'different ' for me."

The blacksmith's eyes widened at his request.

{1 hour later}

A town crier had finished spreading word of a reform by the queen on taxes.

After that, she was heading towards a street leading to a path to her village.

"Hello there." A chill voice spoke.

The girl was startled cause from her observation, she wasn't being followed.

But a tall man in his twenties was before her.

"Name your price, I pay. I wish to know of the recent activities of the duke of the South-eastern region."

"Um... 1 gold coin."

The man squinted his eyes at her, smiled and paid.

She continued

"He wanted to let the people know that their owed salaries will be paid and everything has been safe."

The man began to think deeply.

"'Safe', he says?"

"Anything the matter?"

"Are you sure of what you're saying? My time is short, so if your words are lies then you'll regret it" he threatened.

"They're true! He even says that there's never been a time safer in Misk's South-eastern region than now."

"You didn't charge me for the extra words... Take another gold coin" the man paced himself from her.

She looked back at him, confused.

The young man, Tye smirked at her.

And vanished amongst passerby.

"What's happening to Misk?"

He thought.

Just the other day, disguised in a black robe and hood, this same duke tasked him to solve the mystery of his lost treasure.

This treasure was stolen by men that look pale, moved faster than normal and had bloodshot eyes and sharp teeth.

"To think he offered me 10,000 gold. But I turned it down for a referral in exchange."

Darkness was setting on Misk and the evening sun was gone, casting darkness on Tye.

The duke told Tye:

"Misk might be in grave danger."

He thought about those words.

The duke is either scared of distress amongst the people, he thought.

"Or he's a loan shark. Waiting to set me up."

Either way, there's only one way to find out.

And that would be to dig deeper into the innermost parts of Misk's secrets.