The Hunter of Hawk and Wolf

Sevha was sprinting through the trees, a blur of motion with Elise cradled in his arms.

When he dared a glance back, the bandits were still in pursuit. He snapped his head forward just as a branch materialized from the gloom, tearing a shallow gash across his cheek.

I can’t shake them.

They were too close. There was no time to hide, no chance to mask his trail. 

Carrying Elise, he had neither the stamina to outrun them nor the agility to dodge the grasping branches that blocked his path.

There was only one thing he could do: shield her with his own body.

“Sevha…”

Seeing him become covered in wounds for her sake, Elise’s voice was a pained apology.

“Put me down. I can run.”

“What? You demon! Don’t tell me you were just pretending to be the clumsy Lady Elise, the one who trips over her own feet in the castle hallways. Who are you and what have you done with her?”

Sevha joked, forcing a smile. Elise managed a small one in return.

But their smiles were lies, thin masks to hide their fear.

Too slow. We’ll be caught before long.

He couldn’t abandon her, but he couldn’t escape the bandits while carrying her.

If I fight them, I might take down four before a knife finds my back.

Only one option remained.

I have to call the Hunters and buy time. To do both at once…

His mind made up, Sevha spoke to Elise. “I’m sorry, Eli. This might get more dangerous.”

“What do you mean?”

Without answering, Sevha began to sing.

Sleep, my little one. Sink deep beneath the veil. Soon I will follow where dreams pale.

A chilling melody. Grim lyrics. It was Anse's Lullaby.

Singing while running shattered Sevha’s breathing, and his pace slowed. Elise and the pursuing bandits were bewildered by the self-destructive act.

But Sevha sang on.

If you do not sleep, the dark will feed. Yet even in its maw, sleep will find you. So yield, my darling, to rest.

Though dawn was near, the Labyrinth Forest remained dim. The lullaby echoed through the trees, a perfect match for the grim atmosphere, making the forest feel all the more bizarre.

I will weep unseen and drift after you. Rest gently, my child.

Just as he finished the first verse, he heard it.

Thoom…

A footstep, so faint only a Hunter of Anse could have perceived it.

He immediately stopped, setting Elise down behind a tree and standing protectively before her.

Moments later, the bandits crashed into the clearing, surrounding him as they panted for breath.

Catching his breath, the leader yelled, “You little shit…! You’ll pay for making me sweat!”

Sevha ignored him, focusing on the footsteps only he could hear.

Just a little longer…

To buy more time, Sevha met the leader’s gaze. “What gives a pack of bandits the nerve to trespass on the Great Road? The entire continent knows it's protected by treaty under the Papal See.”

“So what! The Papal See ain’t the one paying me!”

“So someone hired you to attack the carriage?”

The leader faltered, realizing Sevha knew they were hired blades.

But only for a moment. A sinister smile spread across his face as he leveled his longsword at Sevha.

“Now that you know, I just have to kill you.”

“Right. But see here, retard… you’re pointing your sword the wrong way.”

The leader hesitated, confused.

In the sudden silence, the sounds of the forest grew sharp and clear.

Whoooooo…

A sound like a woman weeping echoed through the forest, recalling the lullaby's grim lyrics.

Whoooo… thoom… whoooo…

And something heavy was walking.

Thoom… Thoom… THOOM…

The heavy footsteps grew louder, drowning out the wind.

A grin spread across Sevha’s face. “It’s here.”

The next instant.

CRACK! CRASH!

The sound of snapping timber erupted directly behind the bandits. A massive shadow fell over them.

They spun around to see what was casting it.

“What… is that?”

There stood a monster twice the size of a man. A gorilla-like beast with long arms and short, powerful legs.

Uwaaargh…

Its body, save for its face, was covered in long, brown fur. It had a large, blunt nose and eyes that were entirely red. Its mouth was filled with molars like stone pestles.

“A forest… troll.”

The moment a bandit breathed the monster’s name, the troll, drawn by Sevha’s lullaby, let out a vicious roar.

UWAAAAAAAAARGH!

It immediately smashed its fist into the face of the man who had spoken, caving it in.

Splattered with their comrade’s blood, the other bandits screamed and charged.

But their crude weapons and lack of skill were no match for the troll.

THWACK! THWACK! THUMP!

The troll mercilessly pummeled the bandits, smashing them to pieces. It then scooped up a chunk of flesh from the ground and stuffed it into its mouth, chewing noisily.

The sheer viciousness drove the remaining bandits mad, and they attacked with even more frenzy.

“Eli! Run, now! We run until the Hunters get—!”

As chaos erupted, Sevha turned to Elise. But just then, the troll crushed another bandit and charged straight for him.

Sevha shoved Elise aside and rolled under the troll’s lunge, narrowly dodging its attack. Scrambling up, he saw a bandit standing in a daze, his face a mask of blood. 

Sevha’s handaxe struck the man’s leg, felling him.

He heard Elise cry out, “Sevha! Behind you!”

As Sevha threw himself aside, the troll’s fist obliterated the fallen bandit’s torso. He scrambled to his feet, scanning the chaos.

The troll was swinging its fists wildly. The air filled with blood and gore, obscuring his view of Elise.

“Eli!”

As Sevha shouted, the troll grabbed another bandit by the head and looked at him as if to say, You’re next.

This one’s too big.

He just had to endure, not win. Sevha tightened his grip on his handaxe. The troll crushed the bandit’s head and prepared to charge.

Just then.

Pheeew—

A bird’s call.

Pheeew— pheeew— pheeew— pheeew—

The calls came from all directions.

Sevha understood instantly and bellowed a single word: “Hunt!”

Immediately, arrows rained down from all sides, striking bandits and troll alike.

The Hunters of Anse emerged from the trees and fell upon the outlaws. The bandits, already driven mad by the troll, were cut down without resistance.

But the troll was different. Roaring in defiance of the arrows embedded in its body, it charged at Sevha.

Uwaaaargh!

An arrow zipped past Sevha’s face and struck the troll in the head. As it screamed and halted its charge, Marina walked up from behind him.

“Marina… you shot that past my face on purpose, didn’t you?”

When Sevha confronted her, Marina, still fuming, stuck her tongue out at him. 

Sevha bit back a retort. “Kill that stupid monster first!”

At once, Sevha, Marina, and several other Hunters darted behind nearby trees. They circled the troll, moving erratically.

The troll's head whipped around, trying to track their movements.

One of the Hunters paused to shoot an arrow, and the troll charged him. But after only a few steps, the hunter vanished back into the trees as new arrows flew from behind, striking the troll’s legs.

The troll spun around, charging in the new direction, only for more arrows to pierce its legs from behind.

UWAAAAAARGH!

Consumed with the need to kill, the troll charged wildly at each new arrow, but each time, more would fly from behind and sink into its legs.

With dozens of arrows bristling from its limbs, the troll finally collapsed to its knees.

Just then, Sevha emerged from the trees directly in front of it. Holding his breath, he walked toward the beast, unleashing a volley of arrows without pause.

Thwip! Thwip! Thwip!

Arrow after arrow struck the troll’s face.

Thwip! Thwip! Thwip! Thwip! Thwip!

By the time Sevha had emptied his quiver and stood before the troll, its face was a pincushion. Even with him standing right there, the troll could only turn its eyes slowly to meet his.

Sevha grabbed one of the arrows lodged in its face and pulled. The troll pitched forward and collapsed.

THUD!

As Sevha looked at the dead troll and finally exhaled, he heard Elise’s scream.

“Sevha!”

He turned to see the bandit leader, his defeat certain, dragging Elise away as he fled.

“Marina! Take care of the rest!” Sevha sprinted after them.

“I’ll kill this woman if you follow me!”

The leader dragged Elise along, running with all his might, but the sound of Sevha's footsteps dogged his every move.

“St-stay back!”

The leader, overwhelmed by anxiety, glanced back.

The sight and sound of his pursuer vanished. But he knew.

He’s still chasing me.

He just had no idea where or how.

“I-I’ll kill her if you keep chasing!”

The unknown breeds indescribable terror.

“O-okay! I’ll let her go, just let me live!”

And that terror breeds belated pleas for life.

“From the start, I only meant to scare her—!”

The end of such pleas is always death. Sevha burst from the bushes beside the leader.

“Eli!”

The moment Sevha shouted, Elise bit the leader’s hand. As the man’s grip loosened, Sevha grabbed his right ankle and pulled.

Crash!

The leader hit the ground, and the last thing he saw was the falling blade of a handaxe.

SPLAT!

The sound of tearing hide and splintering bone. Blood sprayed across Sevha’s face as he brought the weapon down.

He dropped the handaxe and looked at Elise, who was slumped on the ground beside the corpse.

“Eli. Don’t just sit there, get up…”

Sevha started to snap, his usual harshness on his tongue, but he caught himself. For her, he wanted to be kind.

He slowly extended a hand and asked, “Are you okay, Eli?”

“Yes. I’m fi—”

Elise took his hand and tried to stand, but her foot slipped on the bandit’s blood.

“El—!”

Sevha yanked her hand, and she tumbled into his arms. He froze, her face close to his, the soft press of her body against his chest.

“Thank you for saving me, Sevha. Both times.”

Elise spoke with a gentle smile, but Sevha couldn’t find the words to reply. He could only hold her.

After a moment, the nearby bushes rustled. He immediately pushed Elise away and turned to see Marina emerge.

“Sevha, all the bandits are dead—”

Seeing Elise beside him, Marina cleared her throat and began again, her tone formal.

“Young Master Sevha, the bandits have all been dealt with.”

Sevha nodded and gave an order. “Then we move to the Right Wing Fortress.”

“Understood.”

“Sevha? Before we go, can we look for the rest of my party?”

“Eli. Give the Hunters a description of your people. They’ll find them.”

Elise gave him a grateful smile and walked toward the sound of the Hunters’ voices. 

Marina stepped into the space Elise had just vacated, right beside Sevha.

“That was fortunate, Sevha.”

Then, her tone slightly petulant, she reminded him of something he shouldn't forget. 

“If Count Edgar’s fiancée had met with misfortune in Anse, all hell would have broken loose.”

Edgar’s fiancée.

Sevha’s joy vanished then, replaced by a tightness in his chest.

He replied flatly, “Uh-huh…”

The sound was both an acknowledgment and a sigh.