Blind Trust
A starving mouse hastily runs under the full moon. Desperately searching around a dirt path. Misfortune follows this creature. No matter how hard it works, it can't find food. Winter has taken everything.
The corpse of a wither tree takes pity. Under its last breath, the tree drops a nut.
The fool runs after the nut. Ignoring its screaming instincts. The nut is lifted to the moon. The mouse thanked the stars above. A feeling short-lived.
Under the shadow of the dead tree, a snake hides. Waiting for the perfect moment to claim its meal.
As quickly as the blessing came, the snake ate the mouse. Now, the nut belongs to the snake, but what purpose does a nut hold for a snake? In truth, the snake does not care for the nut. Regardless, it now belongs to them.
Sadly for the snake — in this cruel world, what goes around comes around — an owl takes flight from the tree. Its eyes on the snake. Its sharp talons smash the skull of the slippery devil, causing its instant death.
The owl ignores the lizard's corpse and instead claims the nut for itself. Back on the top of the dead tree, the owl inspects its newly acquired treasure.
For now, the owl holds no use for the nut, but it does recognize its value. The owl keeps the nut. Foolishly holding hope.
A man sent by Fort Blood walks on this dirt path. The same path the mouse followed. He saw everything. Yet his heart wasn't moved. To this man, he witnessed nature. A nature that follows all.
This man is a Hunter. A Hunter on a mission. Heading to a small village near The Mighty River.
Unlike Hunters from other forts, this one works at night. Just like his peers from Fort Blood. The nightly terrors can't control Leiz.
A skillful man he is, years of knowledge rest with him. A pale man he is, as pale as the full moon. Faintly white pink hair adorns this man's skull, and for the windows of his soul, the color gold is worn.
A black cloak hides this man from the chili night. Underneath, he wears dark leather armor. Not only his appearance this cloak hid, but the various tools and equipment its master carried.
After a long walk, Leiz reaches the village. He spends no time settling in and quickly goes to business. He does not care for the schedule of the village and knocks on the door that desperately called him. On the third knock, the door is answered. An angrily peasant man, the door reveals, “Who calls this late at night?”
Leiz shows an open letter to the man, at which the man responds, “Are you stupid? Since when do peasants read!”
Leiz quickly points at the sigil that signed the letter, and the attitude of the man instantly changes, “Fort Blood sent you! I am sorry, please take no offense to this hag. I beg you to come in!”
The man moves aside welcoming Leiz, but he does not enter, “Please sir, I don't wish to speak out in the cold.” He finally gives up and enters the home.
Leiz is guided not so far from the door to a wooden table in a corner. The man looks at Leiz, “I can't offer much but please sit with me as I explain.”
Leiz did as asked, and the man quickly followed, “My boy has been missing since before winter. I fear he’s lost. He's muted so he cant get help to come back.
“If he stays lost for long, the winter will surely take him. I need my boy back, I can't work on the farm by me self and he is the only one I have left.
“I do not have anything to pay you but you must not worry about that. Fort Blood owns me since I help one of you’re people,” The man keeps rambling drawing at straws in hopes Leiz would help him.
Leiz’s patient runs out, and he interrupts with hand gestures, “Where was he last seen?”
Unfortunately, the man didn't understand, “Are you muted like my boy?”
Leiz ignores him and stands.
“Please find my boy.”
With basic hand movements, Leiz communicates he will be back. Hopefully, the man understood.
The Hunter walks around the small village. There are only a couple of houses here and there. A large open file, mostly empty, except for a few cabbages. A barn stood nearby, all the animals sleeping in it.
Where would a muted boy go? Leiz had an idea based on rumors he heard about the Mighty River. So he walks to the river bank.
The river flows slowly and peacefully. The pleasant sounds hypnotizing Leiz. The reflection of the moon looks more attractive than ever. The water commands Leiz to kneel and drink. Maybe take a bath in it.
The moment it all began, Leiz knew what was going on. Still, he waits, playing into the game. This is his only lead. He can't let it go so easily.
He kneels and drinks from the river. The cold water froze his hand and throat. He stays near the water. Waiting for his moment.
A small noise from behind finally comes out. Leiz looks behind, slowly not to startle them.
A woman was caught. She was slowly walking towards Leiz, but she betrayed her own stealth. She looks back at the Hunter in surprise, “Not going to attack me?”
Leiz slowly stands up and turns to face the woman. He doesn't do anything. Just stare at her. Not menacingly, but not welcoming either.
“That's a first,” the woman spoke and relaxed, “A Hunter who doesn't kill a monster at sight. Here I thought I had to fight.”
The woman waits for Leiz, but nothing happens, “What? Did my charm stun you?”
“Have you seen a boy?” Leiz signs.
“Ah, you mute. Sorry I don't speak hands.”
Leiz just stands there, not doing anything but starring.
“Well if you're not going to attack me. Then give me company. It's been a while. Maybe we can fuck or something.”
The woman turns and walks deeper into some small woods. Leiz follows keeping his distance.
They reach a small campfire near a fallen log. The woman walks closer to the fire, and leans against the log. Sitting on the floor.
Leiz walks closer to the fire, but stays on the opposite side of the woman. Bones shards surround the campfire, but they're not identifiable.
“Do all mute speak hands?”
Leiz shook his head.
“They should. How else would they communicate? I mean, it's not like they can speak with everyone, but at least they can try. Instead of just, nothing.”
Leiz notices a small orange rock hanging from the woman's neck, tight by some makeshift cord. The rock seems to have been part of a proper necklace, but something or someone snatched it. Destroying what once was precious.
The woman looks at Leiz, waiting for something, but nothing happens. She stands up and walks around the campfire. Getting close to Leiz.
The fire suddenly becomes attractive, and the woman next to it becomes a goddess of beauty. She walks around Leiz, touching his shoulders. She stops in front of him and goes for a kiss.
Leiz stops the woman, “Urh! If we can't talk and you don't want to fuck, why are you here?”
Leiz hands her an open letter. The woman takes it and walks back to her side of the campfire. She looks at the letter and reads, “Freum, if you receive this letter. Send our human Hunter to the village near the Mighty River. South of the Night Kingdom’s ruins. There is a lonely farmer and his boy who I own a favor. This letter means the farmer has claimed his due favor.”
The woman looks back at Leiz. Her face desperately trying to hide her fear, “Can I keep the letter? I don't have many things to read.”
Leiz nods, and the woman puts the letter on a small chest near the fallen log, “Well I guess you have to go. To complete that favor, right?”
Leiz points and taps his lower part of his neck.
“What about your neck?”
He points at the woman, then back on his neck.
She looks down and sees the orange rock hanging, “Oh this thing? It's nothing, I found it on the river bed,” she quickly hides her necklace underneath her clothing with a nervous glance.
“You must go now, right?”
Leiz points at the bone fragments near the campfire. The woman follows his finger, and sees what he is pointing at. Her eyes widen, and she tries to kick the bones away but horrible misses.
Leiz stares deep into the woman's eyes. Her face is clearly scared.
Her body deforms and turns into a human size owl. She lifts to the air and tries to fly away.
Leiz drops his cloak and pulls out his whip. Tangling the tip around the owl's talon. He pulls on the creature and slams it on the ground.
The owl stands somewhat away from Leiz, “The boy came to me. He stole my rock. I had to get it back.”
Leiz shook both hands, then slid a finger across his neck.
“Why kill him? I had no choice. Without the rock I am just an owl. I can't speak. I couldn't let him get away.”
“So you just killed him!?”
“I don't understand!” the owl frantically flipped its wings, “Just let me go! I'll leave and go far away, and never mess with another human.”
Leiz shakes his head.
“Are you going to kill me?”
He shakes his head again.
The owl stops and looks back in surprise. Leiz stretches his palm, lays his other hand on top and scribbles.
“Writing? I don't have a pen.”
Leiz pulls out his sword, startling the owl, but relaxes as soon as she sees Leiz writing something on the floor with it.
“Dont… go… follow… me.”
“Why?”
“Save… place… monster.”
“A safe place for monsters?”
Leiz nods his head. The owl looks back not knowing what to do, “I don't trust you.”
Leiz face got serious, “You want to fuck me, but can't trust me?”
The owl laughs understanding one word. Leiz erases his previous words and writes, “Others… kill… you.”
The owl turns back to her human form and walks closer, “What about the farmer? Aren't you here to kill me?”
Leiz points at himself, looks around, then writes ‘boy’ at the ground.
“Alright, what are you going to tell him?”
Leiz grabs his cloak and gives it to the woman. Her previous clothes got destroyed. He looks at the woman and writes “Wait.”
Leiz walks back to the village. The farmer was waiting outside for the Hunter, “Where is my boy?”
Leiz extends his hand. The farmer, in his confusion, mimics him. Leiz drops bone fragments into his hands.
“What? No! He's out there. Look for him!”
Leiz shakes his head, and the farmer begins to cry.
The Hunter never got used to this part. Both humans and monsters are just trying to live. Sadly, sometimes conflict will arise, and one side ends up dead. What is he supposed to do? Kill the monster? That won't help. Especially the ones who mourn the lost one.
“It was a monster wasn't it? Did you kill it?”
Leiz nods, but that isn't enough. It's never enough, “I want to see its dead body.”
He pulls out a huge feather and hands it to him, “That's not enough. Bring me its head.”
Leiz turns around and leaves. He doesn't bother trying to communicate. If he brought the head, nothing would change. The farmer will just be in debt for the service and will have to either spend his life savings or spend his life paying.
“I'll give you all my gold. If it's not enough, I'll pay you back. Just bring me the head!”
Leiz just keeps walking away. Down the path back to Fort Blood. Ignoring the plea from the farmer.
Once Leiz walked faraway. The woman suddenly joins him on his journey. Wearing his black coat, “Why didn't you just kill me? I am a monster. Why didn't you assume I was lying?”
He points at her necklace. At the orange rock.
“What about it?”
He then points at himself and then his ear.
“You, ear? You heard of it?”
He nods.
“What did you heard?”
He points at his mouth, then wiggle his fingers, and finish with his hand mocking speech.
“Mouth, no, speak? You can't say?”
Laiz shakes his head and tries again.
“So you heard, mouth, no, speak. Oh! You heard the rock can help people speak?”
Leiz nods. The boy surely heard the rumors. The all powerful healing rocks of the Mighty River. He saw one that didn't belong to him, and paid with his life for it.
“So you help me because you want my rock.”
Leiz shakes his head.
“You don't want my rock? Why? Don't you want to speak?”
Leiz never cared about speaking. All his life, he had to deal with his muteness. He has managed to survive and become a Hunter. A great warrior needed by the world. Sure, if he could speak things could be better, but at the end of the day nothing really changes. He's still the same person.
This woman already cares about her rock. Why would he risk his and her life for it?
Leiz ignores the woman's questions and just keeps walking. This doesn't stop her and she keeps asking more questions. Where is Leiz taking this monster to? Well, she will learn soon enough.
“I really hope this isn't a trap,” the woman confessed, “I want to believe a ‘monster’ like me can live in this world without being hunted. Hunted because of who we are.”
