OL - 03: The Hunter

FieryPebble led the party through the forest. Merlin followed nervously, watching the bushes for any sign of danger. Robin walked calmly beside him. Bors covered the rear. Suddenly, a bush began to shake. Merlin shrieked. Then, a little brown rabbit shot out from the bush and stood before the group licking its paw.  “Merlin, it’s just a rabbit, silly!” FieryPebble said.

“Ah, so it is. Ha ha…” Merlin said with a red face. He walked over to the rabbit and tried to pet it, but the rabbit shrieked and snapped at him, kicking off the ground and landing behind Bors’ leg, shaking in fear. As the party watched this scene, they began to fear for the rabbit because they were still somewhat intimidated by the large silent player. Surprisingly, Bors bent over to pick it up and began to pet it gently. Seeing this, Merlin drew his dagger and walked over with a satisfied smile. “Excellent job, Bors.” He said.  “Now, hold it tight while I finish it off.” Hearing this, Bors frowned and small teardrops danced on the edge of his eyes. He held the rabbit tighter, like a mother bear protecting her cub.

“Merlin, how could you say that!” FieryPebble cried. Robin nodded her head in dissatisfaction.

“What? Aren’t rabbits just beginner mobs players can kill for easy EXP and loot? (Mob is a term used in MMOs for monsters hunted for EXP. It is not accurate to call a rabbit a monster, so mob is more appropriate. Loot is a term referring to items dropped by a monster upon death.)  

“No! Just look at it!” FieryPebble retorted.

The rabbit looked up at Merlin with its jet-black eyes, glistening in the sun’s rays. Its nose wiggled to and fro as it innocently hid the anticipation buried in its heart. “I can admit it’s cute, but…” Merlin sighed. Faced with the glares of his party he could only let the matter go. ‘My precious experience points…’ he thought. As he put his dagger away, he noticed an aroma that did not seem at place with the forest. “Is that…tobacco? But where is it coming from?” Merlin asked.

The party scanned their surroundings. The forest was peaceful. They were surrounded by a thick net of trees and red-berried bushes. The wind blew gently through the trees causing leaves to slowly fall. A serene shushing sound filled the atmosphere. Sunlight broke into myriad rays as they shined through the thick canopy, lighting up the dark forest floor like countless mini spotlights. Nothing was amiss.

The party remained on high alert as the scent of tobacco grew stronger. The bushes beside them began rustling violently and the party knew this could not be the movement of a mere rabbit. They drew their weapons and assumed a diamond shaped battle formation with Bors in the front, Robin and Merlin on his flanks for support, and FieryPebble, as the healer, took the rear both for protection, and to monitor her allies’ health. Time passed slowly, and the party’s tensions were high. They all looked at each other and nodded as if they could read each other’s minds. ‘Here it comes.’ They thought.

“Ah ha! I knew I heard something!” A strangely clad man emerged from the thicket. He had a bearskin draped over him like a cloak. The bear’s head covered his golden hair like a hood, and the arms, claws and all, were tied around his neck. Underneath, he wore a hardened leather tunic, green trousers, and calf-high leather boots. A wooden bow was slung across his shoulder. A quiver filled with arrows hung from his side. A hunting knife lay tucked away in an ornate sheath hanging from the thick belt around his waist.

The strange man examined the party carefully as he puffed away at a peculiar wooden pipe. It was intricately carved in the shape of a ferocious dragon. Streams of smoke floated from its nostrils, and the red glow of burning tobacco could be seen from the holes that were its eyes, giving the impression that it was alive. The party was puzzled. They could not tell if he was friend or foe. As such, they readied their weapons, watching for any sudden movements. “Tell me, what is a group of adventurers doing wandering so deep into the forest of madness?” He asked.

The party looked at each other in worry, dropping their weapons slightly. ‘Forest of madness? Isn’t this just an ordinary forest?’ they thought. The strange man took a step forward, alarming the party. “Stay back!” cried Merlin. The party readied themselves once more and tightened their formation, watching the stranger warily.

“Oh ho! Don’t be frightened. I’m not your enemy. Look, I’ll stay right here. However, we don’t want to stay in one place too long. Despite this unusually calm atmosphere, this forest has become quite dangerous as of late. All this commotion is sure to have drawn the attention of one thing or another.” He said.

“Who are you?” asked Merlin.

“Hm. I’ll tell you, but not here. Follow me back to my cabin and I’ll tell you everything you want to know.” replied the strange man.

Merlin wasn’t sure what to do. He didn’t know if the stranger had any ulterior motives. For all they knew, he could be leading their party into a trap. As Merlin wrestled with the decision, a message flashed in front of his eyes.

[FieryPebble: I think we can trust him.]

[Merlin: What if it’s a trap?]

[FieryPebble: Think about it. If he really wanted to hurt us, then why did he reveal himself to us in the first place? Just look at that bow. He could have picked us off one by one from the shadows, but he didn’t.]

“Alright.” said Merlin. He put his dagger back in his sheath and walked over to the stranger. FieryPebble, Bors, and Robin followed suit.

“Excellent.” Said the stranger. “Follow me.”

The stranger led the party through the forest, taking many hidden paths which no normal person would ever be able to find. The party struggled to keep up, constantly tripping over branches and becoming ensnared in vines. Meanwhile the stranger moved through the thicket with ease. He was like a contortionist, twisting and turning his body, this way and that, lightly avoiding all manner of obstacles. Although navigating through the trees was difficult for the party, the hunter was unperturbed, singing merrily as he traversed the tangled wood. He sang:

The trees, the trees they call to me

The way they show is plain to see

The birds they sing a melody

And flap their wings so happily

The branching roots they point the way

No matter what the time of day

No matter if the sky is gray

With them our way will never stray

A twig that's bent reveals a hare

A branch that’s cracked reveals a bear

Take care, beware, the scent you air,

or you may be in for a scare!

After traversing what seemed like miles of tangled terrain, they emerged from the thicket and found themselves in a small clearing amidst the woods. There in the center was a quaint little cabin with smoke rising from the chimney. The stranger led the ragged party inside where they nearly collapsed from exhaustion. “No, no, that won’t do.” He said. “Go over there. I’ll bring you something to refresh yourselves.” He pointed over to a spot in front of the fireplace. Except for a single comfy armchair, there weren’t any chairs to sit on, so the party dragged themselves across the room and sat cross-legged on the floor.

Moments later, the stranger came back with a tray of refreshments and offered it to the party. He sat down in his chair, blowing smoke rings while the group recovered their strength. When they were finished eating, they sat there in silence, watching the shadows dance to the crackling of the fire on each other’s faces. Unable to take the silence any longer, Merlin opened his mouth to speak, however the stranger spoke first.

“So, I’ll ask again. What is a group of adventurers doing wandering around the Forest of Madness? Did the guild send you? How irresponsible.”

“That’s right. We are on a mission from the Adventurer’s guild. We are searching for a missing man who was last seen coming to this forest to chop wood.” Merlin said.

“I see… I seem to remember seeing someone like that recently. Unfortunately, I have not seen this person since then. I would not be surprised if he’s been caught by the wild beasts of this forest by now.” The stranger solemnly said.

“What do you mean? This forest seems so peaceful.” Replied FieryPebble.

“You’ve wandered into a dangerous place. Indeed, not long ago, this forest used to be quite peaceful. It seems a mysterious power has driven the normally docile creatures of this forest mad. Pixies, wolves, bears, boars, rabbits, and even squirrels will bite your face off if you’re not careful. That’s not even the worst of it. Goblins have emerged from their caves and now wander this forest. You’re lucky I found you before they did. They’re a nasty bunch.” He said.

“Who are you?” asked Merlin

“They call me the Hunter.” He said.

“The Hunter?”

“That’s my name,” he said, “but you can just call me Hunter.”

“Okay, Hunter. If this forest is so dangerous, why are you here?” asked Merlin.

“I am an agent of the Adventurer’s guild. I was sent to investigate the cause of the madness inflicted upon the creatures that reside in this forest. You must understand, this is not normal. The animals here have always been peaceful, and the Goblins have never left their caverns. Unfortunately, I’ve been so busy culling the maddened animal population that I haven’t had the chance to explore the root of the situation.” Hunter puffed his pipe as if ruminating over some problem, blowing swirling wisps of smoke out with every breath.

Having come to a conclusion, he looked up at the party with a gleam in his eye. “I’ve got it. How about we help each other out? Help me with my work and I will keep an eye out for your missing man as I investigate the source of this madness.”  As soon as Hunter said this, a message popped up in front of the eyes of the party.

[Hidden Quest! Hunter’s Helper

Difficulty: E

The Hunter has requested help with a few tasks…

5000 EXP per quest. Complete them all to receive a special reward. Accept?]

Next Chapter >

< Previous Chapter