Chapter 1: Seedling Of Curiosity

Being one of the strongest hunters around really has its perks sometimes. You get money, strength, and some pretty sick stories to tell anyone who asks. My latest kill—a rogue silver ridge-back earth dragon that was a major pain in the ass to deal with—is really heavy though. Like, really fucking heavy. Guards stopped me from dragging it all the way inside so I had to butcher the fucker by the eastern town gates and call for several large carts to get it all to an appraiser, which was after I lugged it several dozen kilometers because I’m an idiot and forgot to ask someone who can cast levitate on things to come with me. I never feel good about using my blade—a silver long sword I’ve had for years with a really nice leather grip and rune engravings on the hilt—to cleave into the dead bodies of beasts like I just did. Dragon meat pays, however, and the scales are harder than mithril so plated armor with that would be amazing. Can’t complain when I’m getting paid in the thousands of platinum coins, right? I’m sure that my beloved partner in battle will forgive me if I apologize, not that I would know for sure since it can’t talk or anything.

Before I enter town with my two carts, I check to see if my helmet is properly attached to my head, wishing to show as little of the town my ugly mug as possible, especially when basically every pair of eyes in the vicinity is locked onto me. It feels like I'm prey being cornered by a predator that's been hunting me for hours, a creeping, icky feeling up and down my spine whenever their eyes happen to meet mine. Having the identity privacy is pretty sweet though, and the most people can see with my gear on is my lips and chin when I eat and drink, which brings me some peace of mind. Some call me odd, others call me suspicious, which I think is a weird thing to be worried about since there are absolutely worse things going on in this fuckin' place that they could maybe pay attention to instead. Their staring and judging don't matter though, because the children think I’m cool. There also seems to be a sizable number of women who fantasize about what I may look like underneath my armor, to the point that there seems to be some sort of unofficial contest to see who can fully identify my face first. I would rather not know what the prize is for such an unsettling competition, so I focus on what might be for dinner as I wrap up my daily business with the butcher and my dragon scale armor order with the blacksmith.

The tavern I typically hit after a long, hard day of work is about as rowdy as usual, rounds of beer piling higher than some stacks of plates on various tables as I sit down for my meal of the day. Some pause their loud and joyful chats to whisper about my great deeds as if I were some far gone legend when I pass them by, which is another weird thing that people seem to love doing in this town. They drastically overestimate how easy my greatest monster kills were and argued over however many orphans I saved from great peril the previous week, which was also an exaggeration since all I did was simply fix a fallen section of the fence surrounding the orphanage on the west end. Many people here see me for what I do, and despite their tall tales and overblown interpretations, I quite like it that way. Takes attention away from all the darker things that come with the job, like culling rat bastards that get a little too uppity with the women 'round here. 

I wave to the bar lady, who is a younger woman I think of as my sister from a few towns over—a tall and muscular orc with various scars on xer arms and face that discolor xer gray-blue skin, stunning jade colored eyes that cut right through most poker faces, and a rough but friendly attitude that gets xer into trouble. I feel like xe is far too young and talented to be stuck working an establishment with an unruly customer base like this one, which mainly consists of random losers with enough guts to harass xer in front of me and the town's most notorious group of stalkers that everyone just seems to tolerate for some fuckin' reason. I've never told xer though, because the place is xer baby and I like to think of myself as supportive. It generally isn’t my thing to stick my nose into someone else’s business, but I'm pretty sure xe doesn't mind it when I silently curse anyone who tries to mess with xer using a handy item I picked up from the apothecary. Why that woman has a godsdamn curse stick in her shop's inventory is beyond me, but I’m smart enough to know that there are just some things you don’t ask someone like that. Where she pulls her sticks from is none of my business, I just know that they work as advertised and I have no intention of letting filth ruin my or Regina's day.

My sister glides across the floor towards me, frost forming underfoot and fading in a trail behind xer with no trace as xe approaches. “Well if it isn’t Gayle! How the hells are ya, buddy?” Xer voice is ear splittingly loud, but warm and full of cheer which brings me some much needed comfort. “Back already?”

“Hey Regina, good to see you too.” I bring xer in for a hug, which gets me crushed by a much tighter response hug. “How're things goin' here? Settling in okay?”

Xe sports a toothy smirk. “Great, now that my beloved elder brother is one of the strongest adventurers in the country! I got customers from port towns coming to see if you'll show up, it's crazy! Everything else is good too. People are loving all of those new dishes I told you about, and it’s been a nice couple of weeks just settling in and listening to your escapades be regaled in the most overblown ways imaginable by randos who have no clue.” I’m squeezed a bit tighter, which I needed to stave off the growing anxiety in my tummy. “Thank you, Gayle. For helping me get started here, and for always making sure I’m okay and can do my job properly. Place wouldn’t be the same or as good without you.”

I pull away a little bit—which takes more strength than I’d like to admit—and reach up to pat xer cheek. “Every single bit of your current and past success was won with your hard work and incredible vision. While I may have had a hand in helping you get started, don’t ever forget that none of this would have happened without the work you put in for all these years in all those bars.” I pull her head down so our brows touch. “Never forget how important the sweat and tears you poured into are, dear sister. They made this place what it is now, and they set the stage for what it will be.” I plant a light kiss on xer right cheek. “Remain strong, Regina. You've only just begun your journey.”

A few newcomers whistle and cheer at our conversation, rooting for us as if we were some sort of sport to be observed by their perverted eyes and filthy ears. “It’s smokin' in here! Look at em go!” A human in what appears to be some piss yellow mage robes drunkenly embarrasses himself while observing with his disgusting, depraved eyes I wish to gouge out. I make an attempt to ignore the table of fools as an act of mercy, but Regina isn’t so kind and speaks xer beautiful mind.

“Why don’t you three dumbasses get back to eating, before I slit your throats and drain your blood for the broth of the next round of soup right here and now?” Most of their faces go white when they see every other living soul besides them and me look away and go eerily silent. “I don’t mind collecting some bones and skin, though I haven’t done so in quite some time, so I'll be a bit rusty. You don't mind, do you?” Regina cracks xer knuckles and rolls xer shoulders to loosen up for one of her classic ass whoopings. Gods, I am so proud of my sister right now.

The lone dumbass that didn’t get the message stands up, a large and powerfully built gray skinned orc with viridian basilisk hide light mail on, a club and greataxe strapped to his back that he seems ready to draw at any moment, and quite possibly the ugliest face I’ve ever had the misfortune of seeing in my life. “Who are you?” His snide and sickeningly deep voice rakes across my ears, making me almost wish I hadn’t come by. Almost.

Well this guy fucking sucks! “Why don’t you show the kind owner of this place some respect? Xe does have a hand in what we all eat, so I would watch what you say from now on. If you plan on having any kind of future, back the fuck off and go back to sucking ox bones or something!” My snide comment elicits a chuckle from a few brave souls around the room.

“And who the fuck are you, bitch?” He stomps over to me, as if the mere fact I’m a man challenges his very existence. Typical male bullshit. “Come to defend your mistress, little girl?”

What impressively dimwitted insults. I stand, my now hidden grinning face coming up to his chest, which is slightly annoying but won’t get me to back off even a millimeter. “If you must goad me, let us at least take things outside so we don't fuck everyone's dining experience over more than you already have. The grass out back should be enough space for a bout, if you aren't scared of course.” Turning on my heel and leaning over to grab my sword, I take approximately two steps forward before finding his damned foot in my way. This fucker bullies like a child would.

“You scared to have too many onlookers when I kick your sorry ass, princess?” He steps in front of me, which is the last move this filth will ever make in his miserable life. “C'mon, feather duster. Right here, right-”

His head rolls before I finish the slashing motion, the arc of my blade a shimmering silver afterimage as I go to grab a wool cloth from my utility pouch to wipe the blood off of my sword. No one dares to scream, but quite a few raise a hand to their neck and cringe away as I inspect my partner one last time to scrub away any last spots I missed. Satisfied with my handiwork, I sheathe my blade and give his detached head a light kick, turning back to go eat the steak and potatoes my sister has set out for me. Fearful eyes watch as I savor each bite, eventually calming down and settling into their own conversations once they realize I won’t go on a killing spree. Not today, anyways. Too much work. I’ll have to carry the body to the graveyard after this, don’t wanna ruin business anymore than I likely already have. I finish up my food quickly to make good on that, paying off my bill with a handful of silver coins that's definitely way over what xer actually charges, and then I give my farewells to Regina despite xer insistence on taking care of me for the night. Digging around in my pack for something to wrap the heads and bodies of trash in is always a bit annoying, but I found some spare cloth bundles pretty quick this time, which means I can finally head off to dump this loser at the graveyard, where his dead, stupid self will be in the unsettlingly cold and capable hands of the town's mortician.

The city’s burial grounds are just outside of the walls, a fenced area with its backside bordered by a thick and vibrant forest not too far away from the southern gates. The guard recognized my armor immediately upon my approach, letting me through without so much as a peep despite the fact that I’m carrying around a bundled up dead man and his detached head like it's luggage. They, of course, will likely whisper about this sight into the night like usual regardless of if I ask them not to, because gossip is one of the few things people who live here are really good at. It’s a wonder that rumors of me being an imperial executioner haven’t spread considering this is the third time I’ve done this. The men at my sister’s bar just never seem to learn their lesson.

I don’t stick around long. I quickly give my silent greetings to the cloaked mortician, drop off the body in their care, then I instantly turn on heel to leave before they get the chance to catch me in weird death-related small talk. I always get the chills being here, and the fact that I know nothing in particular about this person isn’t helping in any case. Death was never something I enjoyed thinking about too deeply anyways, so there's no point in me getting to know them. Small talk isn't something I particularly enjoy, anyway.

More than excited to be back within the town walls, I fight the urge to skip—tough men like me don't do silly things like that, and I shouldn't go against the unspoken rules so blatantly—while on my way to acquire information on a strange beast I heard rumors about from some hunter 'friends' of mine. Their description of it was quite bizarre, as apparently some beast shaped like a bush—or perhaps it is a sentient bush, no one knows these days with all the mutations and experiments going on—is the culprit of a string of hunter killings in the past six months. It’s favored time to strike seems to be while they're out fulfilling plant gathering requests in the forest, which is basically the only useful info they told me in their little speech. Hopefully the guild knows something more than ‘it hunts when you least expect it and leaves nothing but a piece of your broken gear behind’.

When I step inside the spacious cherry wood accented hall, Susie, an information guild specialist I regularly work with on tougher jobs, immediately waves me over as if she knew I needed her skills today. Her intel is always impeccable, never having led me astray in all my years here. If I had to name one flaw, it would be her obsession with being cutesy all the damn time. And the constant yapping. I'm someone who enjoys a good bout of silence for thinking, but she is someone that enjoys flapping her lips when thinking. But despite all this, the little shit somehow managed to grow on me and become one of my favorite people in this town. How the hell does that shit even work?

“Hey, man! Goin' back out? I set aside some guild requests, if you wanna have a look. But it seems like you already have something in mind?” She tilts her head and leans forward to act all innocent and cute, but I know better than to fall for a common trick that she pulls all the time to get a quick reaction. She does this shit every time I sit at her desk, and I have no idea why. I'm pretty sure she isn't like this with her other clients, especially since most of the others just kinda give me a funny look whenever I say something about it. Weird.

It is endearing though, and I do hope she continues to be the way that she is. The world needs more people like her. “You know me so well. Heard some rumors about a weird bush creature, apparently has been targeting some of the hunters going deep into the forest for ingredients or some shit. Was hoping to tackle that over the next week or so, figured I could scout ahead for request teams before they head to deeper sections. Who knows, maybe I kill it before anyone else can get to it!” I chuckle, but my chest feels hollow where the joy from making a funny joke is. Fun!

She puffs her cheeks out at my lack of response to her measly taunt. One point for me! “You and your familiars are probably in the best position to take that thing on, considering the fact that you have like, three that can probably take on all of our other high ranking hunters one on one easy peasy. I still can’t figure out how you managed to contract with so many, and so early in your life too. It's simply unprecedented!” Her eyes study my shielded face as if I’m a taxidermied specimen of a rare species she’s never seen before. 

I don’t like it when people pry. “I’m here for information, not to be barraged with questions I have no obligation to dignify an answer to. Tell me about the request, please.”

Susie raises her hands in a mocking surrender. “Fine, fine, sorry I asked.” She places a stack of papers on her reception desk, cheeks tinted a light pink from embarrassment. “Got most of it right there, and the rest up here!” A goofy grin spreads across her face as she taps her forehead and begins laying it all out for me.

This girl is good people. I just hope she has enough info so I can save this town from this damn bush thingie. Saving others is about all I'm good for, after all.