Tobias

Chapter 4: Tobias

The sun hung low in the sky, casting long shadows across the quaint Herux village.

Mabel Griffith paced anxiously by the village entrance, her hands shaking as she scanned the horizon for any sign of her son, Vincent. He had been gone for hours, and it was not like him to be out so late without notifying her.

"Where could he be?" Mabel whispered under her breath, her voice filled with worry. She paused, leaning against the rough wooden gate with a heavy sigh, trying to quell her rising panic.

At that moment, a cloud of dust rose in the distance, accompanied by the rhythmic pounding of hooves. Mabel's heart leaped into her throat as she watched a squad of knights from the Church of the Red Moon arrive.

As they entered the village, the villagers surrounded them all trying to get a look at the powerful knights passing through. The children were especially filled with excitement, as their eyes widened looking at the knights glimmering armor.

After all, what child doesn't dream of being a powerful hero?

A visible look of contempt flashed across the faces of many of the knights. It was clear, they had little interest in stopping by such an impoverished small village. Despite this, they at least showed some professionalism by pretending to act friendly to the villages.

As the last of the knights filed into the village, another horse appeared, its rider exuding an air of authority.

Adorned in dark red armor, a man sat tall in the saddle. A fellow knight quickly ran up to and addressed him as "Your Grace" with a respectful bow, emphasizing the difference in their ranks.

"Your Grace" Mabel called out, noticing the new arrival's eyes seemed much kinder, Mable stepped forward and gathered her courage. "Please, help! My son, Vincent has not returned from his hunt"

Tobias surveyed the concerned mother, his eyes narrowing beneath his helmet. Without a word, he dismounted his horse and approached Mabel, his greatsword resting on his back. The other knights watched the exchange while shaking their heads in disinterest.

"Describe your son to me" Tobias ordered, his voice deep and commanding. Mabel hesitated, wondering if he would really help her or if this was just an act of courtesy before brushing her off.

Mabel started to explain her son's appearance, her words tumbling over one another in her haste to provide as much information as possible.

"He's never gone missing like this before" she muttered still shaken by the situation

Tobias considered her words for a moment, his gaze examining the nearby forest, as he assessed the situation. Then, with a decisive nod, he turned back to his horse and swung atop the saddle.

"Stay here" he instructed Mabel, his tone firm but not unkind. "I will find your son"

With that, Tobias spurred his horse forward, leaving the village and its awe-struck inhabitants behind as he ventured into the encroaching darkness, determined to find Vincent and bring him home safely.

One of the knights scoffed at the situation, clearly uninterested in Mabel's plight. "We don't have time to look for a single lost hunter" he sneered, his disdain evident.

Tobias, however, shook his head at the knight's behavior. Without a word, he spurred his horse toward the forest, ignoring the knight who questioned his actions.

Before leaving Tobias scanned the other knights before throwing a steely glare, quickly silencing any further protests, and with that, Tobias disappeared into the dark foliage.

—

Back in the underground lair, where Vincent was still bound by the metal straps. The cold metal dug into his skin, leaving painful indentations as he struggled against his restraints. Dead bodies of previous experiments surrounded him, their lifeless eyes staring blankly into the void.

"Please" he whispered, his voice strained from his many attempts to scream for help. "Let me go"

The masked figure paid little attention to his plea, instead focusing on the only other captive still alive, a young girl quivering with terror.

Vincent's heart ached for her, knowing the same fate awaited them both if no one came to their rescue. As the masked figure prepared for another vile experiment, the girl sobbed quietly. Vincent's anger bubbled up once again, as he screamed at the masked man.

"Leave her alone!" he yelled, straining against his bindings.

The masked figure paused, turning its emotionless stare to Vincent. For a few seconds, the silence hung heavy in the air, thick with tension. Then, the figure turned away, seemingly unaffected by Vincent's outburst, and resumed the gruesome work.

Vincent's mind raced, desperate for a way to escape and protect the girl. As he wracked his brain, he could feel his last glimpses of hope already slipping away.

As Vincent sent out one last hopeful prayer for help, Tobias was determinedly pushing through the forest in search of him.

Frustration shook beneath Vincent's skin as he watched the masked figure's experiment fail once more. The girl's body collapsed, lifeless and broken, her eyes vacant.

"Is this what you wanted?" Vincent spat through gritted teeth. "Another failure? Another life taken for your sick experiments?"

The masked figure remained silent, as cold and unfeeling as ever. It placed the dark blue liquid orb on a small stool in front of Vincent before walking away to retrieve more tools for experimentation.

As Vincent stared at the orb, curiosity, and dread mingled in his chest, clawing at him like wild beasts. He knew that his final moment was quickly approaching.

As the masked figure approached the table, ready to continue its ghastly work, an explosion suddenly rocked the underground lair. Dust and debris filled the air, choking Vincent's breath and clouding his vision. Amidst the chaos, the large orc crumpled to the ground, a gaping hole burned into its stomach.

"Wh-what's happening?" Vincent coughed, squinting through the haze.

"An intruder?" the masked figure hissed, its tone suddenly charged with menace.

"An intruder?" Vincent pondered on this new development, his heart pounding with a mixture of fear and hope.

Could it be a potential ally? Or was it just another monster waiting to kill him? Regardless, he knew that this was his only chance to escape this nightmare.

His hope for survival ignited once again, as his eyes wandered the room for any possible opportunities.

A metallic clang rang through the air as a dark red armored figure appeared. Tobias, stormed into the lair, his black greatsword gleaming with anger. The masked figure snarled, abandoning their tools to draw a twisted dagger from their belt.

"How dare you interrupt my work?" the masked figure shouted coldly.

"Your twisted experiments end here!" Tobias replied with steely determination, his deep voice echoing through the chamber.

With that declaration, the two combatants charged at each other, their weapons colliding in a shower of sparks. The ferocity of their battle was breathtaking; metal clashed against metal, and their movements were swift and brutal. Despite being bound, Vincent couldn't help but be drawn into the intensity of the fight, his heart racing with each blow exchanged.

An ember of hope flickered in his chest.

As their struggle raged on, Tobias delivered a powerful swing that missed the masked figure but struck one of the machines keeping Vincent restrained. The impact sent a jolt through the contraption, causing it to shake. With a final agonizing screech, the machine gave way, and Vincent's bindings fell apart.

Vincent tumbled onto the floor, crying out in pain as he landed directly on the dark blue liquid orb.

The orb shattered on impact, its contents seeping into his skin and sending waves of searing agony throughout his body. He convulsed violently, his muscles seizing beyond his control.

"Help...me..." he choked out between gasps for air, his vision blurred by tears of anguish. But the two combatants were too engrossed in their fierce battle to notice his plight.

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