3 He came back
The night was on its time to bring the monsters to rise. Their hunt came and a single soul was left traveling in the forest.
Howls of demon wolves felt nasty, especially in the heart and the skin. Hairs went up as Troan heard them. His heart was still not getting used to the fright they were making him feel.
Leaves crackle with every step. The wind howled and the temperature started to fall. The slumbering beast went shrieking as they started to wake up their comrades.
The dark fog started to blur his vision and the crimson clouds above descended after the temperature changed.
The night has come and the sun has set. Making the light dim out as darkness has taken over. Following the diverse geographical arrangements of roots on his paths, he felt that they were there for hundreds of years.
How unlucky they were after meeting the ends of their lives. The forest was dead and life has faded. Making the mood in its midst, gloomy spine-chilling insanity and the brooding mood continued to worsen the longer he heard several howling monsters nearby.
Troan was feeling uncomfortable while the wind whooshes on the trees. His pulse was hasty on pumping and he tried his best not to freak out at every jerking of any creature.
The pace of his walk was neither fast nor slow. To think of it, he didn't know whether he should be fast in his pace or mind his surroundings to potentially alert enemies.
He was not confident in fighting, nor escaping unscathed. His memories tell him that he didn't venture into the forest in the past in this lifetime and was under the protection of the walls of the village.
Although he was nimble as he was a food thief in the past, he was not confident in killing monsters. Luckily, the demon foxes he met were cowards and weak.
He scanned his memories but the only thing he knew was his past and his mission. Other than that were the memories of the past owner.
He named himself Troan as he admired the strongest hero in his eyes, the strongest guardian of mankind. He felt proud as he named himself that and others felt that he was so cheeky to name himself with that name.
But as for his parents, they were unheard of and were not even remembered. He can only hope to meet them soon.
Traveling with his compass as his guide, he followed north where his destiny lies. Time passes by and his backpack was slightly becoming heavier, he can only tighten his grip on the shoulder pads and carried on.
The village walls caught a glimpse of his eyes and torchlights were slowly burned one by one from afar. His hope was once again reignited by what he has seen.
Every step was made to get closer to what he dearly wished to return. The place where his life has begun and raised him. It was not impossible to reach it as he knew but a feeling of bitterness was felt in his heart.
The fog has finally made its presence materialize, so fast that he felt alarmed and surprised.
Troan's vision of the village has slowly become hazy and the torchlights became clouded. His breath was steamy and unstable, slightly feeling the mix of both natures of being afraid and cold.
Mouth stuttering on the result of what he felt. The steady buildup of distress made him feel like his heart raced. Making him want to have a breather on all that he felt. As we said, his bosom was about to explode and he was enduring what he felt for an hour.
His vision can make him see several trees nearby and their radius was only a meter from where he stood. He grabbed the compass and can still see its direction not being misled by any nearby strong magnet.
Practically making him see the direction of the village was. He then went to the nearby tree and let out his discomfort on his bosom. His discomfort then became a pleasure and his stiff muscles loosened up for the moment he peed.
The tree bark he was facing was having its definitive outlook. The fine lines were seen cutting through the bark from the bottom left upwards to the upper right.
"Seems a claw mark," Troan muttered.
'Claw marks?'
Troan felt like an idiot. A mishap was realized in his mind as he saw many scattered bones and monster wastes. The fog and his urination did their part to his doom. Troan then felt panic slowly building up inside his mind.
He crouched and slowly steps away from the place he was in. Careful not to step on anything littered on the ground.
A worried expression was seen with a hint of caution as his sweat was trickling on his face. It was then, that a splattering sound was heard dropping on his back. He jolted a bit and then turned around.
Lifting his head as he heard small critters above the trees. His mind was playing with him once again as he felt alerted.
The fog cleared a bit and saw numerous winged creatures hanging upside down. Covered their faces with their leathery wings and huddled on the branches of trees.
Troan then started to fall back from the monsters. Their presence was bad news for him. He was so close to his destination but still so far in his grasp. Everything was not in his control and so he will play once again with his fate.
He stepped silently and as silent as a cat paw. If his retreat was successful, then he will leave this place alive and unscathed. Or so he thought.
Snap!
The tree branch snapped from the tree. Making the creatures fall from above and landed on the ground with a little flapping of their wings.
Troan was frozen on the spot as the creatures stared at him and him towards them. The creatures tilted their heads and then realized they were not dreaming. Food was indeed in front of them.
"Ohhhhh Ssssshhhhhh!"
Shriek!!!!!
Troan heard their cries and then beat their wings; Gargoyles. Creatures that were winged on their backs with hands and legs.
Heads were like Dracula's pups and were terrifying existences that spread throughout the lands. Especially the ones unoccupied by humans.
"This is too much, this is too much. They are too many! This is not good, this is not good!" he said while running.
Creatures throughout the forest heard their ruckus and were all coming their way for partying with them. Troan knew this and that made him bite his lower lips.
The gargoyles chased after him whilst they flew. Their speed was terrifyingly fast and it made Troan know that he will not live without losing a chunk of flesh or two.
Dashing with all his might, he drew his sword from his back. His short sword sounded after he drew it from its scabbard. One dived towards his back and he sensed its coming.
At a moment's notice, Troan felt like his instinct kicked in. Although his memory was hazy, he knew he wielded a sword in his past. This made him gain confidence in just a split second.
Still, it was not enough to waste your life on an entire impulsive feeling. He knew that he will die if he will brawl with those recklessly. Running towards the north, the fog made him stumble a few times on roots.
But thanks to it, the gargoyles were having a hard time chasing after him. While having a compass in his left hand and a sword in his right while running was indeed a lot more difficult task than normal. Especially when you were running for your life.
Casual swerves were made when dodging some enemies and they landed on several dead trees. Making the trees snap and were enough to make them tilt on the force.
Other trees have their barks burst when they collided with the trunks. Troan then ran faster and faster. His maneuvers on the trees became more and more agile. Effortlessly swimming through the obstacles in his front.
"It seemed like I am good at this!"
He ran and made the gargoyles have a hard time cashing after him. Others were lured by him as he acted like a cornered rat.
But as they dived for the kill, Troan sidestepped in a hair's breathe and they collided with the tree behind him. Still, their numbers were not scoffed at.
More and more gargoyles growled in all directions. Making Troan feel unsafe at his current location.
It was enough to be heard by all monsters in the forest after stirring all those ruckuses. Demon wolves howled in the south and growls in the east and west. Both from Demon tigers and stalkers.
Troan watched on the compass and then faced north. Running with all he got as he knew any moment soon, he will face those monsters head-on. Escaping them was one thing and it will not be easy.
The fog worsened after a minute of running. He heard clamoring wolves on his right side and a growl of a tiger on the left. He managed to shake off some pursuers but it was not enough.
Tigers climbed the dead tree nearby and jumped at him. Troan ducked and rolled to the side. Wolves then one by one leaped at him with mouths opened wide.
