Part 3

"Something prevented us from leaving that day... it decimated most of the party members," she exclaimed.

The room fell silent, anticipation hanging in the air as everyone waited to hear the rest of the story. However, Shelur struggled to recount it.

"You know how as a child they warn you never to venture near the woods, let alone step inside? At first, they never tell the reason, but gradually you hear talks about a lurking monster. We thought the tale was folklore when we first entered the forest. We were armed and prepared for any creature that dared confront us, but nothing ever showed. Though the imps in the forest were a significant threat, we never deemed them as the monstrous beings from the stories. It was only when we, the scouting party, attempted to leave the forest that we encountered the true terror. We... encountered the monster," Shelur paused, her breath catching at the recollection of such a harrowing ordeal.

"It was swift, unlike anything we had faced within the forest. It showed no mercy, tearing limbs but never finished the kill leaving them to die slowly. It navigated the forest with an otherworldly speed, seemingly teleporting from one location to another. We were decimated, and the only chance of survival was retreating deeper into the forest. Our hopes of returning to our beloved city were shattered," she continued.

"Hmm," Takagi murmured, stroking his chin thoughtfully as he closed his eyes, lost in contemplation.

"Takagi? Are you alright?" Hanz asked.

"Yes, I'm just... curious. What did the monster look like?" Takagi pressed.

"It looked..." Shelur trailed off, a shiver running down her spine as an unwelcome memory of the monster's brutality flashed before her eyes.

"It looked like... but it's should no be mistaken for, a wolf."

"Really big, dark brown fur, and white eyes?" Takagi inquired.

"Um... yes. How did you...?" Shelur hesitated, surprised by Takagi's familiarity with the description.

"I know that mutt," Takagi asserted.

"Wait, what do you mean?" Confused and caught off guard, Shelur edged closer to the edge of the bed.

"Yeah, and Hanz knows him too," Takagi added.

"Me? I know him?" Hanz questioned.

"Yeah, that mutt that tried to kill you," Takagi remarked.

"But... you killed him. Maybe it was a different one?" Hanz added.

"Nope. You see, the thing about the wolf that tried to kill you is a special one," Takagi crossed his arms, preparing to explain.

"It all started after I was left alone..." Takagi paused, realizing that Shelur had no knowledge of his origins or that Hanz and he weren't travelers.

"Um... let's see... I've spent several months inside the forest on my own," Takagi said, smiling inwardly at the realization that he could share the story without divulging too much. He still wasn't sure why he needed to lie further, but he didn't want to bore anyone with his own tale, and Hanz's story was not his to tell. "Yes," he thought to himself, agreeing with the need to keep his story private. After all, he didn't want to shift the focus of the conversation.

"What I learned is that this mutt always tried to hunt me down whenever I walked in certain areas. At first, I was really scared of him, and we both once fell deep within a cave, but we survived. But I didn't know he survived because he was gone after I awoke. I'm sure I saw his body splatter on the floor, but there was no body after. After I made my escape from the hole, I saw him once more days later. This continued until one day I gained the courage and tried to hunt him down in order to test a theory. It turns out, no matter how many times you kill him, he always survives, like he's immortal or something. But I've never seen him actually teleport... This could mean that he is somewhat of a monster you have to defeat in order to escape the forest, but he can teleport freely through that forest."

"You're telling me that whenever I saw that damn mutt, I was close to escaping the forest?" Takagi thought to himself.

"How... how could you successfully kill it? We all struggled and lost many... you are truly amazing... a hero that not only can take down a big dark monster like the one you slayed but also the wolf of the forest," Shelur muttered, shedding more tears and looking down.

"Wait, but why didn't we encounter the wolf?" Hanz questioned.

"Simple. That mutt and I have gotten into many scuffles before, and I feel like we both mutually agreed that he keeps his distance and I'll keep mine."

The room fell into silence. Neither Takagi nor Hanz added anything further. They both knew that delving deeper into the topic could cause Shelur to cry. The boy, growing tired, settled next to Shelur and reached up to put his hand on her shoulder.

"What's your plan?" Shelur asked Takagi, curious as to what a remarkable hero like himself could muster.

"Well first off… we need to locate wherever that guy is staying. Once we know where he is staying, we choose a time when he is vulnerable and strike," Takagi suggested.

"Your plan is obvious. But, it's flawed. You have no idea where he is staying and no idea how to reach him without his guards," Shelur responded, crossing her arms.

"Well... yes, you have a point, but that's why we need to gather intelligence."

"Yes, but how? Asking the people within the city? They are starved and would much rather be rewarded by Bruger for turning in an enemy than assisting you. You need someone who knows everything, from where he's staying to his weak spots," Shelur gave a smug look and pushed her chest out with pride.

"Easier said than done, where would we find someone like that?" Hanz asked, confused.

"Me, of course!" Shelur replied, closing her eyes as if expecting a thank you from everyone in the room.

Thuds and thumps. Several noises of armor moving and footsteps echoed through the floor. One didn't have to have the ears of Takagi to hear the sounds; they were clear as day.

"This is how me and Hanz were going to gather intelligence. No one talks more shit about their boss than an employee," Takagi crossed his arms and puffed up his chest.

"Shhh!" both Shelur and Hanz said as they quietly walked over to the wall and placed their ears against it.

"Ah, what a long day."

"You always complain."

"Bruger has been very strict lately! I've had enough of him!"

"On cue," Takagi celebrated within his head.

The boy, known as Muk, remained in the room trying to mind his own business because he didn't want to anger the 'mean elf,' Takagi. Although he tried, he couldn't help but feel like he had heard a similar voice within the next room over. Since the walls blocked sound slightly, he wasn't entirely sure, so he situated himself up against the wall.

"Aww, poor princess, quit complaining. It's not like you'll do anything about it."

"Haha, yeah seriously. But I have been feeling the pressure too."

"Quit talking. I'm not a princess, if anything you're the princess after that sword swing you threw…"

The orcs continued their chatter, not providing any clues as to where Bruger could be. Within the room, the only person not situated on a wall was Takagi, who could hear voices coming from the other room clear as day.

"...that run down piece of crap?"

"Yeah, he's moving back into the big manor. His reasons? Not sure, but run down or not, you have to admit it's the biggest and nicest-looking from the outside within this dump."

"Oh yeah, I got the word to be posted on guard during the night."

"That must suck, man. I'd hate to be you right now…"

"Bingo!" Every person in the room thought the exact same thing. Most of all, Shelur knew what that meant—that the biggest manor within the city was the former home of the Head of the City. He was someone who directly answered to and followed the orders of the lord of the land. He was in charge of the city.

Muk heard the voices and, along with everyone else, thought of "bingo." He had recognized that voice. He felt as if his heart dropped and his whole body felt heavy. He couldn't help but feel danger and fear. He trembled with fear at the revelation and took his ear off the wall.

"That's him!" He whispered with fear.

The only person who understood what that meant was Shelur, who, after witnessing Muk cower, began to feel rage. She got off the wall and pulled her bow out.

"I've had it with these assholes roaming my city's streets! None of them even grew up here." Shelur was ready to kill, and she gave off a fierce aura to signal anyone in the room not to stop her.