Patch 1.11

Gabriel POV

...

Unusual. 

Unnatural.

"Ah… come to the frontier, have you?"

The man in front of me carried a mystique about him. He sat, cloaked in silver winter clothes. Where the slightest glint of sunlight glimmered off his stone mask at just the right angle to catch my eye.

Above cavernous trees blocked the sun with their height and canopies. They let in just the barest amount. Enough to see and nothing more.

I had entered the dungeon. My expectation was of some cavern lit by torches and small enemies to attack me.

Wrong. I was completely wrong.

It was like I was transported to some unreal world. Almost like a fever dream in feel.

The man in front of me brought me back to reality. He sat with his arms on his legs and his head hung like a man led to the gallows.

His gloved hand twitched and pointed towards the forest behind him and in front of me. 

When I looked closer it was like there were poisonous shroom grown in the gaps of his fingers.

"Unfortunately only death lies in wait."

The man finished his slow slurred speech. 

"Then it is death I will pursue."

I went to leave. My steps were resolute with as each brought me closer to the untouched forest. 

"Luck be with you then. Do come back."

I tilted my head in thanks. Only he was not done.

"Take this. It will lead your way forward. I have not much left, in fact this may be the last time I guide a soul here. So do come back. Promise me that, yes?"

"I promise"

I clutched his hand in mine. His stone mask stared into my eyes.

To anyone else his gaze, coupled with the disturbed chuckle, would give them the creeps. I saw through his tactic.

The item was deposited in my pocket with care. His hand fell from mine, like there was no strength left.

I muttered a small 'thank you'. Though I doubted that he heard me.

His body lay limp as I made my way into the forest.

Bodies fell to the ground. Creatures of the same species roared as their eyes burst into pieces and the bullet pierced their brains.

Giant mountainous beasts fell to the ground. Their weight kicked up the snow and brought more to avenge their death. 

My will did not falter. More casings fell to the ground as bodies piled up. Until no more could hear the wailed cry of their brethren.

My teeth grit. I looped my hand into my jacket pockets and fingered the loose ammunition.

Sooner than later those last clips would run dry and I would be left for dead.

Just as that man - I had not asked his name - had foretold.

I sat next to the tree and caught my breath. The rough bark felt pleasant against my burning muscles.

"Please... Anyone- just please- anything..."

Would I not be given rest?

The cry was distinctly human. A familiar call whose tone prompted the innate human kindness within my soul.

/./

"You couldn't resist the call, could you?" 

It was rhetorical, almost as if I was not meant to say a word at all. But I did. Sat beside that fallen knight.

His armor was of a historical design. With metal that rusted brown, and a helmet half crushed. It was clear.

This was not a human, not a man nor a beast. Something extra, different. Maybe even a lost soul, or a ghost.

"I could not." I shook my head.

"Heh… neither could I - ah - how foolish was I."

"No more fool than I."

"Heh- True… true…"

He paused in his moans and turned - his helmet creaking towards my face - red saturated eyes towards mine. Another creak and his hand raised; fingers splayed in such a way as to instill a message of peace.

It was in the way that his armor groaned and creaked. Slow languid movements.

"Take this… please… and devour the demon who had made me so."

A medallion. That was what it was and painted on the front was a symbol of a wolf. The same as the rusted symbol upon his pauldron.

It must have been special, maybe even the symbol of a long dead house.

"I will."

"Ah- then I can truly rest. I thank you… truly."

His eyes had switched colors dozens of times. 

In the end though, like a will burned, those eyes closed one last time only to reappear utterly red.

"You're welcome." I spoke unwillingly, even as I pressed the but of my rifle to my shoulder.

As I held it taut and ready.

I groaned slightly. The man who had greeted me, his stone mask. The knight fallen and twisted by the vines of this forest.

Aches welled in my head as sorrow filled my heart.

When had the sky turned black? 

In my trance had I not seen the fading of the sun over the horizon?

I clutched the medallion close to my chest before I hid it among my pockets. My gaze searched the floor and found the knight.

No, he couldn't be called a knight anymore.

Rotten limbs and an almost draconic claw reached towards me.

My body surged into action. I leaped back and landed on the roots of one of the trees. The trees were so large that even the roots were tall enough to give me a vantage point.

I clicked my tongue as I jumped again. The knight had closed the distance in the scant seconds I lost to my thoughts.

Again the knight jumped with the agility of a beast. Even his posture had changed to mimic one.

He jumped and reached out that dragon like claw to pierce my chest. 

It didn't work. My momentum was enough to carry me further than his reach.

The knight, instead of pursuing, let himself fall to the ground. He pulled the bow etched onto his back to bear. 

My instincts warned me that should any of those arrows he fired come close to me. I would die.

No if's, and's, or but's.

In my arrogance I thought myself invincible. That my accuracy along with my rifle would give me the edge to come out of every fight unscathed.

How wrong I was.

I couldn't be more wrong could I.

If I relied upon them and forgone defense as I had now, then would the situation not just repeat.

Where a single attack would spell my death.

I needed to remind myself that I was as mortal as any. That I could die to any attack.

I took a steadying breath and jumped to the next root. My eyes tracked the knight like a hawk. 

Then in the middle of my next leap I curled my finger. I had no doubt about my aim.

Only when the bullet flew, it did not pierce the eye of the knight. No.

It was caught against his gauntlet. It burrowed deep and drew blackened blood.

Despite the failure a smile still grew on my face.

"Gotcha…" 

I landed on the next root and shot once again.

He may have been able to catch the first.

But the second.

That was the kill shot.

The bullet flew through the gaps of his fingers and straight through his helm.

I took a deep breath and let the adrenaline calm down.

My eyes went to the leaves, counted how many fell and how many stayed. I tightened the scarf around my throat.

[You have gained a level]

I collapsed against the tree and next to the corpse of that knight.

"I didn't even get your name." I whispered. 

My eyes felt heavy. It was only with considerable effort that I was able to pull the helmet from the man. All to reveal a perfectly preserved corpse. 

Piloted by a black tar slime.

"Was this what you were fighting? I…"

Words failed me. Despite my fatigue I dragged the body over my shoulders and towards a greener tree.

My hands dug out the dirt and made a rudimentary grave. I clutched the medallion I had been given.

"I'm sorry. I wish I could bury this with you but… I can't. Forgive me."

I turned away from the mound of dirt. The insignia carved out onto the block of wood. And the knights rusted sword held aloft his dirtied helm.