After his talk with Cathra he went out of the village into the woods. He looked around and there was nobody there. Come out, I know you have been following us.
There was no response, he sighed and turned to leave when something moved in the bushes. It was the rabbit, why are you following us? It dangerous you know?
Squak, I see, well it best you stay hidden, if the others find you they will kill you, you understand?. The rabbit tilted it heard and looked at him with confusion.
Ofcourse you don't, you a rabbit, well then come on, he opened his arms but the rabbit turned around and hid behind the bushes. When you ready then but remember to stay hidden, he could swear he saw it nod.
He left it there, unbeknownst to him a figure was watching all of this happen from afar. What an interesting creature, the figure said with a smile then disappeared.
The night passed, the villagers woke up early even though they barely slept, the men picked up their bows and arrows and left to hunt.
Although they did not have enough money to allow everybody to do the class ceremony they still had a few G rank people. The women started preparing breakfast some doing laundry.
He watched husbands kiss their wives goodbye as they went to tend to the fields. This picture of happy families just reminded him of his own.
Cathra and Iron had woken up but Victor was still sleeping. We should go scout the den of the wolves, she said. Shouldn't we take him as well?
No, he would only serve as a distraction. Won't that just anger him instead? I know how to stroke his ego so don't worry yourself. Iron, you should stay here in the village, when Victor wakes up tell him we went scouting he should wait for us, Iron nodded still not saying a word.
They left running out of the village, the sun had yet to rise so they still had the cover of darkness. These wolves hunted by the night so they were probably about to rest at this hour.
Why are you taking a healer on a scouting mission? Iron is too large and Victor is...well Victor. Unreliable? Yeah, unreliable so you were my best choise, besides you were the first to notice the illusion before.
That means you either have very good eyesight or strong mental defences, either way you more useful in this situation than any of my party members.
About 25 kilometres away from the village a hill appeared before them. The hill had a huge cave on it and he could hear the cries of wolves and chewing inside.
This was their den that for sure, they continued watching hidden behind the cover of foliage. A few hours later a group appeared heading into the cave.
These wolves were large, standing around a metre and a half in height and over two metres in length. They had black glossy fur that gleamed like steel.
Their claws were like blades of obsidian iron, black and shiny like a polished dagger, they could not look more terrifying or so he though but they did, they did more terrifying, they were different from the normal needle fur wolves he saw in the books.
As they opened their mouths to bite into the giant stag they were dragging behind he noticed they were growing an extra row of teeth in the mouths.
Their spines were growing protrusions and their eyes red and filled with nothing but hunger and rage. Demonification, he heard Cathra say with a grimace.
I'm afraid we will have to change plans, unfortunately we are not strong enough to take down a pack of demonized wolves. She looked up at the sky.
Two days, there will be a storm in two days, she said. Why does that matter. Because that is when we attack,during a storm. He didn't question her, it was not his place he was just a healer after all.
Besides, no matter how they fuck up he was sure he can protect himself atleast. Sure failing the mission would suck but he would be alive and can always complete more missions or just move into the wilderness where he can hunt in peace, that doesn't sound so bad actually.
As he was lost in his thought 6 rods of iron were shoved into him (not literally). What this? Follow me, she led him a bit further from the hill.
They arrived in an open space without any trees a few hundred metres wide. This will be our battle field, place those rods around in a hexagonal shape, make sure they are around 20 metres apart but no more.
He did as she said without question. What now? Now, we go back, I need to convince that idiot we can't attack tonight, she sighed with exasperation.
Must be really hard for you. You have no idea. Why do you still work with him?, if you don't mind me asking. It a long story, maybe some other time, she said with a smile, let go.
They ran back to the village, in his head he was wondering why he was so talkative with her, he was very certain it was not because of love, he absolutely had no feelings for her.
He had no feelings for anybody besides Tracy so why did he feel he could be so open around her? He thought about then it dawned on him.
Ahh I see, he remembered a conversation he had with Tracy. Your mistrust of people will just make you lonely, you should try opening up a bit more to others you know?
Why would I be lonely when I have you? I might not always be there Noel. So you telling me I should just trust people? Tracy I have seen how humans are, the darkness in their hearts, I can sense it.
No, I'm not saying you should blindly trust people but atleast give them the benefits of the doubt, if you can sense traitorous heart then you can sense genuine ones as well, lean to those.
He smiled remembering that conversation, Tracy had always been the type to see good in others but all he saw were shadows, it was her who taught him there is goodness in people.
He suppose that what he felt from this woman, she was genuine, she was not necessary good but she was honest atleast, her heart was not traitorous unlike Victors, his felt disgusting somehow.
He does not know why or how he can tell but ever since he learnt to mimic peoples emotions to fit in he could sense the purity of their hearts and that ability seemed to grown in this world, he just did not pay it any mind before because he just didn't want to trust others.
He still did not trust people but atleast there was someone he could talk to without being too guarded and that felt good, he felt he was not alone in this world anymore.
He then remembered Uriel, she was genuine too he thinks, he couldn't feel anything from that woman but it does not matter, he cannot tolerate what she did, only Tracy have the right to do that.