I thought of what Nora and Vera had said about my grandfather. They knew little about him, only that he had come from another continent and had always been distant, cold and proud. The only person he seemed to care about was Rillen, because he had married his sister. That sister, who was also my mother. But I didn't believe their answers. Something was wrong, and I felt that Vera and Nora's house was hiding a secret - perhaps a secret that explained the attacks they had suffered.
As my ideas intertwined in my mind, a strange vibration resonated inside me, as if something was drawing my attention. I looked around in bewilderment and immediately let go of the centipede's body. Without a second thought, I grabbed my bow, my senses sharpened and my hunting instinct stronger than ever. Something was coming, and I needed to get ready.
***
About a hundred meters ahead of me, between the trees, a hooded man appeared. His dark armor reflected the sunlight filtered through the treetops, and his gait was silent, almost as if the wind itself was embracing him. He made no sound as he advanced through the thick grass, and I knew I shouldn't be noticed. As he got closer, the sounds of the forest - the singing of birds and the buzzing of insects - gave me a false sense of security. He believed that the noise around him was covering him up, but I could feel his every step, his every contained breath.
With a quick movement, I moved to the side, hiding behind a thick tree, trying my best not to make a sound. I took a deep breath and stood there, motionless, watching.
The man's name was Nigh. He was a member of the Black Emblem assassins' guild, and as intimidating as his presence was, it was his sharp mind that made him feared. A man of extreme caution, meticulous in everything he did. Nigh never failed a mission, not because he was fast or ruthless, but because he knew how to wait and prepare with precision. He didn't allow himself to be rushed, and patience, for him, was a deadlier weapon than any blade.
With a steady hand, he pulled something out from inside his cloak - a dark card, like a piece of condensed pitch. He opened it slowly, his eyes focused on the crimson letters that appeared on the surface. I could see the movement of his lips from afar as he read, and I knew he was absorbing every detail of his mission.
"Assassination target: Rillen Udrik. Behead his head as proof. Rillen has the level of a Combat Master; he has beaten two combat masters in formal duels to maintain his territory."
Nigh laughed quietly, a cold laugh that echoed in his mind.
"Only two? That means nothing..." He shook his head in contempt, as if completely disregarding his target's power. There was no doubt he saw Rillen's battles as trivial.
"I hate the countryside. These nobles are like frogs trapped in a deep well, with no idea of what goes on outside their little world. They think they're important, but they're just pawns in a bigger game."
The man didn't seem impressed by the mission. However, he knew that House Udrik was anything but incompetent. He was right. Breaking into Rillen's castle was not a viable option. That guard in heavy armor was formidable, and the Udrik treated their servants with respect, which made the loyalty of their guards almost unbreakable. That was rare in today's times, where betrayals were more common than loyalty.
However, even with all these obstacles, Nigh didn't seem to be discouraged. He smiled insanely as he pondered the solution.
"Let's kidnap the eldest son and bring him here." The frightening smile widened on his face, his eyes cold as ice, with no doubt that he would carry out his mission at any cost. I knew that the line between life and death for him was as thin as the blade of a knife, and that he wouldn't hesitate to cut down anyone who stood in his way.
***
I walked towards the deep forest with my bow firmly in my hand. The wind was light, but it carried with it the scent of damp leaves and old earth - a fragrance I knew well. After so many years hunting in these parts, every broken log, root or silence told me something. But today... there was something different. Something too subtle for ordinary eyes.
My senses were sharper. It was as if every sound, every vibration around me, echoed inside me more clearly. The centipede I ate last night - that creature with the psychic poison - was having more of an effect than I had expected. Somehow, my perception had leapt. I now perceived what had previously been invisible to me: a presence. Fixed. Almost motionless. But there.
I closed my eyes for a second. The vibration was faint, like a sigh from the world hidden among the branches. It was a compact, immobile energy that shouldn't have been there. My instincts screamed, and without a second thought, I pulled the bow. I felt the muscles in my arm tense as the string gave way under my strength. The black arrow, its tip glistening in the sunlight that leaked through the gaps in the trees, seemed eager to fly.
I let go.
Swoosh!
The arrow cut through the air like a swift shadow and went straight to the point. A shudder. Something broke in the invisible fabric of the forest. And that's when everything inside me screamed.
Fear struck me like an invisible spear - a sudden chill that ran down my spine. I felt, for an instant, that the arrow could come back. That it was hunting me now, thirsting for revenge. That it was going to go right through my face. My eyes widened.
A sound. Something moving.
Without hesitation, I jumped to my left and rolled behind a thick tree. Breath caught, hands tight on the bow, I hid in the silence.
Then came the sharp sound:
CHI-CHI-CHI!
Four black daggers sliced through the air and embedded themselves in the ground exactly where I had been seconds ago. If I hadn't rolled... I would have been pierced.
Ripples began to spread from the point where my arrow hit. Before it was almost invisible, but now... now it bled energy. The dark color was turning a pale, pulsating red, like an open wound.
I stepped out from behind the tree in one swift movement and fired another arrow. My steps were light and the terrain didn't slow me down. In seconds, I closed the distance from one hundred to eighty meters. Another arrow. Another impact.
CHI!
The vibration shook harder. As if the creature, or whatever it was, had felt pain.
"It's bleeding..." I whispered, a smile escaping me.
My tongue ran over my dry lips. Sweat ran down my back like a hot stream, soaking my tunic. The truth was that I was excited - and terrified. My senses were saving me. If I hadn't developed this focus, this perception... I'd be dead now.