1 The Darklands

"Catch!" The warning was quite unnecessary as the large bag full of supplies was only inches from Milas' face. Milas closed his eyes and braced for impact but it was all for naught as his body slammed into the ground. He slowly stood up and lifted the bag off the ground and placed it on his back. The movements were smooth and precise as he was very familiar with the weight of the bag. He no longer got angry when this kind of thing happens.

"Looks like someone is trying to act tough." This comment came from Adrian, a dark haired youth with a handsome face and well built body. Milas walked right past him and didn't even spare him a glance. Adrian was incensed, he hated it when Milas would ignore him like he was an insignificant ant. Adrian tried to trip him but Milas was rooted to the spot. Adrian was about to draw his sword but a large man in heavy armour appeared in front of him. The man was two heads taller than him and Adrian could only stare at his broad chest as he grudgingly walked away.

"You need to find a way to get along with him because I won't always be there to keep him in check." The large man said to Milas as they walked. This wasn't the first time he had to stop Adrian from hurting Milas and he was starting to get sick of it. 

"You should at least try to stand up for yourself. I know that Adrian is a swordsman and you probably think that you can't beat him. Which is likely true because you are a weak porter who is used to taking a beating and your scrawny body just makes you look easy to pick on. Not to mention your lack of..."

"You better be going somewhere with this because your encouragement is discouraging." Milas had to interrupt Jill because this girl really doesn't know how to encourage someone.

"What I'm saying is that Adrian is the typical adventurer who bullies the weak and fears the strong. So you just have to show that you aren't the spineless weakling that you really are." Jill said finished her little speech and walked ahead of Milas. Milas stared at her back as long flowing hair waved gracefully as she walked. She had a curvy body and a cute unblemished face that fit the definition of an enchantress with an innocent face. She would have been Milas' dream girl if she wasn't obsessed with Adrian who loved himself more than anything else.

The group had been walking for more than a week in the forest. Milas had joined this group as a porter in order to earn enough to pay the debts that haunted him. The groups mission was simple as all they had to do was hunt down a blood-horned dear. The main problem was that blood-horned dear live a little bit deeper in the Darklands forest. The Darklands is the name given to one of the most dangerous areas on the continent of Norvak. Only the edges of the Darklands were safe as mostly sub-basic beasts lived there. The deeper areas were death zones as very few survived.

Milas broke away from the group to take a piss. He was in a rush as he had to ensure that he doesn't get left behind. He heard a slight rustling of leaves like a gentle breeze had blown. The sound was so low it might as well have been his imagination. Anyone else would have ignored it but Milas wasn't like everyone else. Two years of leaving in the streets had taught him to be vigilant about his surroundings. He had spent most of his waking hours fighting for food and the only time he had a good rest was when he was unconscious. He stopped his piss and slowly put his little spear back in its sheath before he looked at the source of the sound.

Milas saw a pair of glowing eyes behind a short and lush bush. He strained hard and he finally saw the outline of the creature that had its gaze fixed on him. Its dark fur was hard to see due to the dense dark clouds that permanently covered the Darklands. The thick canopy was only making it harder for Milas to see the camouflaged creature. He could tell that the creature was posed to strike and was only waiting for him to make his move.

His mind was in chaos. Should he run or should he draw his short sword and prepare to fight? Maybe he could shout for help? Could the group really get here fast enough to save him? That was if they could hear him in the first place. What should he do to survive this?