You recall the time you first saw the monster in this land's vast, impenetrable forest. You haven't seen him in some time now, and thought that you would have deemed it safe to leave him alone. But then again, you don't know his motivations.
Perhaps he is still a part of an organization, and will report others if they try to leave him as well. The only upside to having him around is that he is a constant reminder of what will happen to you if you are caught.
This sudden attack of the guards has left me in shock. I was training with my sword for several weeks, trying to become stronger and prove myself. But why, though? I feel that I don't need to prove myself, to anyone or anything... I was actually beginning to believe that I am capable of defeating this ruler, even if that was a dream I had as a child.
I think that deep inside, I still believe it to be true. I think that deep inside, I know that I am not their puppet they think I am, and I will prove it to them someday.
If I can get just one of those five magical objects, I know that I can change this kingdom. But first, I need to find it. Much more difficult that it may sound, it is true. I have been trying to find someone who knows where a magical item might be to no avail, as the other towns have not heard of any nobility such as myself having it. But my chance has finally come.
I have just passed the huge grey fortress, and the armor of the guards was marked clearly with a mammoth symbol deep in the valley. It is so far that the school I went to only heard of this huge fortress built many years ago by a previous ruler of this land, long before the monster and I met.
I had always known that the fortress was well-guarded, but somehow I believed that if I even managed to scale the walls, I would be able to find an opening and slip inside. I should have figured that the walls would not be the main guardian, but the monsters within.
Although the guards' armor is different, the insignia on their shields is the same. I knew those shields well, although I still yearn to see something different someday.
I've never seen a guard with a shield who would not mercilessly attack me upon my sight. I hid behind the rocks and trees in the forest, as usual, hoping that the guards would soon leave and I could once again train myself. But this time, it was different.
I could see something mysterious in the air of the entire area. It gave me a feeling of slight dread and horror, so I knew that this attack was not for shelter. The evil of this land seemed to come here in full force as if a death had occurred.
Instead of normal guards, dozens of even more powerful guards had formed in a large group. They were carrying large wooden shields and holding wooden spears.
A couple of them were carrying something that resembled a sword, except it had a spike protruding from the tip. Each one of them had a belt that holstered their sword, pointy-axe, and shield. Several of the guards wore masks of varying colors and shapes.
Even more strange, each and every one of them had countenances that could only be described as frightful. All the guards wore the same colors on their armor and their masks, except one guard who had a red mask.
I knew that it was impossible to see what was underneath their masks, but I assumed they were laughing at the monster, planning to take the monster down while they had the upper hand.
Traveling behind them were two large creatures, one red, the other blue. I waited until I realized that the blue covered creature was a massive dragon and the red creature was a large cat. I followed the guards quietly, watching them in the distance as they continued to advance further into the woods.
Setting up camp, they begun discussing something in loud voices, while a few of the guards formed a circle and walked to some middle point between them.
Beyond the guards, I saw something that made me forget what I was doing and run for my life. The large flock of humanoid creatures that had been sent to attack similarly surrounded almost all of the guards. These creatures were massive, almost as large as the dragon and the cat.
With legs similar to that of a cat, it hopped around the ground, scratching here and there looking for victims. These creatures were not wearing armor, and appeared to wear cloth from head to toe. Small holes were placed over the eyes, mouth, and nose. If I had to guess, I would say that this was a magical mask that would not allow the monsters to be harmed.
I did not want to risk attacking, as I was confident enough in my skill to defeat most of the monsters. But I had a feeling that the dark magic of these monsters would make it happen.
I quickly returned to the area I started out in, hoping that the monster had not yet seen me. I hide behind the massive trunk of a tree, where I did not have a clear view of any of the monsters, only their shadows against the trees in front of me. The monster's ability to see far away has always helped me avoid certain death.
I closed my eyes, listening to the groans, growls, and demeaning words being thrown around. I really wanted not to get involved in this matter, but I had to help my people, who were currently suffering. But before I could do anything, the monsters finally moved on, back to the base camp.
I continued following the guards as they continued to move through the woods, looking for the fortress. The evil atmosphere seemed to remain even in the daylight. I noticed that the guards were nervous and anxious. They would stop frequently, watching the woods in every direction, even behind them.
Soon, I realized that we had arrived at the fortress. The guard captain walked up to a large wooden door. I was surprised at how the large door opened from the inside, but the guards were more surprised than I. It was a colossal plane of light that seemed to fill the entire room without a hint of darkness. I never though these monsters would be that clever.
It was obvious that they had cast a spell of the light. It was only when I realized that their uniforms were drawing much more attention than mine that I understood what must be going on. I did my best to make sure that the guards did not see me, but I could not make sure that they could not see me.