Guild Hall four weeks since the start of the monster hunt239Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡrM3jYgdg7v
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She drew a deep, slow breath from her pipe. She was cutting back since finding happiness with her kids and had nearly stopped using it altogether.239Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡi0IHQk4KUI
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And blew out slowly, trying to calm her mind once more, since no one is listening…239Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡx2vovJOs0n
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She regretted playing coy and relaxing till now, when she first heard about the beast. These last few days since she learn more about the beast, she made more of an effort to push them, but it seemed in vain.
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She watched as the mayor, who was normally happy and ate cookies full of mirth, left a full plate yet still watched it with annoyance, as if it was not a favorite request he had longed for all along.239Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡlPYD3Utzsk
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He looked my way as if just remembering I exist and scowled more, amusing me as if I was the source of all his problems and not trying to solve them now that I took it more seriously.239Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡwUMhjdKA3H
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The mayor grunted his disapproval to Tanya. “Well, go ahead. You’ve been telling me last few days why we’re wrong. Tell me again how I’m not listening…” The stare never ended as he was barking accusingly at her,239Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡjNnLEe9kEX
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Drawing more from the herb in my pipe to calm me, I sought the right words…239Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡDWBXqsPMJx
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“Vic,” I started saying sweetly, but saw his scowl, not liking the nickname, which I did not forget, yet I wanted his attention…. “Victor," I clarified to appease him, which deepened his scowl and my amusement even in these tense times.239Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡbkhdWDA7tD
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“We hunted together for years in the past. You trusted my judgment then, so why do you doubt me now?” That final got him to relent, showing more of a calm understanding, and maybe now he would really listen.239Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡfXqKsgfARF
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It was Coby's dad, the leader of the hunter guild, who startled us both by speaking first.239Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡPTCYD85rsb
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“We don’t doubt your wisdom, yet weeks passed with you saying nothing and now you say we do nothing.” The firm look on his face did not escape my notice; he was the one who opposed me the most and made it harder to make others listen when I tried to change, as he went on.239Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡNNrLuLau5s
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“You're assuming we have not done everything we could to track and kill this beast for weeks… It's why my men have been getting hurt cornering it….”
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“I do not doubt you think you are trying, but we should use our best to track and hunt this beast, not corner it.” She countered coldly.239Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡJIXFSuJfUz
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This wasn't the first time we had this redundant speech, and each day the tension has been building as I mostly tried to keep my peace, hoping to spur them into action.239Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡDmgForKrxY
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Yet it seems I overestimated my influence and underestimated their stubborn ignorance in ignoring this threat…239Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡA1H8TpDLsC
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So I tried a different tactic, seeing Justin, who oversees merchant affairs, also a friend and former hunter, and the father of the children who run the alchemy shop, and knew they had fought this beast before.239Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡnjA7TkQnss
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He was mostly neutral, as he felt the hunter guild leader was doing his best, yet even he saw how the leader's son Coby, was no longer allowed to attend these meetings, which meant things were not fine, as he was training him to one day lead.239Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡEUC0hHik9V
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“Justin, your kids hunted this—”239Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡDC0vIivfiL
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“Allegedly,” a hunter scoffed, who usually just gives the report, it seem everyone wished to test me today…239Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ9wCm1wxpoX
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I watched him coolly, not liking them overstepping their station, but tension was high enough without adding more personal tension, so I conceded, “Allegedly.”239Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡQ8hZQWBOo6
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“Yet, regardless if true or not, the kids think it is hunting them… and plan to hunt it.”239Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡV7OCS1Q4U7
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Justin and the mayor looked at each other in surprise, as if it had never been a possibility. The mayor spoke first: “You don’t know that, and that’s not even a possibility!”239Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡiZjcFJO9tl
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She saw him looking flustered, and with a bit of panic entering his eyes, he was finally taking it seriously. The same with Justin; he knew his daughter trained hard to fight, and this would be perfect for her playing hero, and not only that, she would drag her son into it…239Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡv9BeSg6940
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The guild hunter leader's voice spoke calmly from the side, breaking what little progress I had made with this idiocy. “We have three teams of hunters minimum at all times guarding the dungeon and rotating in hunting…”239Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ20SKGZt6cw
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“Yes, the beast…” He hesitated, looking for the best way to downplay it… “Yes, it has been hurting my men, but it is not killing us, so it is afraid and not a threat to us.” He never looked at me, only stared straight ahead as he made that moving speech.239Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡvLZ010Ys27
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I laughed.239Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡNiDPOl5rQZ
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“Do you really think it holds back out of fear? It knows if it escalates, we will retaliate in turn. It's hunting specific prey, and it's our children….”My free hand clenched under the table while shadows dance around my edges. As I waved my pipe near my head.239Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡgOz0yij0xm
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“So we never let the kids in; we will win in the end?” The mayor asked, confused and conflicted, not sure how to feel or act… Justin was also unsure what to say…239Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡYK4AOx9JfR
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“It won’t keep waiting,“ I said calmly, drawing more smoke to calm me to a mix of indifference and scowls, as they watched me blow smoke out with as much care as they showed me.239Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡkmCmyzIwWk
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I tried once more to explain what I understood about magic for monsters; hopefully, this time they would listen…239Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡb9koS0mHdz
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“I said before, the reason beasts are mindless and their power is usually set is that mana in the air of dungeons never changes… So what happens when a monster breaks that rule and gets more mana?”239Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡcFLvViDiT9
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They started waiting for more, not following, so I went on…239Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡDfcSWM0AFX
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Outside the dungeon, the mana is much weaker It's why those monsters grow and change, they chase areas with higher mana density…”239Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡzUeB4UgNFR
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“they also can and do kill each other for mana. Some get smarter and seek peace… yet others?”239Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡRdXX2dGVQ4
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“We get it's why we hunt them. You've got a point.” The hunter lost patience with the talks. Everyone glared at them as a warning, and they lost a bit of their edge and listened…239Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ8vTkFxf8Hc
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I merely smoke my pipe, waiting for all to follow me once more… I need their attention now, as I refuse to wait anymore…. When they focused, I went on.239Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ4PCBKnZmlJ
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“As they said, yes, you hunt wild monsters, and as they learn and grow, you know how dangerous they are if ignored…”239Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡJKvFxr7KNm
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“Yet now we have a new monster in the dungeons who manages to gain power and grow as other monsters do outside dungeons, and we ignore it as if nothing major is taking place…”239Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡYe43kF1H3C
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Despite their faces showing understanding, they all just glance away, surprising me even now. Nobody saw it as the threat it was…239Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡqkCjtUDhJ9
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“Tanya,” the hunter leader spoke calmly once more… this time looking at me with a wary firmness, causing me to pause.239Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡZ4aencyHvS
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“You’re gifted, no doubt. We heard about your past and your right to be feared…”239Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡTRCnByYNu4
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“But I hunted for years. I wandered these lands long after you stopped and sat in these halls…”239Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ6rumQfkd7k
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“I personally trained these teams searching for this ONE, beast; we got this.” And as he said that, he looked away and all visibly calmed as if his words solved everything.239Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡyczkbPEQ96
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And with that, it was over….239Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ16MlkBcQIN
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They will never listen, and I can no longer wait. So the talks were over, and the meeting ended as well. it seemed I learned too late to take this threat seriously, and now they cared too little to change...239Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡpm5J94zG6a
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Later that night, home in the guild hall239Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡKteeAAXYuj
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Annoyed, tired, and unfulfilled, I ignore the few adventures, wrapping up the day's business as Rosa and my daughter handle them.239Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ8Jv1UXz3MW
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There were not many coming here these last few weeks, as the fear of the monster drove many away; even the bravest kept to level two, even as the beast stayed deeper…239Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡwEBTzvvcBp
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I checked on my son since his door was open. I noticed he was covered more in shadows. It seemed he was brooding even now… “Is all well?” He flinched at the voice, then calmed.239Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡKPZGz2H4Xm
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“You could have knocked…” he glared yet looked away.239Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡf7isiL4zs9
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“The door was open.” I gently replied239Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡMphCCd7DAf
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“Then speak up before you enter…” smiling at his mood, happy to see he still had life I hesitated searching for the right words,239Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡNn3pWLYdJb
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“Son, despite whatever cruelty I ever showed you, you do know I love you, right?”239Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡHnRTX9J9og
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That got a concerned look as he stared. He always was a sharp boy…239Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ26ut0Q5Ire
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“Whatever happens, these days to come watch over your sister; she will need you…” I tried to show a confident smile to ease his mind.239Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡXKtx6JAoTA
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“What are you going to do…” The intense stare was a nice change. The man I knew could be something even darkness would fear… Maybe even me.239Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡegH0NOnhGd
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“Nothing, child; you know me well. I always sit and watch. When have I not?” It was a lie, and he saw through me, yet I saw the fear in his eyes as he knew… and he wasn't brave enough to stop me.239Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ4JDqyPs5YB
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I move closer from the door near his bed and brush his hair. “Have faith in your mother. I did not train you for years just to fade off into shadows.”239Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡZZDtVrsNYv
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We left it at that; he wasn't sure what to say to stop his mother, and I wasn't sure what to say to let him know I would be back.239Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡDhniEGMIHD
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I left and went to my desk in my room to write the king a letter, a fail-safe if I fall to the unknown threat, and if I lied to my kids, and it is my last words, which I did mildly regret…239Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡFnY9drWPuL
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I wish I had better words to give them, but I wasn't a better mother for that… “Mom?” a voice familiar yet unsure from my adopted daughter.239Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡZe0L6la1Js
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I did not turn to her instead focused getting the paper ready to write. "Arlin says you're going to do something stupid and doesn't know how to stop you?”
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“ So he asked me to try…”239Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡieqT7Nev8O
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I laughed at my son trying to play hero even as he hides… It was clever. I suppose he wasn't sure how close I was to my daughter, so he gambled I would hesitate for her…239Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡIBIyR9ECV8
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Yet it just reinforced my choice. I couldn’t let them face that beast even if I’m old…. They're too young….239Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡbQDLXGzFR7
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"Your brother fears shadows, daughter. I merely wished him to care for you, nothing more…” as I wrote the letter with amusement, but nothing more.239Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡbJiIX5XMwd
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“So you’re not going after the beast?” That caused my hand to stop mid-writing of the letter. Gods, both my children had such insight. Any other time, I have nothing but pride….239Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡKTgitl2DIi
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Yet now? It added an unknown risk. I couldn’t have them chase after me in a hunt…. So I faced my daughter and saw her concerns I ignored in favor of knowing what was best,239Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡhXqxlKXunT
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“Assuming, child, such an event transpired, do you see me so weak I could not handle it?” watching her smiling to sway her of her fear as being unwarranted, but still I saw the fear of the unknown… the same fear I felt for them…239Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡqaxPiIoFkK
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“I promise I’ll use care; that is why I write this letter for help, and if I go, it will be with the hunters, ok?” A white lie, the prettiest I could give, letting them know enough not to fear but not enough to rush into danger.239Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡt1blPMQHvH
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Her ear went flat. She looked slightly down, not wanting to face me, knowing she could not sway me. “Ok, Mom,” and with that, I left a cruelty I did not wish to inflict on either of them…. A doubt.239Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡiyUEVvWz9m
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Yet it was all the more reason I must do this. Lest those fears turn to darker things, I will prevent…239Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡBJtIrcMR58
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Hello, Donald.
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I know we agreed to go different ways: you a king and me a nobody who drifted away.
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Yet, as I told you, if you ever needed me, even after I retired from being your secret blade, I hoped you would return the favor.
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I just never had a reason or belief it would be needed, for if a threat existed I could not face, you would already have dealt with it, and I would never be needed.
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So it is a fail-safe. I write this for my kids' and the town's safety. I know you have two weapons that could easily surpass me and handle an unknown beast. I know you wish to keep things private, and I ask this not lightly.
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If I fail, please send your son, whom you made public, or the other, whom I will not speak of out of respect, but I know of them.
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The threat is a beast that not only has learned to think like us but also does not fear being hunted. That alone is meaningless. my fear is that it doesn't mindlessly kill; it chooses to spare those it hurts and still hides within reach, baiting, and I fear it's hunting my son.
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To add a deeper layer, if that wasn't enough, it has a rare, unknown gift to travel between the doors of the dungeons, making it more unpredictable from there.
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You know the child who helped cure the rare sickness? This is the fallout of that, though not by their choice but poor luck, so you do owe us something. If you wish to be bitter about how I phrase this, I accept whatever judgment you wish to place.
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By the time this letter reaches you, I will either have won or lost. Either way, the matter must be settled. I know your son has never known defeat, even solo in dungeons beyond level seven. I doubt this creature could challenge him, but what about us nobodies in this town? I fear it is too much.
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The last thing you said to me as I left, if I remember right, was that you saw me as family even when I wanted none. You even wanted me to help train your son when he needed to be pushed. Yes, I did refuse. I hope you don’t hold that against me even now.
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I wish you well, Donald. Thank you for all the freedom you have given me. It was nice being your hidden blade.239Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ09eg2oVEuh
I never regret the adventure we shared in the shadows, even when you lived in the light.
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Your friend Tanya239Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ9Gci0le2aw
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She was tired. She reached into her blouse and pulled out her pipe, and with it lit her mind, calm once more…239Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡKdpgGVlxlP
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She had tighter leather clothes vs. her silk robes she would wear for the hunt; she wouldn’t risk the beast grabbing loose fabric even if she could be shadow mist… She never needed a weapon; she always was the weapon, even now….239Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡy5dA8DLAhq
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She had one rare potion…. She debated leaving it for her son or taking it with her… She decided to leave it as a parting gift. If she ends up a failure, at least that will be left to keep them safe. Hopefully, it will be enough.239Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡUJsfFK0Pcy
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She shifted to mist and floated downstairs, hopeful and glad she caught Rosa before she left for the night. She was finishing some paperwork… unaware I was feet away.239Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡLKhAd74hfd
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“Rosa, dear, I need a favor.”239Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡVEhdieWEy8
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“EEK!” The poor girl was startled.239Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡl50tkY0HF4
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“Sorry, you never come back down after you leave for the night?” Rosa said, fanning her face, she finally calmed a bit to take in the situation and ponder more, “Is everything alright?”239Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡfxXkS9TVCB
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Smiling, I assured her everything was fine. I just need a letter sent with a runner at first light. I told her it was to be expressed to the other guild hall, it had a seal they would know was meant for the king, and take it from there.
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but I left that part out, telling her Just the guild part was all she needed.239Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡXesaYwK5Wd
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I saw the concern on her face, but she knew I was known for being vague and liking to drop random tasks on others… So she left it at that as we both prepared for what was to come tomorrow…239Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡh9JZ8NvZ18
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The hunters gathered near the entrance to the dungeon before the breaking of the morning light. This had been a standard routine for a while. They were surprised the hunter guild leader was meeting them for the team shift from the overnight crew… He was usually with his son Coby, overseeing meetings and training in the morning. Did he not sleep?239Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡVGd8Pq5j8q
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Yet he was here with few of his old team returning from what seemed to be a failed hunt… a somber look on all their faces telling it was not a good hunt.
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“We tracked it a few times; it seems to like the plains realm when it thinks it has lost us, yet when it really wants to hide, it chooses a night forest realm easier to hide its big frame… “ the hunter leader expressed with annoyance they all felt the same, yet he kept looking back into the cave….239Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡq0TJtzIXio
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The leader calmly watched the cave before speaking once more, breaking that moment of silence…“Don’t underestimate it,”239Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡazKedznzpa
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I was going to retort we never did, yet the seriousness in his look when he did face me made me bite my tongue. Maybe we were getting complacent if I wanted to argue…239Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡtry2zyJpmo
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“I understand, sir. Is there anything we should be aware of?” Focusing, I listened carefully to see what he would say, so I did not underestimate the threat.239Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡSEuA2r6O6S
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He turned once more and kept watching the cave, but spoke clearly, chilling me.239Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡpTp10C1vul
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“We were warned repeatedly by someone I trust at meetings… We ignored them, and I regret it.”239Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡTEamlYdKKa
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“I don’t want to wait for anyone to get hurt, so we do need to stop it before it’s too late…” I agree with his words, but I wondered what he heard that gave him such thoughts?
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How dangerous is this beast… we keep hunting a shadow, it seems. I knew the reports and had seen the other hunter hurt, but never to the point they could not recover easily within a week….239Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡVD2czBUZyw
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So I steeled my resolve, saluted him, and moved my team in for the hunt since my unasked questions did not need answers; we needed results.239Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡerHouKi3CI
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Level One239Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡPzsHNmLRr2
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Simple, nothing to see. We keep guards on lookout always in case, but luckily it's been mundane and unneeded. The same cave as before, yet now it felt like it was leading to death, not adventure, when we had to go deeper…239Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡEbp1877lWh
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Level Two239Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡo8Da0pgCEt
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A dessert realm, which is a dud… Even just walking in here, we knew no tracking was needed, though we still did it to be safe, as different monsters could exist, just very rare, but the beast seemed to show a great aversion to the heat.
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We kept a fire blessed person with all teams after that observation as a potential counter to the beast not liking fire, but it also just seemed to be smart enough to not want to sweat.
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Level three239Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡELz3DDO5Gs
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A winter realm full of cold—we did track it here before in this type of realm, so we did scout carefully, but besides a few random beasts, not the one we needed, it was a dud also….239Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡJTO8ItsiUk
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We left to exit the dungeon to reset the realms to redo the loop. If we tried going deeper into level four to hunt the beast, it was deep enough that we risked a deadlier monster hunting us or helping it in an ambush…239Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡKqwM8b3kZg
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So instead we repeated the loop…239Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡMurloGiS9k
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endless looping the realms from one, two and three for hours239Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡM7Hk9NpLfM
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They felt like they got close to the beast a couple of times in a few random hunts into the endless loops they scouted. It was in the shadow forest, level two, that they almost had it. It felt like it was letting its guard down and slipping.239Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ84o07rygKt
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Yet when we hunted it and thought we were getting close to cornering it seemed to weave between the trees, expecting their moves.
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Even when they finally did corner it, their only reward was another door leading deeper as it escaped to the next level realm, and when we followed…239Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡHghrKtyW20
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Level three239Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡBxgr9Qcc9d
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Plains, but the beast was not here… it went deeper still to a level four. So we made a camp.239Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡIJWeER3Xts
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After so many loops and failures in about 7 hours of time that had passed, even with careful tracking, that beast eluded them, besides that one close call that went nowhere they where getting tired and know knew why the guild leader looks so tired even with a failed hunt...239Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡf2dloqfD9I
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Add to it the random fights in those loops in unknown realms which were wearing the team down even more; we needed to stop soon for the day and head back. The beast has gotten smarter, it seems, and is avoiding their trackers and fights… Whatever he thought, tomorrow is another shot.239Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡoFZXob67rl
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He was thankful it was a safe run overall. Their guild leader's ominous warning made him fear the worst, but so far the gods blessed them…239Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡJRQytRTkUE
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On a more positive note, they got a few mana gems and herbs for their few fights and gathering, so it was overall a win, even with the turmoil and failed hunt.239Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡbY7mQ5XoMs
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They broke camp no closer to the beast and were secretly thankful it was a loss, as they would repeat it tomorrow. It was an odd feeling hunting a prey that never could be caught, and weirder still to think what would happen when they did.239Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡCdV2d9kIf1
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***239Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡRAB2cmTAC9
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She watched them head for the door to exit the realm. This time, she would not follow. She was constantly blending herself into their shadows and holding herself away from their eyes, even in the brightest light. Many would be surprised by her gift—the ability to hide in plain sight—but they were not hunting her but a random beast.239Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡUoDp6kNR1y
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So it made it easier when they did not watch their shadows extend or move without them doing so….239Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡyuBH3QwGTZ
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She was depressed. This was supposed to be a final fight, her confronting an impossible beast, yet this felt more like a pointless chase. She felt bad now, seeing firsthand what they dealt with… They were trying, and she was doing no better, worse even…239Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡFl2Go42lqy
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She felt a little better knowing it was not simple or easy for her son to get himself in trouble. If trackers had these issues, it would be just as hard for the beast just to stumble onto the kids if they ran here after it…239Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡCRYPMxCk9w
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Maybe that was why it preferred the plains and kept trying to meet them here… It never went deeper into the dungeon or tried to escape… Maybe it could not?239Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ8vj6x5s1Ox
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A small blessing from the gods, if it's true that it could not escape, but this was still a dangerous new precedent being set with this beast.239Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ7JvZ6IPtlO
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She sighed, removing her pipe to smoke and relieve some stress she would leave soon.... when the impossible walk passed her, scouting the camp….239Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡi8SbEXWiHx
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A giant, lumbering ogre carefully scouted the ashes of the fire pit, seeing if they left anything behind. She was in a state of utter shock; it seemed to appear from nothing. How easy would it have been for it to strike her if she were not blessed with shadows…239Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ2w6heV8QbL
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There was a chance it came from a door nearby, as she remembered the hunters turning back from one going deeper before, yet how quickly did it move? It just appeared here before her eyes before she even knew it was coming.239Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡL7tlsrcJ47
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Maybe she was just distracted, and like the beast, they just focused single-mindedly on their own task….239Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡjSWQ95Nipt
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As she recovered and stood, the beast stopped scouting and turned, knowing she was there, and she smiled. It seemed they might talk beforehand….239Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡfFNgvAGM0U
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*****239Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡNyjQw1tGAp
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Again, he thought they were getting close; he sensed them in the wind and pulled the wind to find him…239Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡYAtkz63mHV
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He had been practicing masking his presence with the wind, hiding the feeling of him among the wind. It worked to a point; he learned to circle the area with the wind, and then it did not matter—they could not sense him; they could sense something among the wind…239Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡvo8MZusoZI
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It's why they got close but not close enough. They moved quickly to surround him, but he was not a fool…. He had long since learned to pay attention and knew where the doors to the realms were. They could follow him beyond and keep chasing, but he noticed an odd pattern, and they never followed deeper for some doors…239Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡUQpkiIr6cN
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He wasn't sure what made them fear going to certain doors vs. him, but he felt a difference when they kept avoiding places, so it was enough for him…239Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡUBG6Mt8jC7
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He went back to his favorite waiting spot and could smell the remnants of a camp. It reminded him of the goblin camp, and it was interesting how humans and monsters could do the same thing, yet they were the beasts…239Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡMxOkJSsk2U
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Looking around for anything interesting was a disappointment… He wasn't sure what he expected—something? Anything?239Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡX4KuXdaUWB
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Nothing…. He smelled an odd new smell, a scent he had never known.239Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ0r3OtD39yZ
Then he felt something to his side, but all there was were shadows…. Yet among those shadows stood a monster.239Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ68rROh5xkG
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An odd fairy-human thing?239Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡAlBKqOc2Iu
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Long white hair with red eyes, smoking a pipe? He wasn't sure how to take this creature….239Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡliufFcfhil
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She was dressed in tight black leather. Besides her form being mixed with shadows, she held a pipe, blowing white smoke…239Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡJyrv44UsRI
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The smile on her face confused him, yet her words added even more to the unknown of what was happening…239Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡVATMnQKjqE
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“ It seems you're willing to talk, or at least not a mindless beast like we thought.” She drew slowly from her pipe, never stopping watching him… and blew out slowly, confirming the new odd smell was that pipe…239Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡzVrnVuG9E1
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She wasn't a monster?239Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡeAx80K52DR
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She was hunting him…. His face grew darker as he flexed his arm, an unspoken threat letting the little thing know how close to death she was… Yet still she casually smiled, unbothered by the threat… and he wasn't sure how to respond, she wasn't mindless, but neither was he…239Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡcGbKG6owz4
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He thought over her words… Willing to talk? Madness, he tried that before, and even then others hunted him… Plus, where could talks go? Would he give up his quest just because she asked…?239Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡbsyH3lk7Mf
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He growled, not liking the feeling that a game was being played. Were there more like her? Was this the next step they took to stop him as a threat? A trap had been laid while they talked…239Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡdpBvr9Z9ad
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Could he kill her? Or could she kill him ….239Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡP8gg3pEnST
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He wasn't sure what to think or feel as she stared at him, waiting for him to react…239Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡxY0oxkTDeL
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Yet it was her next words that cut to the heart of what they both felt and ended any doubt where they both stood.239Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡyZdxtO0G7P
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“We…”239Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡwRuafZmrRP
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“I think you are hunting my son and other kids… from a past event.” She looked to the side for the first time, not watching him, surprising him. She even let that moment slide, knowing he was a threat…239Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡdXpKE99Dyv
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Yet she quickly looked back once more with sharp eyes… he grinned, knowing he was a threat.239Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡw7TSxAXqVO
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“Even if you were not hunting my family, you are hunting someone…”239Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡTvgYxWpG9k
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“So I ask, will you leave instead?"239Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡZUCUaSkxKU
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"Let it end here.”239Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡrZ1mlGCB0S
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He was surprised how genuine she sounded here; he almost felt wrong…239Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡZV2WoaeNKL
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Almost.239Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡFKjAkoJfSR
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“No.”239Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡqc7D9Oi7fl
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She smiled sadly at that “ok.”239Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡlK6PuI9KXG
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“Then whatever happens from here, the gods know I tried to befriend the beast who chose darkness instead.”239Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ3o3q1icyRf
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What odd, stupid words, he thought, watching her as a shadow swirled. She was the darkness, not him, and what did he care about a light when all he needed was his revenge? This was just another step toward that end.239Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡnFRrWm3OF2
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So as the wind blew to his command, shifting her hair, he knew one way or another this would be the end, and what did he have to fear from only one little woman at that… he could sense no others with the winds; she was a fool alone.239Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡRkuQW7LE19
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She drew on her pipe one last time and exhaled steadily, letting her shadows curl around her fingers. Watching the ogre as it gaze back with a scowl, the brute massive hands flexing, posing to strike.239Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡuZwtbcbP1q
and then Add to home screen.