Guild Hall four weeks since the start of the monster hunt126Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡTUlUVUQusg
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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.126Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡtEEafji9Gs
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And blew out slowly, trying to calm her mind once more, since no one is listening…126Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡnr68UxH0dy
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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.126Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ7Yd5L3o2dH
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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.126Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡF9o9O5R2ZX
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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,126Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡeTwQwrsKgE
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Drawing more from the herb in my pipe to calm me, I sought the right words…126Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡffnPPYAD7W
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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.126Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡu7R3dmrUC4
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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.126Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡlPuveF1dqF
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It was Coby's dad, the leader of the hunter guild, who startled us both by speaking first.126Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡlB0Ti2fa14
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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.126Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ5lBFQX378S
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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.126Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡXL50XoPJSc
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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.126Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ7h7vwKtTn6
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Yet it seems I overestimated my influence and underestimated their stubborn ignorance in ignoring this threat…126Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡwLR7KaM5w2
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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.126Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡwCgLhABpbh
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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.126Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡKIExxzXXMQ
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“Justin, your kids hunted this—”126Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ55GdHmroiZ
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“Allegedly,” a hunter scoffed, who usually just gives the report, it seem everyone wished to test me today…126Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡr8x00NTUtP
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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.”126Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡgBwLSbYKR2
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“Yet, regardless if true or not, the kids think it is hunting them… and plan to hunt it.”126Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡVgBJDmxYqe
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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!”126Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡUZpNIzTwJp
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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…126Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡzSERK6vM9L
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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…”126Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡl1ljMHXi06
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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.126Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡZ0t1DLOer7
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I laughed.126Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡwu3FRdYurs
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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.126Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡFyO7Hw4hJN
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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…126Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡk3V8DjibAf
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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.126Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡrXpI8tBVmw
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I tried once more to explain what I understood about magic for monsters; hopefully, this time they would listen…126Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡoAzBCOAy43
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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?”126Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡcRMsrhnQyq
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They started waiting for more, not following, so I went on…126Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡi0hdQmjtVD
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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…”126Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ9lSMWMHgNf
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“they also can and do kill each other for mana. Some get smarter and seek peace… yet others?”126Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡNwl7MnwggT
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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…126Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡQGbl6xJfmz
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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.126Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡRxnfmVo7yQ
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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…”126Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ4X6L6BapY9
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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…”126Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡFJkbawTqB6
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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…126Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡkr0eLgmSW5
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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.126Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡwRF4KLWF20
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“You’re gifted, no doubt. We heard about your past and your right to be feared…”126Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡD0qG8q7zIO
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“But I hunted for years. I wandered these lands long after you stopped and sat in these halls…”126Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ3KOC9eiI40
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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.126Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡu1yqfBQPOM
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And with that, it was over….126Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡBwYkBZGw2K
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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...126Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡjcU0rG6lms
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Later that night, home in the guild hall126Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ3PG0ALfBkX
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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.126Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡIOFwavXQy9
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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…126Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡKLkKnaGQdw
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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.126Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡK53nHRG0Bj
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“You could have knocked…” he glared yet looked away.126Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡeEJyTREgGk
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“The door was open.” I gently replied126Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡXuJZczxIzQ
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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,126Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡXdbxTAkI6i
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“Son, despite whatever cruelty I ever showed you, you do know I love you, right?”126Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ43MoAXxHNA
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That got a concerned look as he stared. He always was a sharp boy…126Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡzRtMheAYW2
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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.126Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ1oNNJllQWm
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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.126Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡJpzeNvbe1U
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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.126Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡbDCjW1QeO6
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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.”126Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡAkhTvGn38j
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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.126Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡKiwFVNXGQA
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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…126Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡtdWmSY5ocx
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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.126Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡif9JJBivrU
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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…”126Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡhIx0l8RrqM
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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…126Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡqFsD6tJIjK
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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….126Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ96yfgfkxDn
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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.126Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡcCDXo9Kyrj
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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….126Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡUJqmmmHXOg
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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,126Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ8Huf8OyVzw
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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…126Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ7m4tMwxXHU
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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.126Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡBEmVMlWWzf
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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.126Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡX2cLAUaDET
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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…126Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡCRTbLDA3hW
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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.126Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ9yXYTUkPtH
I never regret the adventure we shared in the shadows, even when you lived in the light.
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Your friend Tanya126Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡVsrnDjNwQJ
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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…126Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡEVyVMxIalX
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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….126Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡjuexAuR3bu
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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.126Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡGhfPrZplri
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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.126Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡINElAVYKxN
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“Rosa, dear, I need a favor.”126Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡtyMHZHXXdA
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“EEK!” The poor girl was startled.126Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡE0RGQARh9G
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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?”126Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ1HTnhITJRO
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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.126Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡGuFgXCCMDW
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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…126Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡLwBwybOTBb
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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?126Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡI4USw2Oh7G
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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….126Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡkeN67KHpEu
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The leader calmly watched the cave before speaking once more, breaking that moment of silence…“Don’t underestimate it,”126Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡeCtCu4h6QY
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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…126Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡODrzE4yOeK
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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.126Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡp49xeiGPp9
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He turned once more and kept watching the cave, but spoke clearly, chilling me.126Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡDWEwPLt9JP
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“We were warned repeatedly by someone I trust at meetings… We ignored them, and I regret it.”126Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡET38zQFTLB
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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….126Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡxmlYuhrK80
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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.126Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡjrm52tZMNA
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Level One126Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡN4idwHK43G
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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…126Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ28QZDYQ8Of
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Level Two126Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡHsEeR77R4M
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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 three126Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡeP9m3OasWE
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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….126Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡcCULYf2xBt
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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…126Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡS63N2Zgx3F
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So instead we repeated the loop…126Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡpVWvCUofEJ
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endless looping the realms from one, two and three for hours126Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡWDYO8Y4ukH
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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.126Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡY1gEwxcvB6
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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…126Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ03UZ7z3hfn
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Level three126Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡuBcK10cOOl
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Plains, but the beast was not here… it went deeper still to a level four. So we made a camp.126Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡRpPF4kTNtw
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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...126Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ2e9dXKMXmE
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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.126Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡnJmuKTTSuD
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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…126Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡQvH52tCnS4
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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.126Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ8ZPkFGIJMj
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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.126Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡDMOJCQzV7X
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***126Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡJOtp8jJa26
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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.126Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡX5jDMmoCws
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So it made it easier when they did not watch their shadows extend or move without them doing so….126Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡrxZ46wcVjT
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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…126Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡSIIwIrf3wV
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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…126Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ0WONsY1vjy
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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?126Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡlTMRWEZVSO
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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.126Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡXmGpZ2pxon
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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….126Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡNOd4kzPaCT
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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…126Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡWt3AGRf8QT
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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.126Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡlB18xTIcPg
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Maybe she was just distracted, and like the beast, they just focused single-mindedly on their own task….126Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡTxTT6BZh7c
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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….126Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ7oMgSRbqn6
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*****126Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡa0uKGHzDDc
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Again, he thought they were getting close; he sensed them in the wind and pulled the wind to find him…126Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡMlTTlm5F25
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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…126Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡNaGvUBfamg
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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…126Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡbqVmVjRhhn
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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…126Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡni78XTZnw6
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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…126Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡeRpY6g4JJS
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Looking around for anything interesting was a disappointment… He wasn't sure what he expected—something? Anything?126Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡl1YC3tPIjh
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Nothing…. He smelled an odd new smell, a scent he had never known.126Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ31LhESjomJ
Then he felt something to his side, but all there was were shadows…. Yet among those shadows stood a monster.126Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡyVhOWBfgTp
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An odd fairy-human thing?126Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡqcw5gJ3jR0
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Long white hair with red eyes, smoking a pipe? He wasn't sure how to take this creature….126Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡCW160aci46
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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…126Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡVmSc4y10Rb
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The smile on her face confused him, yet her words added even more to the unknown of what was happening…126Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡGgGWguUnkt
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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…126Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡmZRc1Z237k
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She wasn't a monster?126Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡXCyRrO8ETC
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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…126Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ0PGXenJ7ix
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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…?126Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡDlzolhiPZz
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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…126Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ2CA7HR8zkD
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Could he kill her? Or could she kill him ….126Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡnLhsZyUR6o
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He wasn't sure what to think or feel as she stared at him, waiting for him to react…126Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡOY91FHbxk8
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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.126Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡIzOdWRExbu
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“We…”126Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡxmHpoKt9VO
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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…126Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡSyCAuvgxcL
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Yet she quickly looked back once more with sharp eyes… he grinned, knowing he was a threat.126Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡAyBeqTnfKc
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“Even if you were not hunting my family, you are hunting someone…”126Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡvo7ECdVL7e
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“So I ask, will you leave instead?"126Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡXsSVJX9v3E
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"Let it end here.”126Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ7MwMR8kPYg
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He was surprised how genuine she sounded here; he almost felt wrong…126Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡSgO40YCrgt
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Almost.126Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ7fVouaGKWT
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“No.”126Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡaU2fJd0RbL
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She smiled sadly at that “ok.”126Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ9X5eIZtyxy
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“Then whatever happens from here, the gods know I tried to befriend the beast who chose darkness instead.”126Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡV79oQNLAtt
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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.126Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡEiv6Zt4xjH
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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.126Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ6Ki3nrS4sg
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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.126Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡw3tJ6bNO9g
and then Add to home screen.