第4章：魔狼
私は日本出身ではなく、西洋から来ました。翻訳がうまくできないため、英語で投稿しています。私の物語を楽しんでいただけると嬉しいです！
The first few days were slow. Each quest was simple, and the pay was barely enough for food. Collect some herbs, help move materials across the village, deliver goods, help at a farm. Slow, menial tasks that Tull could have done without registering as an Adventurer. He wished for more. To move out of the village and explore, fight monsters, and make allies. But each day was the same, pick up a quest, spend a few hours completing it, and use the reward gold to buy food or some supplies.
Grog was quiet the entire time. He ran through the motions each day, relaxing where he could. Any labor he could have Tull perform, he would convince him to take. To Grog, he and Tull weren't friends as much as they were coworkers. He would spend his share of gold at the tavern, where Host would offer him any alcohol he could afford. Grog would spend each night drowning his grief down with drinks and rest. Even for Host the conversation was light, usually just demands for "Another drink," followed by gulping and the clinking of glasses. To the little goblin, if they lived each day like this, they wouldn't mind. It was quiet, safe, and provided a sense of normalcy that he had long lost.
"A new quest came in, Tull. Petal needs more herbs to make potions." Rosa offers Tull a scroll stamped with the Guild's insignia. Tull quietly takes it and nods to Rosa.
She lets out a sigh, seeing Tull so miserable was disheartening. Knowing he wanted more than to run basic chores, she knows if she offered him anything above his rank she would get them both in trouble.
"Thanks, Rosa. Same place?" Tull opens up the scroll to read the details of the herbs Petal needed.
Rosa shakes her head, "Actually, these herbs can only be found in the woods nearby. There's been an increased demand in healing potions by passing Adventurers, and she doesn't have enough supply to fulfill it. So at least it will be a change in scenery!"
Tull quietly finishes reading the quest details on the dark brown parchment and rolls it back up into a scroll. He then nods again to Rosa and starts to walk out.
"C'mon Grog." he says quietly as he leaves. Grog looks up at Rosa, who hasn't taken notice of Grog from behind the counter. As soon as Tull turns around, her smiling expression shifts to a concern, her eyes looking worried towards Tull and her smile turning into a neutral expression. After a few moments, Rosa looks down and notices Grog, jumping slightly at the surprise of being watched and quickly changing her expression to the practiced warm smile she greets every Adventurer with.
Grog takes a moment to watch her fake a smile, still carrying his deadpan expression he entered with. After Rosa opens her eyes from her greeting smile to look at Grog, he turns away slowly and begins to leave. He can't imagine what she really thinks of a feral-looking goblin accompanying her friend. But that thought leaves instantly, as he goes back to thinking about what to drink at the tavern once the day is over.
Once the two arrive at the edge of the woods, Tull opens the quest scroll again and kneels down to show Grog, whose legs are being covered by the tall grass.
"This is what we're looking for, okay? The quest only says we need 20, but Petal probably needs more to help those Adventurers." He shows Grog a drawing of a small red and white flower, whose petals are shallow and shaped almost like a poppy. These herbs are fairly common in the region, but can only grow out in the wild. Because of this, it's common for new Adventurers to take on quests to collect these herbs for alchemists to make into healing potions. They then get bought by Adventurers who go out and perform dangerous tasks, creating a positive relationship between the Adventurer's Guild and alchemists.
An hour passes by as Tull and Grog pick at herbs one by one. They've made their way deep into the woods. The road can't be seen anymore and the sound of leaves blowing in the wind and birds singing in the trees accompanies them on their quest. The clouds above them blow slowly, creating spots of brief shade as they pass by on this cool and otherwise sunny day.
Tull, finally caving from boredom, picks himself up and starts to talk out loud.
"Man, it's been days and all we've been able to do is collect plants and help with chores around town. I'll never get to rank up if this is all we do." he sighs in his own frustration.
Grog, sitting next to a tree is holding a small canteen. His small satchel is barely full and his posture shows he likely hasn't moved from that spot in a good minute. He uncaps the canteen and shrugs towards Tull.
"I wouldn't complain too much. It's safe an easy work. I honestly wouldn't mind if this is all we do."
He takes a sip of the canteen, caps it back, and a small portal opens up next to him. He then looks towards the portal and puts his hand that's holding the canteen inside before pulling his empty hand out, the portal instantly closing.
Tull stares at this in disbelief. A portal? Did Grog create this? He seemed unphased by it appearing, so it's probably his. Thousands of questions flood his mind trying to explain what just happened, his eyes wide and mouth slightly agape as he thinks to himself. Suddenly he shakes his head and begins to panic.
"Whaaaat?! Grog, you can do magic?! Why didn't you tell Rosa you could do magic?!"
Grog immediately interrupts with a stern look towards Tull, his brows more furrowed than usual and his tone strict and demanding.
"Because I didn't want to." A quiet silence falls for a few seconds before Tull breaks it.
"But we could have been fighting monsters!" Tull says, still surprised at what just happened.
"Exactly. I'm not a fighter. This portal ain't useful for nothin' but storage."
Grog crosses his arms and begins to look down at his feet, disinterested in the conversation. Each sentence he says is an attempt to solidify an ending to it.
"Plus, I don't know nothin' else. So don't get too excited, kid. I wouldn't be able to save us if I tried."
Awooooooooo!
A howl in the distance breaks the conversation. Grog immediately freezes up in fear, recognizing the creature that made the sound. Tull, confused at Grog's response, watches as he begins to get up and start striding back where they came from.
"Okay kid, let's get out of here. Before whatever that was comes forus!"
As Grog paces blindly towards the road, a large shadow suddenly looms over him. A large, skinny canine figure standing as tall as Tull looks down at the goblin. It's pitch-black fur perfect for ambush in the dark, and it's pointed horns protruding from both sides of its head make for a weapon that could skewer any careless Adventurer. The long, black tail waves left to right as to prepare it's body for a strike, it's piercing white eyes dilate at the sight of it's next snack.
Grog freezes in fear, looking up at a creature nearly five times its size. Something that could easily rip him to shreds from its fangs or claws. If it wasn't trying to intimidate Grog, he would have already been dead.
Shing!
Tull draws his sword and readies his leather shield, running in front of Grog and pushing him aside with his legs. He angles his blade down towards his legs and holds his shield to cover his chest and prepare for any attack. Tull prepared for moments like this, by remembering the stance his sister would take when training with her party members back home. Keeping a wide stance and lowering his center of gravity, he could take a hit and not fall back. His blade angled just right holds distance between him and his target, allowing him to counter-attack as soon as the beast takes action.
Grog gets up and begins to walk backwards, his whole body shaking. Beads of sweat begin to drop down Tull's face. They both know they are facing imminent danger and any wrong move could end them both in an instant. The creature, on the other hand, patiently stares at them both. Sizing up the potential danger and calculating the right moment to engage.
Suddenly, as if in an instant, the creature lunges at Tull and bashes its head against his shield, throwing him against the nearest tree, almost cracking it in half. The impact puts Tull into shock, forcing him to land on his knees and hold himself up on his blade. Then, just as quickly, the creature leaps towards Tull to strike. Noticing this, Tull throws up his blade to meet the beast's jaws.
Clang!
The creature begins to growl with his blade in its mouth. Its piercing eyes looking directly into Tull's as if to say 'Next time, I won't miss.'
Tull pulls his blade back and out of the beast's mouth, then moves in to strike, the beast easily dodging out of the way and then jumping back to make space. They both eye each other down, waiting for their next opening.
"GROG! DON'T JUST SIT THERE! DO SOMETHING!"
Grog's face is still frozen in fear, and suddenly his memory flashes back to the image of himself on the ground, helpless, looking up at another goblin that looks just like him from behind. The other goblin is holding a makeshift spear and a small shield made of nailed wooden boards. Towering over them is a large beast with pitch-black fur, piercing white eyes, and two sharp horns on both sides of its head.Blood from its latest kill is dripping from its mouth.
A warg.
