Long long ago ...
Such a clear night with scattered stars adorns the sky of the village of Tanee. Hela Valrick, the mother of a beautiful daughter of Gilda Valrick, invited her people to spend the night together. That village field by lighting a bonfire that warmed them amid the cold of the snow that enveloped the surroundings."No, no. You don't have to bring any food. I have prepared enough meat for all of us. My husband brought six wild boars from the game this afternoon. So we're roasting together, ok?!" said Hela."Ah, you've always been like this to us. We don't know how to repay your kindness to Mrs. Valrick. After all, Mr. Emmett seemed tired after hunting. We became increasingly worried about his health," said one of the residents."We're all a family. No need to feel uncomfortable. My husband is such a tough guy that you don't have to worry about him."The smiles emanating from the villagers described the peace at that time. The kids are having fun too. They run around freely and joke with each other without worrying about their parents.BoomA banging sound from a distance made all residents silent from their activities, and the atmosphere fell silent instantly."Emmett, what's that sound?" panicked began to Hela felt when she heard the unusual voice."It seems to be coming from a northerly direction, Hela. I'll take a look."Some residents ignored the voice. They then continued their activities. Finally, however, Hela saw that her daughter was paying attention to something that made her amazed."Gilda, what are you looking at, dear?" asked Hela to the child on her lap."Eyes...," Gilda pointed towards the back of the house of one of the residents. At that time, Gilda was not very fluent in speaking. However, the girl is very good at expressing something she feels or sees. Hela wrinkled her forehead in confusion at what Gilda meant. She didn't see anything her daughter was aiming at."Mom, the eyes are yellow. It's there..."Residents who heard Gilda's words were also curious about what she saw. So they told one of the residents, Apsel, to check that strange thing."It's safe, madam. There's nothing here!" shouted Apsel from a distance, looking in the direction Gilda pointed out."Ah, thank goodness," Hela replied, sighing.Relieved to hear this, when Apsel and other citizens turned over simultaneously, they saw a creature shrouded in darkness. Yellowish eyes with hands ready to pounce, standing directly behind Hela, holding Gilda."AAAAAARGGHH!! MADAM! WATCH OUT!" shouted Apsel in surprise."Arghhh!" the citizens shouted in unison.All the people ran around in the fog looking for their children. They rushed to get inside their homes for shelter. The atmosphere became chaotic as they freaked out and collided with each other until food and drink were trampled on by their hasty steps of fear.Hela, who heard Apsel's scream, turned her body and gasped at the creature's sight. She put his deck on Gilda and tried to avoid the monster by running. However, due to the panic and slippery ground surface frozen into ice, Hela fell flat. She tried to drag her body away from the monster because her leg was injured. Still, in his mother's arms, Gilda couldn't help but cry at the sight of the incident."Who-who are you?! What kind of creature are you?!" quipped Hela panicked.The monster just smiled and strolled towards the mother and daughter with a hand ready to catch them."Please, don't hurt us. I give you whatever you want, as long as you don't hurt the people here," Hela said, which was already limp.The sound of the wind sighing mixed with whirring sounded. An arrow was stuck in his back from the direction behind the monster, making him jerk his body and scream."Argh!" the echoing roaring voice signified overwhelming anger."Get out of here, disgusting creature!" said Emmett from a distance, still holding the bow whose arrows had been released.The monster went on a rampage, ravaging the village to divert the arrow shots that came at him and sharpened from various directions.The residents and Emmett, who focused on attacking the creature, did not realize that the lives of his wife and child were under threat. But, it didn't stop there, and the monster was not alone. He brought one similar to him to help distract the villagers."Emmett! Help me!" shouted Hela.Gilda kept crying incessantly."Hela!!" Emmett immediately ran to his wife and child, realizing that the monster was tricking him. The thick snow made it difficult for him to dash. The fire burning in the center of the village was getting bigger, and more blocked his sight to save his wife's child.Time seemed to stand still as the man saw his daughter already sitting lying on the icy ground with a wailing cry as he threw his hand in a direction."Gilda! Where's your mother?!" said Emmett rushing to hold Gilda."Mother...," Gilda pointed out.The man looked in the direction his daughter was pointing. His eyes widened to see his wife slumped limply on the lap of a monster fleeing in the direction of the dark forest. With teary eyes and mounting anger, he also shouted,"HELAAA!!"He then entrusted Mia to nearby residents and ran fast, hoping to save his wife. The thick snow was not an obstacle for Emmeth, and he continued running until he entered the cursed forest of Darkus. Not having time to join the core of the forest, suddenly something long, sharp, and branched hit Emmeth's body, throwing him out of the woods.With a faint look and a weakened body condition, from a distance, he saw the monster slowly lost by the darkness of the Hela forest. His half-quivering, wound-filled hand was unable to save his wife."He-Hela...," Emmett said, then unconscious.****It was the darkest night for the villagers of Tanee. Children were constantly crying, destroyed houses, white snow partly stained with blood, and lost one of the leaders they had respected so much all along."Mr. Emmett, thank goodness you've come to your senses...," said Apsel's wife, who was guarding Gilda after the incident that night."Hela! Gilda! Arrghh ...."The man spontaneously woke up and held his head while groaning in pain."Relax, Sir. Gilda was fine. She was sleeping in her room. It's just that, Mrs. Hela....""Yes, I know, Apsel. She won't come back. This is the act of the monster Jotun!""Jotun's monster?" said Apsel and his wife, staring at each other in surprise."The monster is Jotun. I'm sure once it's them. My mother once told me that a long time ago, in the southern mountain, it was said that there was a family that was cursed to be Jotun, whose characteristics were the same as that of the monster. And it likes to abduct children and women out of spite on the gods who alienated it.""So, why did they come and disturb our village this time, sir? But before Tanee's village was safe," Apsel asked."I don't know, and I don't understand. At first, I thought it was just a fairy tale...."Since then, Emmett has no longer been seen crying. Various ways he did to find his wife, but he always failed and did not find any clues. Also, the difficulty accessing humans through the dark forest makes him even more desperate. Until finally, he gave up and stopped the search.20 years later"Are you prepared?""I am, Father.""Then, go. When you're in crisis, leave everything. It's enough to just flee, as long as you're safe."Arthur walked out of his hiding cave towards Tanee Village. With a bunch of vines he used as rope, he didn't need too many hunting tools as his current target was a child."Hey, Arthur! If you managed to get more than one human, share them with me!" yelled Volka from afar, the guardian of Dark Forest covered by the darkness."I won't let you indulge in my rations! Hahaha!" shouted Arthur.Even when humans thought the curse bound the Forest, The Dark Forest had been an excellent place for the Jotuns. The caves they lived in were covered by Forest's thickness and gloominess, day and night.Luckily, it wasn't Winter. The absence of thick snow provided easier hunting for the jotuns and left the village without a trace.Soon as he reached the village border to the Forest, Arthur slowed down. He prepared to quickly slip behind the house he
"M-Mr. Jotun, can I go home? I-I miss my mother," Ramy said hopefully."Can you, you want to go home?" asked Arthur."Ye-yes, sir. Can I go home now?""Yes, I'll let you go now. Let me tell you my way home. Once from here, you will pass through the darkness of the Dark forest alone. Ah, or you need friend to go there? Or put it this way, I'll send my friend to accompany you along the way, Volka!! Come here!! I need your help!" cried Arthur.The pupil of the innocent child's eyes immediately dilated when he heard Volka's word. He immediately stuck the index finger in his mouth and showed it to Arthur."Ssshh... Okay, I get it. I'm not going anywhere. I'm sorry, sir," the boy bowed his head helplessly."Smart boy!" said Arthur with a cynical smile that looked whiny and sly.Who doesn't know Volka? The Dark Forest ranger creature that the villagers of Tanee feared after the Jotun. Volka never showed his form, and he only made a sound that would make humans unable to sleep with just one w
"So, what do you want?!" asked Gus."What do I want? You didn't hear me, did you?! But, I told you, I have good news for you!""I know. If you're like this, there's going to be something you want from me. That's right, isn't it?!"Arthur, who was used to his best friend's coldness, never once felt offended. On the contrary, Gus is a kind and loyal figure to anyone who wants to be friends with him.Want to be friends with him? Yes, not all Dark forest creatures dared approach the grumbling creatures, except Arthur and Volka. Therefore, they are finally now friends."Your remarks have some truth too. I was going to tell you something, but it feels better if you help me first," Arthur reasoned.Hearing this, Gus turned over and walked back to the tree he lived in regardless of Arthur's words."Gus! I haven't finished talking yet! Listen to me first!" shouted Arthur."I don't want to get involved in your stupid actions anymore!" concluded Gus, whose voice echoed from inside the tree."Oh,
SsshhhhFrom the darkness, a long and sizeable legless reptile emerged. The skin was golden brown with a tongue sticking out close to them."Ah, a snake? Who are you, and where are you from?" asked Arthur. He changed the position of his awareness to stand as usual. According to him, this figure is not dangerous."Kaia ..." Her distinctive hissing sound echoed throughout the forest."Alright, Kaia. I'm Arthur, and this is my friend, Gus. Please, don't underestimate him. Otherwise, you'll regret it later," Arthur retorted.Gus trailed off as he stared fiercely at Kaia. Arthur was indeed really serious when he said things about Gus. But, let alone Kaia, Arthur himself didn't dare to mess with the ancient rabbit."No need to linger. What is your purpose for coming here? I don't have much time to argue with you," Gus asked."Shouldn't I be the one who asked? This is my territory. What is the purpose of you guys coming here?" asked Kaia. Her long body squirmed softly around Gus and Arthur.
Gus's remarks sounded very serious. However, it wasn't apparent to Arthur. How not? His best friend seems to know what will happen later, behaving as if he doesn't know anything. Is it true that the wizard in the southern forest is more dangerous than Kaia?"Tsk! She's just a wizard. It can't be more dangerous than a big snake," Arthur scorned with a hint of a chuckle."You don't remember? Who has turned you into an evil creature like this?" Gus replied with a stern look as he continued in his footsteps."Of course I remember. But ....""Never mind, Arthur. If what we are doing is very important to you, then never underestimate every process. Please, just keep those selfishness of yours tight, understand?" snapped Gus.As we know, Gus was forced to help Arthur because he wanted to meet the kind that Arthur had met. Such ancient rabbits were quite tired of living a solitary life. Not because he was dissatisfied with the presence of his two best friends, Arthur and Volka, but because he
"What is your plan, Gilda?" asked Emmett to his daughter."I'm going to try to find Ramy. His mother did not want to eat because she thought about the poor boy. She just lost her husband and now has to lose her child," Gilda said, packing her hunting bag."It's useless for you to go. The boy must have been eaten as a dinner menu by the Jotuns," Emmett replied with a sly smile."Father! Why are you talking like that?! The villagers of this drape hope on us?!" concluded Gilda in a high tone.Hearing his daughter's emotional words, the older adult stood up and approached the child with both hands on his waist."Then, do you think the boy is still alive? Gilda, Gilda...." Emmett chuckled and continued his sentence,"You don't remember what happened to your mother? Oh! Do you want to come and live with her in heaven?!"Gilda could only be speechless without a word hearing her father's words. With tears now beginning to shed, she felt intense sorrow when she remembered his mother, who had b
"Sir, didn't you order me to accompany Princess Gilda? My wife couldn't bear to watch her walk alone into the woods."Apsel came over to Emmett by order. Previously, while Gilda was still in the village, Emmett ordered him to accompany Gilda to find Ramy in the Dark forest. But for some reason, after Gilda walked, Emmet gave another order instead. That is, staying quiet in the village of Tanee and not going anywhere. At first, Apsel felt confused by the Master's painting attitude. But, finally, he couldn't do anything about it and could only obey his happiness."Are you stupid or what? I told you, don't go anywhere and stay here until I give you new orders!""O-Ok, Sir. B-but... Princess Gilda....""Don't too much thinking about my daughter, who is none of your business! You got it?! After all, when did your wife dare to interfere in your work affairs, Apsel?!"Apsel just silently nodded according to the Master's orders. He couldn't do much because, at this time, Emmett seemed to be f
Gustav, Apsel's neighbor, left Apsel silent for a moment. He didn't even know what he had been doing to his master based on Gustav's words. Then, finally, he insisted that he didn't feel that way and left his neighbor without an answer."Apsel! Apsel! Where are you going, you?! I haven't finished talking to you yet!" Gustav exclaimed as he watched Apsel pass by.Again, Gustav's question was ignored by Apsel. Let alone answer, turning to her was reluctant. It turns out that, in addition to Emmett, the villagers of Tanee have also behaved strangely recently.Some residents who have left Tanee village don't know where they are. With prayers and hope, they walked the hill against the cold air to find a safer place to live."Dad, where are we going?" asked one of a child to his father."I don't know, kid. But, I'll make sure we find a place to live as soon as possible."The boy smiled innocently when he heard his father's answer. He does not doubt that the father has promised from the hear