The BEAST ASSASIN

A Task

The man, upon regaining consciousness, posed a question to the wolf situated in his mind, "Where exactly are we?" As he attempted to rise but was met with a sharp ache in his head, he winced.

Eventually, he managed to sit up, propping himself against the headrest of the bed, and surveyed his surroundings. He found himself lying within a room that resembled a cave. Contrary to the uncomfortable terrain of the mountains, the bed on which he sat proved to be considerably more comfortable. It was crafted from wood and outfitted with a mattress, void of any foliage. Numerous kerosene lamps illuminated the area, casting a reddish hue throughout the space. The man's attention was drawn to an object hanging beside the door, instantly alerting him to the fact that his jacket was absent.

In response, he proceeded to retrieve the covers, relieved to discover that his attire remained intact, with the sole exception of his jacket. Placing a hand on his forehead, he drew his legs towards his chest and pondered the events that had unfolded. How had those individuals managed to abduct him? While numerous monsters had made attempts in the past, they had ultimately met their demise at his hands.

Yearning for answers, he turned to inquire of the wolf, "What exactly transpired?"

The wolf responded, "We encountered resistance. We fought valiantly, of course, but our hunger got the best of us. When those men struck the back of your head, we lost consciousness and found ourselves transported to this location."

In retort, the man snapped, "You could have fought them."

"However, they were humans, and our battles are reserved for monsters," retorted the wolf, a scowl evident upon its face.

"How many instances must we fall into their traps, knowing full well that they are mere humans? Do you recall what occurred the first time we encountered a human? He revealed himself to be a monster. Let us not forget the beautiful bird I plucked from the tree earlier; it too metamorphosed into a monster in disguise. I am thoroughly convinced that these individuals are not ordinary men," the man expressed with a combination of a whistle and a raised voice, yet before the wolf could respond, their dispute was abruptly halted.

A voice from the doorway startled them, declaring, "Ah, it appears you have invisible companions with whom you converse." Turning to face the newcomer, the man gasped.

"It's you. Just as I suspected," he growled, speaking with gritted teeth, his gaze fixed intensely upon the individual before him. This was one of the men who had previously proposed a trade, offering gold coins in exchange for the snake remains found within the mountains.

The man sneered and taunted, "And what did you suspect, slayer?" With a smirk, he then exited, shutting the door behind him.

In utter astonishment, the man mumbled, "Wow, simply astonishing."

Without a trace, he disappeared, leaving us without a taste of the scrumptious meal he had promised," he complained bitterly, ruffling his already disheveled hair, which only added to his homeless appearance. He silenced his wolf, who was about to say something, as it was pointless. After all, he was indeed homeless. The cave he slept in could hardly be called a home, as it was always surrounded by lurking monsters eager to take his life.

The door creaked open once more, revealing an elderly man, perhaps around sixty-five or older, whose wide grin greeted him.

"So, you're the renowned monster slayer I've heard so much about," the man exclaimed. "My men have been diligently tracking your movements for months and finally found you today. No need for idle chit-chat; I'll get straight to the point. I need your assistance." With that, the old man settled himself beside the bed.

"You've been tracking me?" he inquired with a stoic expression. "Are your men among the monsters I've successfully vanquished?" The man burst into laughter, tears streaming down his cheeks.

"No, lad. But those monsters you've encountered, we were the ones who sent them to you. They're all bloodsucking fiends. The number of my people they've slaughtered is unimaginable. Things were spiraling out of control, and I feared they would wipe out everyone. That's when I heard about you," the man explained, piquing his curiosity. So, the monsters he had been slaying weren't after him. Nevertheless, his main concern was how they had discovered his existence. Without delay, he posed the question. "How did you come to know about me? Who informed you?"

"My men," he replied simply. "Now, lad, I can see you're famished. Why don't you come with me? We'll share a warm and delectable meal, and I'll regale you with the tales my men shared." Offering a hand to assist him off the bed, he instinctively recoiled, causing the man to grin as if he had expected this response and would have been disappointed if it were any different.

Leaving the room turned out to be far less pleasant than he had anticipated. Groups of people awaited his arrival, their eyes fixed upon him as if he were the long-awaited savior. Some wrinkled their noses in disgust as he passed by, their disdain evident due to his appearance. A few audacious individuals even held their noses. "Do as you please and wrinkle your noses however you like," he wanted to shout back at them in defiance. "I've just battled a fearsome monster." However, he wanted no interaction with them whatsoever. 

"Is he the notorious individual we've been informed about?" A young woman inquired loudly enough for him to overhear before being hastily pulled away by a woman who appeared to be her mother. It fell quiet as they reached their destination. He was escorted to a larger room than the one he had been confined in, and he surveyed his surroundings, cautiously sniffing the air for any sign of a hidden creature lurking on the walls. He had come to the realization that certain monsters possessed the ability to blend with their environment and ambush their prey. This made it considerably more challenging for someone to eliminate them.

"So, where did you hear about me from?" He questioned the man as they settled down for a meal. There was meat, rice, apples, and various unfamiliar food items.

"The two men who initially offered you gold coins only to be frightened off by you are my subordinates. A few months ago, we noticed smoke emanating from the mountain. I felt compelled to investigate if any of our adversaries had established a presence there without my permission, but they returned and informed me that it was in fact a young lad residing alone in the Majorii cave."

"Majorii cave?" "So the cave has a name?" He inquired with a mouthful of rice.

"Yes, it was named after the first queen of this realm. She had ventured up there to battle the monsters who were slaughtering our children and men, and she sought refuge within the cave. Unfortunately, she never returned. It was widely believed that she met her demise at the hands of the tree-like monster," he was informed.

"Tree-like monster?" "You mean the individual I killed on my first day here?" He queried, wiping his mouth with the napkin he had been given.

"Yes, the one you killed." No one had been able to confront that monster for years. So when my subordinates went to investigate if it was our adversaries residing there, they were astounded to find you engaged in combat with it. They even brought back its lifeless body as proof. Since that day, news of your arrival has spread like wildfire, and I instructed my subordinates to keep a close watch on you. "Any monsters causing trouble for us were directed your way because, as we had long anticipated, you would eliminate them, and you certainly did."

"So, what task do you have for me, and what would I receive in return?" He dismissed the tales inwardly, resolving not to listen to any more stories about himself. Most of them revolved around him, and he refused to sit there and listen as someone recounted exaggerated narratives about him. He knew himself better than anyone, and he didn't appreciate the embellished nature of most of those stories.

"So impatient. Anyway, I would like you to slay a water monster for me," the man declared,

After finishing their meal, the old man gestured for a young and attractive girl to clear the dishes, then turned his attention to the killer who was still engaged in conversation. "I understand that I'm here to eliminate a monstrous creature, but what will be my reward?" he inquired, scrutinizing the elderly man. Contrary to his appearance, the man was not all that old. It seemed that he had been an exceptionally good-looking gentleman in his youth, as his well-defined jawline and sparkling blue eyes were evidence of his past allure. He projected an air of prestige, leading the killer to assume that he must be the very king the two men he had encountered on the mountain had spoken of.

"I am willing to offer you anything you desire, my young friend, except for my own life," the man jested.

"In that case, please describe the appearance of this monster," the killer interjected. In order to successfully vanquish the creature, he needed to be familiar with its physical traits. Having encountered numerous creatures of different species before, he would not be surprised if this man described a creature he had never encountered.

"It is a water monster, as I previously mentioned," the man explained. "This monster resides in the only river we rely upon. Due to its presence, we are unable to swim, bathe, or even refill our water bottles. Just today, two women lost their lives at its hands," he revealed, his tone filled with sorrow.

"That suits me just fine. Please prepare a handful of gold coins, which I shall collect upon delivering its severed head to you," the killer stipulated before leaving, unconcerned with the lingering gaze at his back.

"Do you think King Montgomery will grant us peace now that we have fulfilled his demands?" one of the men from the group that had abducted the killer asked.

"Absolutely. The monster specifically requested for the lad from the mountain to be sent to him," the elderly man replied, a smirk forming on his face as he raised his glass of homemade beer in celebration. "May he rest in peace," he toasted.

"Here's to a future filled with happiness for all of us!" he exclaimed, brimming with joy.