Before the portal, Aria Journal 07/02

[000Curiosity]

It happened again. If I had a copper for every time I have been in a weird adventure I’d have two coppers, which isn’t much but it could at least be put into a fund for the THERAPY IM GONNA NEED AFTER THIS.
This might be even more traumatic than the last one because there wasn’t even anyone on my side it was just me versus the uncaring universe and this insane man!

So I was walking through the forest trying to find any clues for what was stealing away the animals. I never saw any sign of a struggle, no weird goop or claw marks. So I got to thinking well, maybe there’s someone who’s hunting although it’s against the law rn. Didn’t throw out the idea of a beast though still kept looking. I made it really deep into the forest and not gonna lie, got lost. Like suuupppeerr lost. Unfortunately started spiraling again even though the first rule of being lost in the forest is don’t panic I still did. I mean, what else am I supposed to do? I take a seat on a log so my legs don’t give out and had a good cry. I knew I wouldn’t starve since dehydration comes first but the thought of that pain terrified me. The overwhelming suspense of agony and the death that follows paralyzed me. I knew I had to do something but what? I’m not special and not special people don’t live, they die cold and alone in the forest for their own stupidity of not watching the time or keeping track of where they are in comparison to their map. I honestly don’t know if I deserve to still be here cause I was such an idiot but I’m here nonetheless. I needed to find out where I was so I climb a tree to see if I could get a better vantage point but I couldn’t see any signs of the town. Suddenly a crossbow bolt almost hits me! Startled me enough to where I fell out of the tree and landed hard on my right arm. The snap of a bone immediately followed a strange pulse of nauseating pain. Not only did I break my arm I hit my head pretty bad too, the clouds spun above me as I tried to focus. One part of my mind knew I was in danger, someone or something shot that cross bolt. The other half didn’t particularly seem to care, wanting to just forget the whole scenario and go to sleep. As my vision wavered a shadowed figure loomed above and I passed out.
When I woke up the adrenaline kicked in again and I tried to reach for my sword but I was swiftly and cruelly reminded of my broken arm. My cry of pain caught the attention of an elvish man who slowly approached with his hands slightly raised. He said “hold on pup I’m not here to hurt you.” Seriously what is it with people and giving me nicknames that make me feel slightly talked down to. He then tells me that he thought I was a monster and that’s why he shot at me. Then he slowly walked towards me and gestures towards my arm, “I’m sorry about what happened to your arm, give it over here and I’ll bandage it” I’m still in full blown panic mode, a strange man almost kills me and I’m supposed to trust him to bandage my arm instead of breaking it further, but then again what other choice did I have back then? I couldn’t exactly run with the world shaking and the enemy in much better shape than I. Gods I hate this feeling I get in my chest whenever I think about having to, submit to this man. I feel slimy, like he’s still in front of me waiting for my arm. I gave it to him. Every movement he had to make with my arm to set it correctly felt like fire in my veins. I might’ve passed out again, I don’t know. By the time I was at least aware of what was happening my arm was in a makeshift cast and the dude was in the middle of a sentence. He was saying something about heading over to his manor in the woods to get proper medical care. He kinda starts to head in a direction and looks back to see if I’m following. I followed him cause it was very clear I had no idea where I was going or knew how to survive out here.

Eventually ended up at this log cabin ish manor. It was surrounded by a tall stone wall topped with iron and between the wall and the doors were guard dogs. Right above the doors was a large emblem of a buck but with an arrow through its left eye. Super creepy and I feel bad for the poor smith who had to make that. Once we entered his abode the vibes only got worse. It was only lit by a single antler chandelier with the fireplace unlit. Above the fireplace was the same deer from the emblem, arrow in the eye and everything. On both sides of the fireplace were staircases leading onto a second floor mezzanine and on the left and right walls were one door each. He takes a cigar out of one of his pockets and begins to light it saying, “you see my name is Van Buren, my great grandfather built this manor, it has been here even before the town nearby was built. Before they came in with their regulations. He was known as the realm’s greatest hunter after he slayed a Chimera in the northern region. My family has carried on this tradition of hunting for over a hundred years.” After taking a puff he yells out, “Sebastian!!” And out of the left door comes a very tall and thin man with long black hair and seemingly black eyes. He walked so fast once I blinked he was standing next to Van. “Please bring a healing potion for our young pup here and prepare dinner for two tonight, I don’t think she is in proper shape to leave.” Sebastian just nodded and headed back into what was the kitchen, promptly returning with a small vial filled with red liquid. He hands the vial to Van who then hands it to me saying, “drink it, it’s a health potion”. As if I didn’t know what a health potion was. When I drank it it didn’t taste like a full health potion, it was less bitter and didn’t fully heal my arm, the pain no longer felt like a hellfire but I still couldn’t move my arm without feeling a lot of pain. Once I drank it the butler guy snatched the vial out of my hand and walked back to the kitchen. Now that I was more cognizant, I was able to feel more weirded out by this place. I said thanks for the potion and he said, “Now that you’re feeling better, I would like to give you a short tour of my manor. Follow me.”

So, I’m like, “sure..?” Cause this dudes acting mega strange, like he wasn’t already. He leads me through the right door and into another large room. Hanging from the ceiling was another deer antler chandelier. It illuminated the creepiest part of this whole manor. The entire room was filled with taxidermies. Bears, birds, wolves, deer, giraffes, hippos, big cats, small cats, monsters of all shapes and sizes. All in one dimly lit room with their sharp shadows being cast on the walls. There was one space empty however, a bell jar about the size of a humanoid. “This room is my pride and joy, it is brimming with my most prized catches. That lion was killed 15 years ago on my 618th birthday. And this Manticore I killed with my father back when he was still in his prime. I remember it like it was just yesterday.” He sighed and turned back towards me. “ You’ve come at just the right time, for tomorrow will be my greatest hunt yet! But first we must eat, you must be starving, you look like you haven’t eaten a proper meal in days. Come now pup, Sebastian should be done with dinner by now.” He walked out of the room with a smile on his face, but he seemed to know something I didn’t. Before following him I look up at the bell jar with its’ imposing presence. At this point I am beyond scared, but also beyond fear. I had had enough of the weirdness and pain I was experiencing. I wondered where one would even acquire a bell jar that large. Clearly the man had money, so did he have it custom made? Is there an emporium that sells comically large bell jars that you use to intimidate guests?? Well there was no time to ponder that any longer for it was time for dinner.

The dining room was a bit more well lit, luckily for me. It was one of the more normal rooms in the house. Surprisingly the room leaned more into the log cabin design rather than the mansion design. Not as fancy as I would’ve expected. The chair I was directed to seemed old and worn down, and the table was rickety and moved whenever something was placed on it. Sebastian brings out just a slab of meat. Like, no side, sauce or accoutrement. Like I don’t want to judge his taste ( but I actually do) but seriously who serves food like this? Ok now comes the part that makes me feel even slimier to write. I was drugged. The, meat? I don’t know what animal it came from despite it gamey taste. Aside from the gaminess there was the taste of something bitter. I guess that is what drugs taste like. I don’t want to experience that ever again so I’m just going to skip to when I woke up.

When I did wake up I was in what I assume to be one of the guest rooms on the second floor. The bed I was lying in was extremely uncomfortable, the blanket was scratchy and the pillow was leaking feathers, only a candle illuminated the room. From outside the door I could hear Van Buren mumbling to himself, “my final hunt will begin soon, the prey is prepared and my cross bow is loaded.” Followed by some rather creepy giggling. Now we have circled back to being fully in fear. I was internally screaming for a good few minutes before finally making a move. I jumped out of the bed and looked out the window, only to see the spikes of iron on top of the fence, yeah I wasn’t going to be able to jump off. I had also noted that it was now late into the night. I tried the door but of course it was locked with a strange mechanism. There were 5 rotating bits with numbers on them. Taking a deep breath to keep the panic at bay I realized I had an advantage. Van Buren didn’t realize I would wake up so soon, I could use my early awakening to sneak around the manor. If I could find the combination. Taking in the room a bit more I noticed next to the bed there was a nightstand with a drawer. Opening the drawer I found three crystals, curiously holding the yellow one up to the candlelight a message is reflected onto the wall. “Past the river, the dark leads you down”, then I held the red one, “ into the thicket a snap can be found.” Which I just love cryptic riddles when my life is in danger, then the blue one, “63831”. Now this I could work with. I entered the code into the door’s lock and it quietly popped open and the door creaked open a little. I made my first brave step outside.

At night the manor somehow got even creepier. The windows only brought in the darkness of night and the deer chandeliers barely lit the room. The dim light that was given off reflected on the taxidermy deer’s eyes, making it seem to be alive. The fire’s embers were smoldering in the fireplace giving off the reeking smell of smoke. I knew heading out the front door would be a bad idea, as the guard dogs were likely still there. I needed a way to distract them. I remembered the tampered meat that I was fed, and as much as I hate drugging innocent dogs I needed to get out of this manor. I headed back into the dining room, opening the door as slowly as I could revealed an empty room with my plate still on the table. Great for my escape purposes but a bad reflection on Sebastian’s part. Taking the part of the mystery meat I didn’t eat I headed towards the front door, which was surprisingly unlocked. The darkness of night made it difficult to get down the stairs but I could tell I was close to the gate once the dogs began to growl. I tossed them the meat and they ate it vigorously. I waited a few minutes for the drugs to kick in. I stepped down the final stair and no dog attacked me so I made a quick sprint towards the gate feeling the growing primal urge to escape. Flinging it open I took my first step off the manor’s cursed ground. Then came the blowing horn.

I spin around seeing Van Buren and Sebastian standing on the door’s eve. Van Buren pointing a cross bow at my head. “I guess the pup wanted to start the hunt early, I won’t keep you waiting then. You’ll get a minute head start. Once you hear the horn I’ll begin the hunt. I’ll look forward to seeing your taxidermy in my trophy room. Start running pup.” I bolt. Running through the sea of trees as fast as I possible could. The adrenaline hiding most of the pain in my right arm I was able to use most of my abilities. With my heightened senses I heard flowing water to the left and began to run towards it, vaguely remembering the riddle. Then the horn blew. A gust of wind blew past my right ear as a bolt landed in the tree next to me. I didn’t have much time. Running to the river I begin to look for the darkest part, only seeing what seems to be a trench. I jump in as soon as a bolt flies above me. Running into the darkness I feel foliage scraping against my skin as I go further into the descending trench. Taking a quick breath I squint to see in the dusky moonlight, something shimmers. A bear trap. A plan formulated in my head. I grabbed the bear trap with my good arm and prepared to ambush him. I hid behind the vines of the thicket, thorns stabbing into me, but I couldn’t react, it was time to hunt. His footsteps drew near, I used thaumaturgy to make it sound like I was further into the trench. As he grew closer, losing footing in the plants, I kept my eyes on him, waiting for the perfect moment. As his head was right in front of me, I lunged. Putting the bear trap’s spring into his face it closed with a loud snap. He screamed. Dropping his crossbow as he fell to the ground clutching at the bear trap, desperately trying to rip it off. Still feeling the surge from the adrenaline I use my good arm to hold him still enough to cast thuderwave. The electricity sweeps through the foliage destroying it and slamming Van Buren into the opposite wall. His body going limp and the arm that I grabbed hanging at an odd angle. Taking a few labored breaths I contemplated my next step. What now? Van Buren would wake up, despite his cross bow being destroyed in the thunderwave, he was still a lot stronger than me. Luckily my saving grace came in the form of the Druid from earlier. She jumps down into the trench, illuminating us with her firefly staff. She bring me back into town while dragging back Van Buren with vines.
I’m currently staying in the Druid’s home with my arm covered in a moss salve that’s slowly healing my arm. I was assured than Van Buren was being “taken care of” by the locals. Wether or not this means he is dead or healed I do not know. I definitely do care however, this man might try to kill another and put them in the bell jar, I’m not letting that happen. I’ll have to testify what happened to the guard tomorrow, not looking forward to that, but writing it down helped me compose what happened. The Druid is making me breakfast now, which is super nice. Luckily I don’t think I’m too nervous about it being drugged. Wouldn’t that just be my luck. I’m going to rest now. If something like this happens again I’m leaving.

[Author]

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