Fate: An invisible thread that weaves the fabric of your life, guiding you along the paths you take. The friends you have, the enemies you make, the money you earn, and even the people you F@!#—until you ultimately end up in the dirt. Fate determines everything.

But...

Walking for six days following an Bird? That's not fate, is it?

"Nope. That is foolishness at its peak."

The voice came from a man walking in the luscious green forest. Heavy steps accompanied the sound of knives and swords secured to a well-worn leather belt worn over a black Renaissance shirt. A well-equipped armory was strapped to his back and a green cloak covered him from head to toe. A scarf concealed most of his face, leaving only his cold calculative, amber eyes visible.

Six days. Six F@&#ing days! If he had known he would be doing this, he would have happily left with Agami. He couldn't wait to finish and go back home. He missed his bed, beer, especially Borgil's rich, frothy beer, and the warmth of Hot Buttered Rum that melted away the day’s troubles. As soon as he secure his money this time, he is determined to reclaim everything he had lost and indulge in the pleasures he longed for. This time, he would change his fate.

Suddenly, the bird slowed down, gliding nearer to the ground.

"Finally!"

A few meters ahead, He saw a two-story house with a weathered wooden frame partially obscured by the dense pine trees of the surrounding forest. A thick blanket of silence enveloped the area, with no birds or animals in sight, making it more unsettling.

"Well.......that's welcoming" the man muttered.

The enigmatic black three-eyed owl perched gracefully on a branch of a tree close to the house. The black feathers worked in its favor by covering it in the darkness. The third eye slowly flickered open, its deep, gaze sweeping across the house below. A scarlet glow emanated from its eyes, casting an otherworldly light that danced across the shadows.

"Yeah, Yeah. I feel it too, birdy!"

He approached the house, gaze sweeping over the quiet surroundings. Reaching the door, he couldn't help but notice how small it appeared compared to his broad frame. The house sagged under the weight of years, its wooden frame gray and splintered, like a forgotten tombstone embraced by the forest. The paint peeled from the door in long strips, revealing the weathered and worn gray wood beneath. He wondered if he could manage to enter without damaging it.

"Don't break it. Please don't break it."  

He repeated it like a mantra.

*Knock knock knock*

(puff)(huff)(puff)(huff)(puff)(huff)

*KNOCK KNOCK KNOCK*

*KNOCK KNOCK KNOCK KNOCK KNOCK KNOCK*

.................................S.....I.....L.....E......N......C.....E...................

"I am going to...(puff)...kill you, DARI!...(huff)....and your DAMN BIRD TOO!" he muttered, panting.

He did not want to break down the door. Turning back empty-handed after coming so far was not an option as well. He hoped he was not late.

He raised his hand to knock again and was astonished when the old wooden door slowly creaked open. A thick cloak of darkness poured out from within the house, making it impossible to see what lay inside.

His hand instinctively reached for his sword, tightening his hold on it.

The door opened further to reveal a pair of small, curious eyes observing him from the shadows. They were not those of an adult, but small, very small.

"Can I help you?" a sweet voice inquired.

It was a child—a small, endearing child with two pigtails, wearing a green garment and sparkling, inquisitive eyes that brimmed with curiosity and radiated a sense of innocence.

'Now, How adorable is that?' he thought to himself.

The man removed his hood, revealing his face. He appeared to be in his early thirties. Hair, slicked back with a dark, oily sheen that glinted in the dim light. His right cheek bore two jagged black scars, resembling claw marks, extending from his temple to the bone beneath his eye. A third scar, a diagonal slash across his nose, twisted his mouth into a perpetual sneer. Eyes, the color of faded amber, glittered with a cold, calculating intelligence. An upturned mustache and a rough beard completed his look, revealing a wide, predatory grin.

"Is no one home, little miss?" 

He questioned, still puffing and blowing.

The child scanned him from head to toe. 

"My mother is in the forest, and my brother has gone with her to help"

A flicker of doubt crossed his mind. He needed confirmation

"Mind if I come inside? I have been traveling for so long; my partner and I are looking for a place to rest."

"Your partner?" the child quizzed, squinting her eyes.

He observed that the little girl tried to look behind him, only to find no one. He couldn't help but wonder that the child was quite small compared to him, reaching only his knees. He couldn't blame her, could he? He stood at a significant height of seven-six feet.

"My partner is much shorter than I am and struggles to keep up with me. Sometimes, having little legs can be a bit of a hassle, right?" he gave his best smile.

The child giggled and let him in. 'Too easy' he thought. As soon as he stepped inside, he was hit with cold, damp air, despite the sun blazing outside. The air was thick with the pungent scent of decay that made his stomach churn. It was a cramped room featuring two settees, a small stool, and a dirty kitchen at the front. He took his seat as he removed his armor, eyes never leaving the chil, as she moved to the kitchen to prepare refreshments for him. His attention shifted towards the stairs on the left side of the kitchen, probably leading to the rooms upstairs.

"You shouldn't just let anyone inside, little miss. I could be a thief or even a murderer, you know?" 

He exclaimed as he tried to find a comfortable position to sit.

The little girl giggled as if he had just claimed the sky was green, her gaze fixed on him. Shaking her head, 

"I know who you are," 

She offered him a smile that didn't quite reach her eyes. Her small hands tightened around the jug of water, turning it white as she poured its contents into a pot to boil.

"You do?"

His eyes widened with curiosity.

"Uh huh..." 

She he pointed towards the crest pinned on his cloak. An orchid flower crest with three silver petals and three emerald leaves. 

"Isn't that the crest of the temple?" she questioned. 

"You are one of the keepers, aren't you?" 

she continued, taking two glasses and pouring the red tea until it overflowed.

He didn't want to wear that stupid crest. It brings him nothing but trouble, but he is an outsider. As long as he is in this god-forsaken kingdom he has no choice but to wear it. Stupid temple rules, he cursed in his mind.

"Clever, little miss, aren't you?" he laughed in amusement.

The child cautiously approached him, clutching the glasses tightly in her small hands, her eyes calm and her smile never leaving her lips. But just as she reached out, His hand shot out with surprising speed, his fingers wrapping around her small forearms in a strong grip. The glasses slipped from her grasp, shattering on the floor.

"I do find you adorable, but you reek of blood, little one,"

-----------------------------------

Meanwhile, The three-eyed owl swooped down to a branch beside the first-floor window of the house. From the deepest corner of the room, a green hooded figure emerged from the shadows, their face obscured by it, revealing only the eyes. They watched the owl, a slow, almost imperceptible nod passing between them. The owl disappeared, leaving nothing but a feather behind.

The window on the right was open to let in the summer breeze, allowing the curtains to dance to its music. But they stood still, just like the pine trees outside, with half-ripped curtains falling on either side of the windows.

The hooded figure, stepping into a pool of crimson liquid, further observed the room.

A boy of twelve, wearing a blue lace-up shirt, with pale skin, whose eyes were wide open and trained on the ceiling, with his mouth slightly ajar, lay on the floor in a pool of dried blood, with a missing forearm and legs below the thighs.

To his right, a woman in her forties lay decapitated. Her head, a few feet away, stared at her own blood-soaked body.

He observed the crimson handprints, some smeared, some stark, crawled up the walls, a testament to the horror they had both endured.

"She went all out on you both, huh?" His voice was crisp and void.

As he exited the room, he overheard his partner Ryak's voice.

-------------------------

"You shouldn't just let anyone inside, little miss. I could be a thief or even a murderer, you know?"

"I know who you are"

"You do?"

"Uh-huh...Isn't that the crest of the temple?" she questioned. "You are one of the keepers, aren't you?"

The mysterious hooded figure descended the stairs and locked eyes with Ryak. As he shook his head, Ryak understood. They were late.

"Clever, little miss, aren't you?"

As soon she reached him, Ryak's hand shot out with surprising speed, his fingers wrapping around her small forearms in a strong grip. 

"I do find you adorable," Ryak bought his face close to her's, 

"but you reek of blood, little one," Ryak grinned at her.

 With a smile like that, anyone would assume he was a child predator.

''I must admit, I am impressed with your work." 

The hooded figure's voice surprised the child. She looked behind, alarmed. Her arm was still held in Ryak's monstrous hand. She hadn't sensed the other's arrival. She thought she had enough time to deal with the large one. But now that his partner was also here...

"Was it that bad?"

 Ryak was intrigued. 

"You have no idea," 

his partner, Dari, assured him as he descended the stairs.

"How did you get in?" 

The sweet voice, once filled with innocence, growled. 

She couldn't understand why she couldn't remove her hand from the big guy. She didn't sense any strong Heka from him, which is why she let him in. Even if the guy was huge, he was nothing but human. How was he this redoubtable?

Dari strode towards her, his presence radiating an almost palpable aura of authority. His stone-cold blue eyes pierced her as he bent down, his voice a low, dangerous rumble. 

''How about you first?'' 

he inquired, leaving no room for defiance. 

''Mind telling me ,why your kind suddenly found human meat, appetizing?''

..........This man.......He is dangerous........I need to escape.....

I need to inform the others....

"No?" Dari pressed again, his eyes not leaving her. He knew it was futile to ask for information. But protocols are protocols!

....................

"Get it done, Ryak," 

he ordered, turning his back on them. 

"We are going back," 

with that he disappeared just as he appeared, leaving nothing behind.

''Arrogant as always'' 

Ryak muttered. He turned towards the child grining 

"Now! Where were we?"

------------------------------------

Dari rode back atop his horse, the sun setting behind him, casting long shadows across the landscape. The house, once barely standing with its wooden beams, lay in ruins, reduced to splintered timber and smoldering embers, leaving nothing but the welcoming door standing. Sitting on his shoulder, the three-eyed owl blinked its large, luminous eyes, shaking its head slowly as if to express its dismay.

"Hey, he didn't break the door this time. That's progress."

Both found Ryak sitting near three graves with leaves and flowers decorating the headstones. Ryak noticed the bird. It was on Dari's shoulder, meaning their search was over, eliminating the need for further pursuit.

"Look who decided to grace us with her feathery ass"

The owl, in a clear display of displeasure, turned its head away from Ryak, making him laugh. He was dead tired. He wished someone could pick him up and carry him back.

''Even Agami would find that wish ridiculous, Ryak,''

 Dari said as he dismounted his horse and approached the graves to pay his respects meanwhile the owl stayed on the horse.

"Stop reading my thoughts! And Next time your bird flies, you walk!" 

He was done with both of them and couldn't believe he was saying it, but he miss Agami. He took a deep breath and picked up what he came for: the head of the unseen.

The girl's face was nailed to the forehead with a talisman. Her eyes and mouth were stitched with a red rope. He would get paid handsomely this time. But Ryak couldn't shake the feeling that something bad was coming.

''I wish I could kill them'' Ryak sounded desperate.

''You know the rules, Ryak'' Dari mounted his horse ready to leave. Ryak took his prize and walked beside him.

''Just saying, collecting heads is not a glamorous job''

''Do you intend to gamble your wage, as usual?''

''Oh, I wouldn't dream of it"

The owl hooted in disagreement. ''I know" Dari replied back to the owl.

''Hey! What did you say birdy?''

 Ryak tried to grab the bird, but the bird flew away hissing.

Ryak shook his head. His eyes fell on the grave behind him. 

"This is the eighth in six days," 

His voice was tight with frustration.

''Something is coming. Something bad, and I don't like it," Rayk punctuated his dislike with a spit on the ground.

"I know," Dari let out a sigh.