The morning air was sharp and cold, cutting at Cael's lungs with each breath. The forest had given way to rolling hills and scattered groves, dotted with jagged rocks and patches of wildflowers. Mist lingered in the valleys, curling around tree trunks and glinting faintly in the sunlight. Every step Cael took pressed him deeper into this strange, unforgiving world.
He walked between the scarred Hunter ahead and the woman with the braid beside him, sword strapped to his back, eyes scanning the terrain. He kept his hands near the hilt, reflexs honed by fear and loss. Every shadow could conceal a predator.
After a long stretch of silence, Cael finally spoke, voice steady despite the lingering edge of exhaustion.
"Where… where exactly is my village in all of this? And… who rules the lands we're passing through?"
The woman glanced at him, eyebrow raised. "Your village—Eldhollow—was tucked into the northern forests, beyond the Stormvale River, at the edge of the Hollowfen Hills. It was remote, off the main trade routes. That's why the monsters could strike without warning. No kingdom claimed it; it was a quiet, self-sufficient settlement."
Cael's lips pressed into a thin line. Remote, peaceful, defenseless. His fists clenched slightly, remembering his mother's face in that final moment.
"And the lands around here?" he pressed. "The hills, the forests, the mountains?"
The scarred Hunter exhaled, voice low and deliberate. "To the south lies the Kingdom of Varynthia, one of the older human states. The capital sits in the valley beyond the Redcliff Mountains. They control trade and roads, but their reach doesn't extend much beyond the borders of their settlements. To the east are the Stormvale Territories—rougher land, populated by smaller, semi-autonomous villages. Beyond that, the wilderness stretches for hundreds of miles. Most people don't survive without guidance."
Cael's eyes narrowed. Hundreds of miles of untamed wilderness. Monsters roamed freely here, and humans were fragile in comparison. He imagined Eldhollow, isolated but vulnerable, and a flicker of rage warmed his chest.
"And the Hunters?" he asked, curiosity threading through the anger. "Where do you fit in all of this?"
The woman's gaze softened, though her tone remained firm. "We exist outside the kingdoms. Headquarters isn't in any state, any capital, any royal territory. We answer to no crown. We track monsters, contain outbreaks, and train those capable of survival. Sometimes kingdoms cooperate, sometimes they don't—but the wilds don't care who rules."
Cael's mind spun. A society beyond kings and nobles, beyond borders, surviving in a lawless world. He swallowed, trying to reconcile the thought. His village had depended on no one but itself—and that had been its undoing.
The landscape opened up as the Hunters led him over a ridge. Forests fell away into wide plains scattered with rocky outcrops. Far in the distance, jagged towers of stone hinted at ruins older than any kingdom. Mist coiled around them like restless spirits.
"This is your life now," the scarred Hunter said quietly. "You'll learn to read the land, understand where monsters dwell, and recognize the signs of an attack before it happens. Only then will you survive. Only then can you hunt effectively."
Cael's eyes swept the horizon, absorbing every detail—the plains, the ruins, the dark forests beyond the hills. He traced a mental map of the lands, every bend of the river, every rise and fall of the terrain. He didn't need to ask where monsters might hide; instinct told him already.
They camped that night on the edge of a shallow valley. The firelight stretched across the rocks, throwing long shadows. Cael leaned back, eyes scanning the dark shapes beyond the flame. He thought of Eldhollow one last time: the laughter, the warmth, the simple life that had been swallowed by monsters.
Hatred burned in his chest, tempered by the faint curiosity that had crept into him during the day. A world beyond kingdoms, beyond roads, beyond laws, wild and untamed, stretched ahead.
And soon, he would enter its heart at the Hunters' headquarters.