The Adventurer's Plight

It’s raining today, a gentle drizzle keeping everything damp.

I poke at my fire with a stick, in part to keep in going but mainly just to play with it. “Weather’s not going to make you go out today,” I whisper gently to the flames.

The world is cursed. To most, this is a terrifying thing, never knowing when the ravenous beasts will bear down on you. I’m not most people though. As an adventurer, it falls to me and those like me to suppress the beasts. It’s not as luxurious a career as enchantment or farming, but someone has to do it.

Karina, my trusty steed, is at my side. She may be a little worse for wear, but she’s reliable and never gives me any trouble.

The caw of a raven jolts me away from my fiery fun. My fire is a signal to them that I’m ready to take their quests, but I’m never quite ready for the first one to show up.

“You know, it’s really freaky how you just appear instead of flying to us.”

It just stretched its wings as it stared me down. I suppose that’s the raven equivalent of a shrug.

“Let’s see what you have then.” I unfurled the paper at it’s feet.

6 people in a distant land. That’s a lot of beasts to deal with. “Poor Karina would be exhausted.” I shook my head at the raven and placed the paper gently in its beak.

It vanished in a puff of smoke, a single feather left in its place.

I gently tucked it into a pouch on Karina’s saddle. Perhaps I can sell it to a sorcerer later.

Before I could get it packed away, another raven was cawing. The beasts have been more ambitious with their attacks lately. Villagers seem to be more prone to attacks when the sun is high, but the past few weeks have seen a constant need for adventures all through the day.

“This one should be easy.” I nod to the raven, tucking the paper into my pocket and hoisting myself into the saddle.

Karina seems to know the path to take, so I hardly pay attention as we go.

The ravenous beasts have been appearing as far back as anyone can remember. Before there were so many of us adventurers, people had to take care of them on their own. They possess their victims, so killing one is impossible without killing the victim as well. No one is sure if killing the possessed kills the beast anyway.

We arrive at the farmstead faster than I realize. Or, perhaps, I was too wrapped up in my thoughts to notice the time passing. I’ve been here before. A little girl is running and laughing at the edge of the cornfield, her brother hidden between the stalks.

I take a deep breath as Karina and I approach the house. A woman throws open the door and all but charges us as I climb down from Karina. “It’s about time! You have to save my children!” Her voice is deeper than it should be, her form: hulking.

I take a deep breath as I look over at the children. “She’s just possessed,” I tell myself, turning my attention away from the one who needs it.

The little girl runs over to me, a serious look on her face. She tries to mimic the growl of a beast, an early stage of possession. It’s cute, but also a sign that the possessed woman behind me maybe doesn’t have the best ideas on child-rearing.

I pass a ration over to the girl and boy, who had made his way over.

“Thank you,” they both said quietly and in unison before turning worried eyes to their mother.

I turn around too. “Your turn,” I say, holding out two more rations to the woman.

She quickly grabs them, scratching my wrist in the process, and scarfs them down. She shudders in relief as the beast leaves her, even her sigh now more feminine. She looks at me for a moment, face totally blank, before heading back to the house and slamming the door behind her.

I wave goodbye to the children and guide Karina away from the house.

Sometimes I think that the beasts aren’t more evil than their victims. I haven’t been paid. Hopefully, the raven has left a trinket back at my campfire.

TL;DR - Tip your delivery driver!