Bound To The River
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“I’m not a monster,” I said, staring at the floor. “You’re just mad because you can’t have me.”
The words tasted like ash in my mouth and left an acrid taste behind that made it hard to swallow them down. My throat felt tight as if someone had stuffed cotton balls into there. It was all too much for one day; I couldn’t take any more of this shit from him or anyone else. Not today.
He looked up sharply then back down again with his arms crossed over his chest. His eyes were dark pools full of secrets. He didn’t look away when he spoke next though, which surprised me.
“No,” he finally answered quietly after several long moments passed between us without either of us speaking. “That’s not true.”
My head snapped up so fast that I almost fell off the bed. What? Wasn’t that what we’d been fighting about earlier—that he thought I wanted to be with him but only out of pity? That wasn’t even remotely close to being right!
His face softened slightly before returning to its usual stern expression. “But you are angry,” he stated simply.
It took everything inside me not to roll my eyes at him, especially since the last time I did something similar, he hadn’t taken kindly to it. But instead, I nodded slowly.
“Yes, I am. And no matter how many times you tell yourself otherwise, you know deep down that you want to fuck me every bit as badly as I do you. You don’t need to say anything else. We both already know where our heads are at.”
A muscle ticked along his jawline as he stared down at me. Then, abruptly, he stood up straight and walked around the side of the bed toward the door. Before he could open it, however, he paused once more.
“And stop calling me ‘Master’!” he commanded harshly.
I blinked in surprise. Had he really just told me to call him by his first name? After everything we’d gone through together, I would’ve never expected such a thing from him. Hell, I wouldn’t expect it now, but I knew better than to question him on things like this.
So instead of arguing with him further, I merely nodded and sat up straighter against the pillows while waiting patiently until he opened the bedroom door.
Once outside, I followed him silently across the hall and down another flight of stairs to the kitchen. There was still some leftover food sitting out on the countertop from dinner last night, so I grabbed two slices of bread and a couple pieces of cheese before heading back upstairs to eat breakfast alone.
When I got back to my room, I found him standing near the window looking out onto the river below.
“What are you doing?” I asked curiously.
He turned around to face me with a frown marring his brows. “Looking for your brother,” he replied shortly.
“Why is that important enough for you to leave the house early in the morning?”
“Because I think he might be here somewhere.”
“Here where?”
“In town,” he explained simply. “Or maybe even in the forest beyond. If he isn’t, then I’ll go find him myself.”
“How will you do that? Do you know exactly where he lives or does he live far away?”
He shook his head. “Not yet, but I should soon.”
“Should…what?”
His gaze shifted away from mine briefly before coming back to meet my stare. “When I get home tonight, I plan to spend most of tomorrow searching for him. Once I locate him, I’ll bring him back here and make sure he stays safe. Until then…” He trailed off meaningfully.
I frowned in confusion. “Until what?”
“Well, I guess I won’t be needing you anymore,” he mused aloud. “So why don’t you pack whatever belongings you wish to keep and come with me? I promise you that you’ll be treated well wherever we end up going.”
I gaped at him in shock. Did he seriously just ask me to join him on his journey? No way in hell was I leaving this place anytime soon. Especially not after everything that happened yesterday. Besides, I needed to stay here and figure out who killed those men.
Still, I couldn’t help but feel disappointed that he seemed to have forgotten about me completely. Maybe he was just trying to soften the blow of telling me goodbye, but I doubted that. He probably meant it when he said he planned to search for my brother today.
Which means I’d be stuck here alone for days, weeks, months, or possibly years.
If that’s what he wants, fine. It doesn’t change the fact that I’m staying put.
***
The rest of the day dragged on painfully slow. I spent hours staring blankly out the windows into the woods behind the manor, hoping to catch sight of my brother. Unfortunately, there was nothing to see except trees.
The sun had begun to set by the time I gave up hope and went downstairs to start packing.
As much as I hated admitting it, I was actually excited about seeing the world outside these walls. Not only because I wanted to escape from all the madness, but also because I hoped to finally learn more about my past. Who were my parents? Where did they come from?
What made them decide to move to this strange land hundreds of miles away from their homeland? Why didn’t anyone ever mention any of this to me?
My questions burned within me constantly. They consumed me whenever I wasn’t busy working or sleeping. Now that I thought about it, I realized that I hadn’t been able to sleep very well lately either.
My dreams kept getting worse and worse each night, and I often woke up feeling exhausted despite having slept soundly.
Maybe if I left, I could finally discover the answers I sought. Or at least try.
After finishing up my preparations, I headed back upstairs to wait for Master Rufus. As I passed the study, I heard voices inside. Curious, I stopped in front of the doorway and peered inside. A young woman dressed in black robes sat cross-legged on the floor beside the desk.
She looked familiar somehow, but I couldn’t quite remember her name. Her long hair fell over one shoulder in waves of dark brown, and she wore a pair of glasses perched atop her nose.
She glanced up at me and smiled warmly. “Hello again, Miss Alby.”
“Hi, um…Sophia,” I stammered nervously. “Do you mind if I come in?”
Her smile widened slightly. “Of course not.”
I stepped forward hesitantly and closed the door behind me. Sophia rose gracefully to her feet and offered me an apologetic look. “I’m so sorry about earlier. I shouldn’t have snapped like that. You’re right; I am being rude. Please forgive me.”
I nodded slowly. “It’s okay. I understand how difficult things must be for you.”
“Thank you.” She hesitated for a moment longer before continuing. “You seem different than usual today. Is something wrong?”
“No, not really,” I lied. “Just tired, I suppose.”
She studied me carefully for several seconds before nodding once. “Okay. Well, I’ve finished looking through your father’s notes. There are some interesting tidbits in there, but unfortunately, none of it seems relevant to our current situation. We still haven’t found anything useful regarding the murders.”
I sighed heavily. “That figures. But thanks anyway.”
“Don’t worry. I’ll continue to work on it until we find something. In the meantime, I suggest you take advantage of your freedom while it lasts. Go explore the city, do whatever you want. Just please be careful.”
“Sure thing,” I replied automatically.
We stared silently at each other for another few moments before she spoke again. “Um, can I ask you a question?”
“What is it?”
“Why did you choose to become a Hunter instead of joining the military?”
I shrugged. “Honestly, I never even considered doing anything else.”
“Really? That surprises me. Most people would kill to serve in the army. And yet here you are, willingly choosing to risk your life every day.”
“Well, I guess I don’t know what normal is any more. All I knew growing up was that I loved animals, and I always dreamed of becoming a veterinarian. So naturally, I decided to pursue veterinary medicine. When I got older, though, I started thinking about other options too.
After learning about the Hunters’ Guild, I figured it might be fun to give hunting a shot. At first, I was terrified of the idea—but then I met Master Rufus. He convinced me to join his team, and now I love it.”
“Wow. I wish I’d known someone who changed my entire outlook on life when I was younger. Maybe I wouldn’t feel so lost right now.”
“Me too. If I could go back in time, I think I would tell myself to stop worrying so much and just enjoy life for what it is. Don’t get caught up in trying to make everyone happy. Sometimes, you need to focus solely on yourself.”
“Yeah, I guess you’re right.” Sophia paused briefly before adding, “By the way, where exactly are you going tomorrow?”
“Oh, uh…” I scratched my head awkwardly. “To visit some friends. It should be fine, though. The streets around here aren’t nearly as dangerous during the daytime.”
“Good. Be sure to stay out of trouble.”
I grinned sheepishly. “Yes ma’am.”
The rest of the afternoon flew by quickly. Before I knew it, Master Rufus had returned with a large stack of papers in hand. His expression was grim, and he didn’t bother waiting for us to sit down before beginning.
“So, I took a closer look at these documents. Unfortunately, they were all written in code. Not only that, but most of them appear to be incomplete. They contain references to locations and items that simply don’t exist within this world.”
He set the pile of papers aside and leaned against the table. “There may be more information hidden somewhere deeper in the document, but I won’t be able to figure it out without help from someone who knows how to read ancient languages. This brings me to why I called you two here today.”
Master Rufus turned toward me. “Alby, I believe you possess the necessary skills to decipher the language used in these documents. Do you agree?”
My eyes darted between him and Sophia. “Uh, yeah, I guess so. Why?”
“Because I want you to translate everything into English. Then, after you finish, I will use the translation to try to piece together any additional clues. Hopefully, we can solve this case soon enough to prevent further bloodshed.”
Sophia frowned. “But Alby isn’t a professional translator. What makes you think he has the ability to perform such an important task?”
Rufus shook his head. “I’m aware of that fact. However, if anyone is capable of translating these texts, it’s definitely you. Besides, I already told you: there’s no one else available who possesses the knowledge required to complete this job. This is your chance to prove yourself worthy of taking over the position as leader of Team Venom.”
I glanced nervously between the two of them. “Umm…okay. I guess I have nothing better to do than spend my days reading old books. Can I start working on it immediately?”
“Of course. You can begin whenever you like. Oh, and before I forget, I also brought along a list of things you’ll need to purchase.”
I perked up. “A shopping trip? Awesome! Where do we go?”
“You’ll see.”
***
After leaving the guildhouse, I headed straight for the nearest market district. As usual, the place was packed full of people. Thankfully, I managed to find a spot near the entrance where I could wait patiently until it was my turn to enter.
Once inside, I made my way through the crowd and began browsing the various stalls lining the street. My goal was simple: buy whatever supplies I needed to carry out my new assignment.
Unfortunately, I wasn’t very familiar with the city or its markets. Even worse, I couldn’t speak the local language well enough to understand what most vendors were saying.
Fortunately, I did manage to pick up a few words thanks to the lessons I’d received from Master Rufus. Still, I felt completely clueless while wandering around the marketplace.
Eventually, I found myself standing in front of a small stall selling fresh fruit. A middle-aged woman was sitting behind the counter, sorting through several baskets filled with apples, oranges, pears, and bananas. She looked up at me and smiled warmly.
“Welcome to our shop,” she said cheerfully. “What can I help you with today?”
“Um, hi. I was wondering if you sold any special types of fruits.”
She nodded enthusiastically. “We certainly do! We’ve got plenty of delicious varieties to choose from. Would you care to take a look first?”
I peered closely at each basket, examining the different kinds of produce. After a moment, I spotted something unusual among the other items. There was a single green apple lying atop a bunch of red ones. Curious, I reached out and picked it up.
It was surprisingly heavy. When I squeezed it gently, I noticed that it was much denser than the others. In addition, it smelled sweet and refreshing. Finally, when I bit into it, I discovered that it tasted even sweeter than it appeared.
I placed the last remaining pieces back onto the shelf and handed her the money I owed. “Thank you for helping me decide which one to get.”
Her smile widened. “No problem. Enjoy!”
As I walked away, I couldn’t stop thinking about the strange fruit.
The End