Day 16: After decoding the last story Obsidian Knight, I delved in deeper in these texts. It seems this journal belongs to some one called Rohnderian, the name is familiar but I have not been able to remember who he is. I will record my findings and investigate more. This text is about the Night hunter.
A hunter must hunt in packs; that’s what they learn when they grab their first bow. To fell a beast, they need cunning, strategy, and trust—unity of minds and an understanding of a collective. Even a mighty wolf can be struck down by a stag if taken alone. A hunter who loses his pack loses his will. No one to trust but themselves, and the stakes for failure are higher. We are a unity; we are a pact, the creed of The Hunters.
Life has brought this hunter many boons, but circumstances and a choice of self over others dictated a life of solitude that he was not ready for. Loneliness can benefit most but not for him; he needs a friend, a companion. Being alone for so long can be a significant strain on his psyche and strength.
Once a hunter finds his group, he will do all he can to keep them. But at times, he must remember that they are not his. Other packs have been together for longer and have a deeper bond. But, sometimes, a hunter gets possessive, in fear that he will lose it all again. Only to be alone in a dense forest with darkness as his only company.
One day he found his others. He felt happiness as the loneliness crept away. The nights by the fire and moonlight made him remember what life is and how much worth there is to live in it. He forgot that the brighter the light, the longer the shadow is cast. Unsurprising the hunter trusted his new pack, and together fell many fantastic beasts. He had his unity, and he had his peace. He showed them love, put them before himself, hoping that they would reciprocate, and for a time, they did. Until the day they left him, for they used him for a great hunt and no more.
Abandoned and alone, he could not cope. The hunter was hunted and left to mend a bleeding wound in his heart. Those he trusted were not who he thought they were, using him for their gain. He sank in his depression, looking for a way out, and to his dismay, death did not visit him. This fueled his hate tainting his heart with malice and madness. That is when the whispers in the dark came and kept him company.
Hate consumes him as he tries to find those who hurt him; what did he do to deserve this fate when all he offered was love? The cold forest ground reminds him of how one is born alone and must rely only on himself and not others. What was learned by other hunters as a child has no memory on his mind anymore. His fists grab what little dirt they can as he stands with a newfound conviction and a prey: others who seek companionship. His arrows strike true at his target, leaving shattered souls in his wake, feeding his mind fueling his dark intentions.
Only because he cannot cope with his loneliness, darkness offered him advice as he slew the innocent. Feed twelve souls to them, and they might give him a companion. A shred of unity. He contemplates this deal as the memories of the campfire and moonlight haunt him. The sweet smell of his pack, the companionship and love he thought he had for them.
Every arrow the hunter knocks back, he puts these memories to set them loose with his rage behind it. Every kill, he reminds the victim of the hypocrisy of unity. A flock of birds will let one of them die to save themselves from a predator. True kinship does not exist.
The body’s left in his wake created a monstrosity that follows the hunter, a grey wolf with black eyes. Consuming each of the hunter’s victim as if it was his last—a hungering daemon who whispers in his ear.
Until the Oracle came…
Notes: Again the Oracle is mentioned! Who is this entity? As for the Night Hunter he is another hero of Laberynthea. I know there is the legends of the Five, could this journal be the primary source? If so this item is of immense value for the Historical Society. I will continue to see what else I can uncover about this Oracle.
K.Rivera Author page 