"The s-stream up ahead my lord, as you k-know is changing its flow up and down, due to this the adventurers usually wandering down from the route have almost stopped entirely. N-not mention the forest… the forest houses beasts entirely out of our capabilities to hunt. W-we can't wi-"
"Enough!"
The soldier banged his spear once again. The surrounding fell into a hush as the villagers looked among themselves and the soldiers with sombre expressions, some of them even sobbing silently.
The guard stood still without a change in his expression as he stared at the village elder.
"How will you pay the remaining amount?"
He said after some time.
The elder's bowed towards the guard and said timidly,
"We just can't Monsieur. Next year.. next year for sure.. for sure my lord. Please have mercy."
"I'm incapable of giving you something I myself am not privy to. My lord will skin me if I don't go back with an appropriate sum. Since you are incapable of paying in silver.."
At this he looked at the villagers surrounding them at the house, and said in a slow deep voice,
"We have to make it up somehow."
The villagers eyes went wide as their heart sped at this announcement.
"W-what do you mean m-monsieur?"
"We'll be taking other valuables. And since you miserables are so stingy with your silver you'll have an easier time forsaking your animals."
Numerous cries and wails followed from the crowd at this. The village elder knelt at the ground and started pleading desperately.
"N-no my lord. If you do such a thing how will we sustain ourselves through the winters and the harvest next year. We will-"
A loud sigh interrupted his pleading as the guard menacingly took a step and put his spear point at the elder's neck.
"Round up the animals before I send for an army to raze this puny village down."
~~~
"Those damn beasts!"
Noctis screamed loudly as he punched the hard rock of the ridges.
The falling rocks resonated strangely with the growls of the hounds from inside the forest making him feel all the more frustrated in his inability to do anything about the situation.
He couldn't feed himself without hunting but the moment he employed any of his energy the beast spawned as if the eternal damnation following a moment of relief.
Fortunately it seemed the hounds didn't dare approach too close to the ridge where the giant bird made their nests or he wouldn't even survive a day.
Noctis slid down by the side of the ridge, sitting with his head supported by the rocks looking towards the numerous pairs of eyes glaring at him through the dark shade of the forest.
There must be dozens if not over 100 of them, not to mention that giant old hound that looks as if it is training to be the next guard of hell.
'Haah. I'm hungry.'
He closed his eyes amid the hunger pang and swirling thoughts of his pathetic self.
It had been 4 days since his apparent disappearance into the deep forest. His mother would be worried sick for his health and might even have thought him… dead.
'Maybe it's for the better.. wouldn't have to face when it inevitably came. I can just go away after I figure this out? Right?...'
The more he thought along this.. the more sense it lacked.
"Fuuuuuck."
He let out a long grown out of sheer frustration with himself.
'Since when did I become so cowardly.'
He took a small rock in his hand and threw it towards the forest.
"All you bastard's fault."
"..."
"..."
Fortunately to save him from his own thoughts a fist of wind kicking off a small sandstorm between the ridge and the forest came, making him squint his eyes and the hounds to scatter away towards the deep forest.
In front of him landed the majestic snow-white owl with its deadpan eyes.
Did it look a bit tired or was it an illusion, Noctis thought as the amber orbs bore into his blue dots.
Taking a hold of his shoulders the owl started ascending towards the sky straight up.
The dust and wind caked Noctis from head to toe but the owl kept moving linearly, parallel to the ridge with purpose, moving past the cavity that nested his family.
He stopped eventually at the absolute top of the ridge and dropped him at it overlooking the entire forest.
Noctis dusted himself first before stretching his shoulders that felt like they had been under a tiger's jaws.
"You don't think you'll piece my puny little shoulders some day?"
He asked the bird now sitting next to him, it too, looking towards the forest.
The owl in response gazed at him, spread the wing facing him towards his back, and gave him a little push.
Noctis' eyes went wide as he arched his body back, hands flailing wildly in a motion to not lose his balance.
He managed to take a back and save his life with some effort and glared at the perpetrator.
"Dude what!?"
The owl this time did not even acknowledge him and instead just closed its eyes, spread both its wings and let the breeze pass through him.
"Can't even joke around 'ere. Tsk!"
At that moment he felt a change in his body, or more precisely in the energy in his body starting from his back, from where he was 'hit'.
Noctis felt the energy, felt the strong breeze passing through, the forest under the bright and clear sky and himself also took a stance spreading his arms out and relaxing himself in the wind.