"Black hood?" Kyle asks confused. He continues, "The colour of his hood isn't stated. What are you talking about?"

"Wait hold on... I know this guy!" Peyton rambles, she palms her face in a desperate attempt to recollect something. She raises her head up a bit. "If he's the hooded vigilante then he's a good guy."

I don't understand what Peyton is going on about but I agree, the black hood that saved me didn't seem like a bad guy. Why did he save me then, as some sort of anti-hero?

"Well if he's a fugitive, he must have done something worthy of it. Maybe he killed one of the higher-ups and ran?" Kyle suggests. From the look on Peyton's face that couldn't have been what happened.

"Well we're still going on the quest. We're gonna find him and get answers." I turn my back to the drawing, walking ahead. My friends trail behind me and we exit the Village square.

For such a small-sounding building, it takes quite a while to get outside, about 20 cycles or so. "Do you even know where we're going, Carmine?" Kyle gives me a puzzled look.

"Of course I do. We just take this right turn here and..." My voice is drowned out by the hoots and harlots the villagers are making. Black smoky fumes emanate from the Blacksmith's workshop. There are clinks of rubies being exchanged between traders and costumers. The howling wind forces its way through the crowd, then the patter of raindrops and rustling of leaves.

"Great! We are right back at the market where we started and there's about to be a heavy rain. Why don't you ask when we'll get to where we're going? I don't know Carmine. Because we're LOST!" Kyle snarls at me. "Thanks so much for the directions... not!"

I only allow him rant because I'm equally at fault myself. I shouldn't have lead the way when I didn't know where I was going. But they have been here earlier than me, shouldn't they know where a hooded fugitive would be hiding?

"Come on Kyle, don't be like that... People get lost everyday. We'll find our way... someday. And look at the bright side, if we do end up walking around the village, we might find him." Peyton says and Kyle just stares, not understanding what she just said. Even I think it's a terrible idea.

Yelling under this rain, with our health reducing isn't working though. "Why don't we just stay in one of these shops till the rain is over? I don't think catching a cold under these conditions would be the best."

My plea seems to work. We all stand in the Blacksmith's shop, but soon we get invited by the blacksmith himself to come in for some warmth. We stay in till the rain stops falling and we are warm enough, my health goes back up immediately.

I thank him for his hospitality and he replies with the question I've been dreading since I entered this world. "Are you the irregular?" He continues, "The flames don't seem to have much effect on you."

"It depends. Who's asking?" I counter his question with mine - which isn't the smartest I can think of by the way.

He chuckles, "See you around kid." And like that we're back on the streets... what just happened? Me being an irregular doesn't seem to bother the blacksmith. I definitely need to come back some day and have a little chat with him. And what did he mean by 'the flames don't seem to have much effect on you'?

"Now where do we go this time?" Kyle asks, tapping his leg on the ground like the spoilt little brat he is. He's acting more brattier than usual. If Knights like Marcellus make up 85 percent of the government, I pray Knights like Kyle don't make up the other 15 percent. Spoilt and annoying. I would love to kick him in the nuts again but we have a quest to complete.

"Serena, can you pinpoint a person's location?" It looks like I'm talking to myself because of Kyle's and Peyton's concerned faces. But Serena responds.

No, I cannot. Who do you wish to find?

"A fugitive."

It would be advisable to search the woods. Most fugitives hide where they can't easily be seen or sniffed out. The forest is a great place and offers protection against lurking enemies. Even bandits stay in forests to improve their chances of stealing from travelling people.

Ever since Serena did her research, she sure has gotten a lot more useful. Of course her answers live up to expectations. "Thanks,"

"Who are you talking to?" Kyle whispers. Looking into the air like I am. I nudge his body away and he doesn't seem to mind. I hate that pitiful look on his face, it irks me.

"Don't you have a NPG?" I scoot away and squint my eyes in his direction. He turns to squint at me too, then he tilts his head to the side. He looks like he's thinking more than I've ever seen him rack that peanut sized brain of his.

"Not that I know of. Are you okay?" Kyle says and he spares Peyton a glance then they both look at me like I've lost my mind. Well I haven't! It's just this jinxed world where everyone tags me as whatever an irregular is supposed to be.

"Forget it." I quickly reply. "It's nothing. I wouldn't expect you guys to know what that is. I'm an irregular and I'm odd. That's all that matters, I know!! Just don't rub it in my face." I blink tears away. My head shakes vigorously and I can't help but stop the dam from breaking in. I don't want to cry in front of my friends... I'll look weak. "Let's just find the black hood. We'll discuss this another time." I take the opportunity and walk ahead of them. They can see my quaking back for all I care. This world has done enough to make me want to swim in pools of my own tears.

Kyle and Peyton catch up to me. Once again we're out sloging like robots through the sea of crowd with an unknown destination. We get to a small bar right in the corner of the village. It is near the outskirts of the village. I access the map on my screen and see that we're a stone's throw from the forest. I signal for Peyton and Kyle to enter.

They look like they sure could ask the whole lot of questions pinning them down by the cycles. Peyton walks up to the man at the counter and have a little bargain... bartender to bartender. They agree on a compromise and so it works out in our favour. We can stay for the next hourglass turn (an hour) and then we either have to pay or leave.

We meander into a table near a smelly bunch of freeloaders. They look rather haphazard and stone-faced. The smell alone is repulsive and their unkempt beard looks infested with lice and other unspoken parasites. It is a dreadful sight. But by the corner of my eyes, I see knifes and daggers piled on top each other and stacked away, alongside barrels and net traps. Why would villagers need that amount of weapons and this far away from the village? Unless it is for a quest, but what quest would people like these sign up for?

I lean in on their conversation. "The boy could be hiding in the forest. Where do we stay when we're running away from them government?"

"The forest is a vast area Ty, I hope you know what you're saying. We could spend precious time looting shops instead of searching the whole forest, hunting the boy down." A voice objects.

"I heard he's a real fighter. He puts up a fight with anyone who tries to get his head as a prize. That hood of a boy." Another voice comments.

Black hood... I look in the direction of Kyle and Peyton who are also eavesdropping on their conversation. We seem to be thinking the same. If they are going in the forest, on the same quest as us... then we can cut down on energy and stamina by just jumping in and camouflaging with their weapons. I act perfectly normal for the next cycles and as soon as the men start loading their weapons in the wagon, I signal Kyle and Peyton.

We amble towards the wagons. I squeeze myself into a barrel, I fit just right in but I bet I'll have trouble getting out of this thing. I don't have the chance to see Kyle and Peyton enter the other wagons but I'm counting on them to do the same thing. The wagon moves for cycles and it finally comes to a stop.

I survey my surroundings. The tannin-brown forest comes into sight. The snapping of twigs from the stopped wagon ceases and crackling of leaves against the wind begins. The skyscraper trees are nostalgic and remind me of my first day here... the day I stepped into this hell. Then the slinking of wildcats and screeching of Jays. The leafy canopies letting tiny beams of light that are forceful and powerful pierce through. Wood sorrel flecked the blanket of grass. The pouring of a waterfall streaming closely. The beauty of the forest comforts my heart... with the exception of wild bears.

The commotion rising and heading towards my direction makes me wiggle violently till the barrel falls and breaks open. I emerge from the ground ready to fight but I'm frozen. Peyton is being gagged and Kyle is on his knees, arms behind his head. He is being de-armed and ripped off his equipments. I try to run towards them but a buff, heavy man grabs my hair from behind and pushes me to the ground.

My danger instinct warns me. I should run from here right now if I want to survive. I'm no coward though... I'll never leave my friends to fight on their own. I try again to approach them but the man pulls my hair harder forcing my body to collide into his and he wills me to look him in the eye. "We've got a stubborn one. Stop moving girl or I'll feed you to the bear." He smiles sinisterly.

It can't be...

It all happens in a flash. Black hood shooting an arrow into the man holding me captive. Him shooting other two men in the middle of their heads. Me running to my friends. Me not getting there in time. Watching Peyton get shoved into a wagon and watching her mumble for help. Watching the wagon go slowly out of sight and escaping. Watching my best friend get kidnapped.

It all happens too fast. Or am I just too slow to register anything that's happening. Why isn't it me getting kidnapped? Why Peyton? I look at the tears already racing to the crumbled leaves for the second time today, I know the answer already... because I'm weak.

A/N:
I know our main character is very annoying right now but Carmine, tatakae!! Tatakae!! Don't give up!!!
Carmine will still have a character development later on.
But why does this mysterious Black Hood always steal the spotlight? Who is this hooded stranger? I don't know. I really don't know actually.
But we'll see later on... I think. Let me take my leave before I start doing/saying anything stupid. 😃😃