Oneshots [IdentityV]

Through the Forest [Naib x Aesop]

Hound x Bloody Garment

TW: Blood, maybe slightly gory ?

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Name: Aesop Carl.

Age: 21 years.

Profession: Embalmer.

Purpose of the request: To accompany him through the forest of Oletus.

The red-eyed man examined the few lines on the letter he had received from the mediator handling the cases he was working on before sighing, wondering if his client was just crazy or insane.

Really? The Oletus Forest? At night on top of that?

This place was known to be full of monsters of all kinds and it was definitely a place to avoid, even for him, Naib Subedar, a full time mercenary among the best.

However, even the best had their own fears.

Well, the reward was generous and he had to admit that the end of the month was quite tough this time so the young man had no choice but to accept. 

The mercenary tossed the paper onto the table before sighing again in dismay, his hands covering his face as he slumped against the back of his chair. 'Think about the money' repeating in his mind.

Everything should be fine if he made the necessary preparations... surely.

So the days passed until the big fateful night.

The meeting place was at the entrance of the forest and the man with the black hood was sitting on a big rock, waiting for his client to arrive.

Lost in his thoughts, Naib suddenly narrowed his eyes when he heard footsteps approaching. He had perhaps never seen the face of his client but it was obvious that the blond wearing a bloody red outfit was none other than the individual who had requested his services since visitors were rather rare in this lost and especially dangerous corner.

"I apologize for my delay." said a low voice.

The mercenary straightened up and turned to the other man, holding out his hand.

"It's alright, Mr.Carl I presume?"

Aesop nodded then shifted his amber eyes to the hand that was extended to him, hesitating for a moment before shaking it then quickly retracting it along his body. Naib raised an eyebrow at the blond's uncharacteristic behavior but left it aside.

"I'd rather ask just in case but... Are you sure you want to go this way? Taking a detour would be easier and less risky."

"Thank you, but I'm certain of it. Someone needs my services in the village on the other side and the living may still have a whole life ahead of them but the dead aren't so fortunate."

The mercenary didn't seem to understand quite so much but the embalmer probably just meant that he took his job very seriously and didn't want to keep his own client waiting, though he hadn't exactly been as diligent on his end.

Anyway, never mind the unnecessary details.

"We should leave immediately, the sooner we move on the less chance we have of running into monsters."

"I can only agree."

Naib sketched a faint smile for a moment as he saw that they seemed to be on the same page.

So, after establishing a few important rules, these being that the embalmer was to always stay close to the mercenary no matter the circumstances and was to obey whatever the latter said once they entered the woods, the two men began their journey through the forest.