Bloodhunter of the shadows

Prequel: Earn your Money

The thunderous roar of the storm echoed through the ancient forest, drowning out all other sounds. The only thing noticeable is a small campsite with three big trolls patrolling around. Rain poured in torrents, turning the forest floor into a muddy and foggy abyss. In the midst of this tempest, a lone figure pressed forward, cloaked and determined with a sword in her hand.

"Hey big guys, i think its your lucky day today." The cloaked figure said before jumping from a higher spot right on to the middle troll, piercing him with her sword in the neck. The cloaked and hooded female named Ashryn, stood triumphant over the lifeless body of the troll she had just defeated and chuckled. "Or is it mine?" Her blade, stained with troll blood, shimmered in the heavy rain and lightning that filtered through the towering trees. A sense of accomplishment washed over her, but she knew the battle was far from over.

The eerie silence was shattered by the low, guttural growls of the two remaining trolls. They had watched in disbelief as their comrade fell, and now, fury burned in their eyes. These trolls were massive, their grotesque forms towering over Ashryn. One had a gnarled, scarred face, and the other was slightly larger with mottled green skin.

Ashryn tightened her grip on her sword, her heart pounding as she prepared for the impending confrontation. The trolls moved forward with slow, deliberate steps, their enormous clubs gripped tightly in their hands. She could smell their rancid breath even from several paces away.

The larger troll, eyes locked onto Ashryn, roared in fury, a sound that shook the leaves from the trees. It lunged toward her, its club raised high for a deadly strike. Ashryn was quick to react, sidestepping the massive blow with a graceful agility that belied her size. She countered with a swift and precise sword strike, slicing into the troll's side.

The injured troll bellowed in pain, but it was far from defeated. Its companion moved in, swinging its club in a wide arc, threatening to crush Ashryn. She managed to parry the blow, but the sheer force behind it sent her stumbling backward. Leaves and twigs crunched beneath her boots as she fought to regain her footing.

With adrenaline coursing through her veins, Ashryn launched herself back into the battle. She engaged in a dance of strikes, dodges, and parries, pushing her martial skill to its limits. The trolls' sheer size and strength were a formidable challenge, but she was fueled by her determination to protect the forest and its inhabitants.

As the fight raged on, the forest seemed to come alive with the sounds of rustling leaves and the thunderstorm coming in closer than ever. It was a chaotic symphony of nature bearing witness to a fierce struggle between the cloaked figure and the relentless trolls. Ashryn knew that only through sheer will and skill could she hope to overcome these formidable adversaries.

The battle continued, with neither side giving ground. Ashryn's breath was labored, her body aching, but she pressed on, knowing that the nearest town's fate was on her shoulders. The town had called her in because she was the only good enough monster killer nearby, even if she was the most frightening bloodhunter out there. At least according to the tales. They needed there forest to live.

So she took a deep but labored breath before running up against the two trolls, With every swing of her blade, the cloaked fighter, carved her way through the trolls' defenses. The forest had become an arena of chaos, with the trolls and Ashryn locked in a desperate struggle and the thunderstorm slowly moving away. Their roars and her battle cries echoed through the trees, but determination burned bright in Ashryn's eyes.

The first troll, the one with the gnarled, scarred face, made a final, desperate lunge. Its club, now covered in blood, swung wildly toward Ashryn. With lightning-fast reflexes, she stepped back, narrowly avoiding the deadly blow. In that fleeting moment, she saw her opportunity.
She lunged forward, her blade finding its mark. With a single, powerful strike, she drove her sword deep into the troll's chest. The troll's eyes widened in disbelief as it staggered back, clutching at the mortal wound. It let out a mournful howl before collapsing to the forest floor, its life extinguished.

The remaining troll, the larger and mottled green-skinned one, was momentarily stunned by the death of its companion. Ashryn wasted no time. With a determined fury, she closed the distance between them. Her blade, still dripping with troll blood, sliced through the air and found its mark once more. This time, it was the troll's throat.

The troll gurgled, blood spurting from the fatal wound as it fell to its knees, then to the ground. The forest grew eerily quiet, save for the gentle rumbling of the thunderstorm that moved further and further away. Ashryn stood triumphant, her breathing heavy, her cloak stained with the evidence of her hard-fought victory.

The trolls that had threatened the town nearby and its inhabitants were no more. Ashryn had proven herself as a capable bloodhunter to the people of the town. She wiped her sword clean, her eyes scanning the serene forest around her. The threat was vanquished, and the forest could breathe a sigh of relief.

With her battered body Ashryn makes her way back into town, putting her sword away slowly.
"I hope they pay me what i was promised. Maybe I finally can stay a day longer for once. I would love to go to the tavern tonight and drink some good mead." Ashryn thinks to herself as she walks on the town square.

What she didn't notice while being so deep in her own thoughts is that some townfolk run back home scared and lock their house when they see her walk by, others stand frozen and petrified of the fighter covered in blood. The cry of a small child is hearable from the other side of the square. "I would dance all night if i had the oppo- what is that sound?" Ashryn shakes her head as if to wake herself up from daydreaming and looks around to find a small child crying on the other side of the town square.

She slowly walks up to the child "Hi darling! Can i help you? Did you lose your mother?" The fighter leans down to get face to face with the small kid. The child looks even more frightened when Ashryn comes nearby and starts running away as fast as she can while crying even louder. As the kid was not watching where she was going when she was trying to run away in fear of ashryn, she fully walks into one of the street lanterns falling down in the process and fainting because of the pure adrenaline.

"Why do kids always feel the need to run away from me. I'm not scary scary, I'm fun scary."
Ashryn thinks before seeing every person in this town look at her with fear in their eyes. "Huh maybe i am scary scary... i dont try to be." Ashryn huffs before walking to the town's elder to retrieve her earned money "guess it won't be drinking and having fun in a tavern tonight."