A Series of Letters

Hello.

It’s been some time since we’ve spoken through these means, hasn’t it? My apologies for not keeping my end of the bargain for these past few months. Unfortunately, my duties and obligations to defend this place have increased dramatically, as there have been increased reports of monsters sighted by our borders.

While one or two of these fiends are easy enough to either misdirect or scare away from the Shulk, one or two has become less and less often the situation. They’re getting smarter about their tactics, hunting for us in groups of up to almost eight party members. They smell the men here, but they cannot see us (thanks to yours truly), and that infuriates them.

The anomalous pattern occurred some time before my last letter, and has only worsened since then. However, since these past few days have seen a bit of a lull in activity, I have taken this time to write to you again, letting you know that all is well here.

Although, I suppose that’s not entirely the case, is it? At least, all is well for me. I’ve almost completed my physical recovery, thanks to your relatives here and, as much as it pains me to say, I have begun to make arrangements to leave this place and return to you.

Speaking of you, I trust all is well? Has anything become of your cartography business? I’ve heard more and more of these Demon Realms are showing up, and there are certain people who would pay astronomically for maps of the new terrains. That is, if you would even want to barter with the Order. From what I hear, they don’t treat Elves much better than Succubi...

In any case, I pray that you are well and that you stay so.

With best wishes,
You Know Who I Am

P.S: As much as I hate to say it, those cup ears you hate so much will have to come back with the rest of me.




Aloand,

While I am ecstatic that your recovery has been fruitful, I cannot help but feel an immense amount of betrayal and anger for you blatantly refusing to heed my warnings regarding your health.

First and foremost, I am furious with your shirking of the promise you made to write to me detailing your healing process. How am I to know you are receiving the correct treatment if I don’t know how you are being treated? I reluctantly you to the Shulk knowing that the menders there would tend to you insufficiently, and that I would have to send you the appropriate herbs to complete the process. I cannot do so if you refuse to communicate with me!

Second: Why are you concerning yourself with those monster harlots? I know you know just what they do to human men , how they break them. Why would you tempt fate in the worst way and put your life in jeopardy for those vagabonds? You owe them nothing, Aloand. They are the ones repaying ME with housing you there.

I won’t even mention you going about all these antics almost immediately after nearly dying. You fall from the mouth of a cavern and to the base of a mountain WHILE set ablaze by a Dragon, and now you’re right back...

Nevertheless, I am indeed glad that you have not completely forgotten about me. Please, complete your recovery before you return. We miss you so much, back here in Astigan. My father desperately wishes to see his “favorite Man.” And so do I.

Safety and haste,
Alessia Alkirk

P.S: I’ll see what I can do about those ears after you’ve returned.




My Dearest Alessia,

I truly regret to say this, but I am afraid I have had to cut our reunion short.

Before you begin to worry, let me reassure you that I, personally, am fine. I believe my recovery is complete, and I am ready to take on whatever faces me once more. However, my concerns lie with the people of the Shulk; those that are not as lucky as I, that cannot defend themselves.

Two parties of roughly five monsters arrived at the hidden gates of the Shulk, only two days apart from one another, as opposed to the usual four. The first party was simple enough: Werecats spearheaded by the overzealous Devil or Imp. It’s the second party that scares me:

Three Werecats, one Werewolf, two Imps.. and one Gazer.

Needless to say, the presence of a Gazer among these wastrels in the middle of a forest was a presence that raised alarm among the guards and I. The Shulk uses a combination of magic and mirror work to give off the image of another patch of trees where the town actually is. Regardless of what exactly we use, that Gazer’s sight is capable of seeing right through our illusion and jeopardizing the inconspicuousness of the town.

Naturally, it fell upon me once again to lead the party away from the town. I did so successfully, but I was almost caught by that damned Gazer’s impeccable eyesight. I pray it never casts its vile sight upon us again.

A prayer, unfortunately, will not be enough to guarantee that is the case however. Because of this new occurrence, I am forced to extend my stay here in pursuit of a much more intricate and foolproof method of concealing the Shulk in the forest as well as masking the scent of the men behind its walls.

I am terribly sorry for this, Alessia. I know you don’t understand why I feel the need to protect these people like so, but I need you to at the very least tolerate it. My endeavor should not take longer than two weeks, after which I will do everything in my power to return to Astigan and to you.

Wish me luck,
Aloand Sothim

P.S: You have very nice penmanship. I don’t know why I haven’t noticed it before, but you really do right near-flawlessly.