Indu’s home lay in the center of the town. Two giant streets partitioned the town into four areas, with a smaller circle seating twenty or so houses in the center. Smaller, rougher streets branched out from the main streets. Shops – weapons, clothing, food, and many more – lined the main streets. During the day, taverns beckoned men, and merchants attracted the women while carriages sauntered along the paved stone path.

But in the dead of night, the streets remained ghostly quiet. Indu could only hear the chirping of crickets, the hooting of owls, and the soft crunch of boots against rocks. Soft moonlight illuminated the path along with the occasional kerosene streetlamp.

She darted between the buildings, shielded from the light of the purple moon. Only bandits and those of suspicion traveled this late. Her outfit fit right in with those who garnered suspicion, and because she was the daughter of the town lord, her being seen could lead to an unnecessary headache.

“At least I can rest assured knowing salacious rumors won’t circulate. Who would want a scarred woman?” Indu chuckled self-deprecatingly.

When she reached the town walls, she carefully ran her hands along its concrete-reinforced, cobblestoned surface. But instead of smooth stones, these ones were sharp and jagged – great at stopping wall climbers.

“But it can’t stop me.”

Lightly touching the ground as she carefully gripped the wall, Indu prodded a specific section obscured by the moonlight. Pebbles dotted the area, and she carefully pushed them away in search of something.

“There it is.”

A rock shaped like a tri-tip steak contacted her toe. Confirming that it was indeed what she had been looking for, Indu picked up and neighboring pebble and struck the rock with minuscule force.

*Tink*

The sharp sound emanated by the rock acted as a signal. Even if a passerby heard it, they would only attribute it to a rat walking atop scattered metal.

A few minutes later, a shadow appeared at the top of the wall. It shuffled and fumbled with something in its hands before it cursed, and then a ladder dropped down. Indu climbed the rope ladder without a word. When she reached the top, a slender hand pulled her up.

“Maxi!” Indu hugged the person before her.

“Indu!” Maxi reciprocated the hug. Her cold chest plate crushed against Indu while the bow in her hand pressed against Indu’s back. Strands of striking green hair poked out of her helmet.

“Thanks for helping me with this.”

“Must you do this?” Maxi sighed with downcast eyes. “You never know what can happen.”

“I’m sorry, Maxi, but my curiosity will devour me alive if I don’t investigate this now. If there really is a mountain monster, it's best for the town to know.”

“That’s something the scouts can do! And even then, you’re basing the existence of this monster off mercenary and merchant rumors! They’re notorious for exaggerating tales for cheap clout.”

“If it was one or two, I would’ve written it off as mercenary talk, but nearly every mercenary I’ve talked to these past few weeks all said the same thing – at the point where the two trees touch, ominous screams and guttural howls plague the mountain. They said the screams were so horrifying that even the most experienced of them nearly pissed themselves in fear.” Indu narrated with an animated expression seldom concealed by the night sky.

“If even they’re pissing themselves in fear, why are you going?!” Maxi grabbed Indu’s shoulders.

“I’m curious!”

“…I have no words. Fine then. Go. But if you’re not back here in 3 hours, I’m telling your father and organizing a giant search party. Understood?” Maxi's eyes narrowed in a warning.

“Yes, yes, I’ll do that.” Indu rolled her eyes and giggled. Maxi couldn’t continue her seriousness and laughed as well. She patted Indu on the back and dropped the ladder on the other side.

“Stay safe.”

Indu nodded and made her way down. Her boots hit the soft grass. A sprawling meadow sparsely decorated with trees neighbored the mountain range, the Virgamau Tips. Although the mountain's base was a mere kilometer away, the path she needed to take was a few kilometers to the left of the town.

It took her 30 minutes to wade through the knee-high grass. Snakes, possums, and rats were among the few animals that frequented the meadow, but Indu wasn’t afraid of them in the slightest. She had beat back many snakes and possums and even killed a rat before. With her surging confidence and dominating strides, no creature dared to near her.

When Indu finally exited the meadow, a rough path littered with stones and grass greeted her. Trees, wider than a human was tall, densely populated the space around the path.

“I’m back.” She gazed at the path with nostalgia. She and her mother had made this path together, pulling each and every plant as they explored the mountains and valleys with fervor. It was one of Indu’s core memories, a time before everything collapsed.

She knew the trail like the back of her hand and proceeded forward. The trail snaked around trees and boulders without a hint of straightness, but that was good. Indu could admire the trees, wildlife, and beauty of nature all the more. Although she had a goal and destination in mind, that didn’t stop her from enjoying the mountain’s serenity.

“Was it here?” Indu brushed a tree whose trunks were slanted inwards, almost like a woman's body.

“It’s been a while, female tree.” She hugged the tree, but its massive girth prevented her from fully wrapping around it.

A ray of moonlight poked through the canopy, hitting a spot on the tree at Indu’s waist level. She crouched and rubbed her hand over the engraving – Indu loves Mommy – as tears formed in her eyes.

“Mother.” It was as if a lump were stuck in her throat. The memories of her mother flashed before her eyes. She couldn’t control it anymore and let a river of tears fall. Soft sobs echoed across the vast forest as her hair fluttered in the breeze.

“It’s my fault. It’s all my fault.” Indu slid to her knees, her shoulders slumped, face turned downwards. She couldn’t look at the message. She didn’t deserve it. Her mother didn’t deserve her love – after all, her beloved mother was dead because of her.

…

“Mommy, what’s this warm feeling in my chest when I look at you and daddy?” Ten-year-old Indu held her mother’s finger as she gazed at her towering figure.

They stood before the female tree. Plants and weeds littered the path to it, but Indu couldn’t care less. She had been happily playing around under her mother’s protective gaze before noticing the strange feeling in her heart.

“A warming feeling in your chest?” Her mother’s smile widened, dimples appearing on her cheeks. “That’s called love, my dear Indu.”

“Love?” Indu tilted her head, unable to understand it.

“Love is when you care about something close to you. Daddy and I are close to you, right?” Indu’s mother bent down and held Indu’s small, dirt-covered hands.

“Yes! Mommy and Daddy are close to me!” Indu hugged her mother’s waist while her mother laughed.

“Mommy is close to Indu too.” Indu’s mother pushed Indu’s head deeper into her stomach. “But love is much more than caring for someone. You care so much you’re willing to die for them.”

“Then…does that mean mommy will die for me too.” Tears formed at the edge of Indu’s eyes. “I don’t want Mommy to die!” She wailed.

“Don’t worry, Indu, your mother is strong.” Indu’s mother flexed her arm. “I won’t die. I promise you.”

“Pinky promise?” Indu meekly held out her pinky.

“Of course!” Her mother’s pinkie interlocked with hers, and Indu’s expression brightened with a smile.

…

Indu opened her eyes. The palm she had left on the tree slid across the rough bark, falling upon the damp ground. She squeezed the dirt, tears falling from her eyes.

It could have been minutes, maybe even hours – Indu didn’t know. Her tears dried while she shakily stood up. Mud stained her pants while dripping from the end of her cloak.

Indu wiped her eyes with the back of her hand. Her mother had always been a voraciously curious woman. She wouldn’t want Indu to stay down and depressed. She would want Indu to explore the world, answering all her questions and satiating her curiosity.

“I’m the only one who can carry mother’s insatiable curiosity. If she were here, she would also want to know about the mountain monster.” She clenched her hand, promising herself to stay strong.

Her vision wobbled. Staring at the muddy ground had thrown her eyesight out of the loop, and she leaned on the tree with her hand to steady herself. Thankfully, a few moments later, her dizziness disappeared. When it did, a wave of hunger nearly sent her tumbling down again.

Indu wiped her hands on the tree bark, stripping away most of the mud from her hands. Although bits and smudges remained stuck to her hand like glue, it was enough for her to eat. Carefully leaning against the tree, she devoured a couple pieces of jerky, took a swig of water, and burped so loud she swore it echoed across the night. Rubbing her stomach in satisfaction, Indu continued onward.

The deeper the trail led into the mountains, the sparser the trees became. At first, only a few meters separated each tree, but now that distance was close to ten meters. It allowed the radiance of the desolate moon to shine brightly. The distant mountains acted as a serene backdrop to the ascending moonlit path.

“A mountain monster occupying this beautiful range? Hopefully, the monster isn’t an ugly thing ruining the attractiveness of this place like I am.”

Indu looked to her right. She had unknowingly gone high enough to see a deeper valley covered in healthy, sturdy trees. It was possible to backtrack her steps and enter the valley below, but getting lost in a valley, especially at night, was a death sentence.

*Grrrr!*

The gruff sound of growling came from among the trees.

*Boom!*

*Boom!*

*Boom!*

Something stomped. The ground beneath Indu's feet trembled as if the mountain range were collapsing in on itself. She fell to her feet as the awful scent of decaying flesh and dried blood wafted to her nose.

“W-What is that?!”

The shaking in the valley grew worse. The spruce trees visibly rattled, sending twigs and leaves scattering. Pebbles broke from the trail and fell into the valley, bouncing with the rhythm of stomps.

Fear’s claws grasped Indu’s heart like a lamb to slaughter. Her entire body froze, not a single cell of hers obeying her mind's commands. Every part of her wanted to run, to flee for dear life, but she couldn’t. She cursed herself repeatedly until she had no more curses left, but she still couldn’t move.

“Is this…the mountain monster?” Indu’s eyes widened. Even though she imagined the monster as a being with multiple heads and arms, she didn’t think it would come true. If it was, how could the town still exist? She had assumed it was something similar to the goblins that were said to roam the Iksha Plains – something she could easily kill if the need arose. But this? How the hell could she kill this? She couldn’t even move!

The stomping that seemed to last forever finally ended. But that was when the true nightmare for Indu began. A foot the size of a horse’s head appeared from amongst the trees. Its hideous, dark-red skin complimented its three gnarly toes. A similar hand grabbed the tree beside the leg, ripping it straight from the ground. Another hand appeared and stripped the tree bare of leaves and branches, leaving only the thick trunk.

Finally, its head appeared. Three eyes, one on its forehead, rapidly blinked as they jerked and looked everywhere without focus. They abruptly stopped and gazed at Indu, twitching and trembling. Two fangs extended from its mouth, dripping a green liquid as its arm muscles bulged from the weight of the tree.

Indu’s wide eyes widened even further until she feared they would fall out of their sockets. The thing before her only existed in textbooks, something encountered by the heroes of legend. Only in the Iksha Plains could they be found, so strong it could slaughter ten fully equipped soldiers by itself. Something that should never have been so deep into human territory.

“A troll!”