Visionless

I make my way back to town feeling defeated. Not sure what to do, I head back to the adventurers' guild to look for a new source of income. (I have maybe three days' worth of food that I stored up back in the alleyway, that is, if I ration it properly,) I think to myself.

(I need to find a way to make money as soon as possible. I only have about 25 copper coins in total that I managed to get by trading in the herbs I collected, but food is expensive.) I make my way to the request board and look for some other job that I can do.

(Damn it! They only have hunting requests today. I would take them, but I have no way of catching wild animals. Not to mention I don't have a weapon either.) My eyes slowly drift to the wanted posters on the other side of the board, and an idea slowly forms in my mind.

(That's right! I don't have to hunt down anything or anyone! I could just look for them, then alert the guild and they will take care of it. I could maybe even get a part of the reward for helping them!) I look at the wanted posters one by one and try to memorize as many of them as I can.

(The only issue with this plan is that I still can't communicate with anyone, but maybe I don't have to. I could just pretend to be deaf and try to use hand gestures and other things to convey what I mean!)

As I look at the wanted posters, one of them catches my eye. An innocent-looking man with soft features and a kind smile, he has a buzzcut hairstyle and sunken eyes. (Is this guy really a criminal?) I think to myself.

(Whatever, I'll just look for something else to do while I figure out how to look for these criminal bastards.) I make my way out of the guild, but as soon as I reach for the door handle, the door opens and smacks into me, making me fall to the ground.

A man comes inside with short buzzcut hair, deep sunken eyes, and wearing a fake beard and mustache.

(Oi, asshole, watch where you're going!) I look at him and he looks back down at me. (Why is he wearing a fake mustache?) I wonder to myself, as the man passes me and goes to talk to the receptionist, Varin.

(People these days, they won't even help me get up!) I curse in my mind and walk out of the guild to look for a job until a realization hits me like a truck.

(...That's the bastard from the posters! He just has a fake mustache and beard!) I try to think of a plan as soon as I realize this, but I start to panic and hide behind a couple of boxes on the other side of the guild building.

(Should I go back into the guild and tell the receptionist? No, what if I can't convey my meaning? Or worse, what if the criminal knows I recognize him and just decides to kill me right then and there! And what if he has allies? Even if I managed to capture him, they might come after me!) My mind is slowly trying to form a plan that might work.

(I can't afford to mess this up one bit... I know, I'll follow him once he gets out of the building and see where his base of operations is. Then I can tell the guild about it! That way I can take out multiple people all at once without fighting at all!)

I wait patiently, peeking around the corner to keep an eye on the guild entrance. After what feels like an eternity, the man with the fake beard and mustache exits the building. He looks around briefly before heading down the street. Keeping a safe distance, I start to follow him, making sure to stay out of sight.

The man walks through the busy market district, occasionally stopping to glance at the wares. I keep my head down, blending in with the crowd. He finally leaves the market and heads towards the older part of town, where buildings are more rundown and there are fewer people around.

My heart races as I continue to follow him, sticking to the shadows and hiding behind corners whenever he looks back. He eventually reaches a decrepit building and slips inside through a side door.

(That must be his hideout,) I think to myself. I take note of the building's location and any distinguishing features.

((Should I... go inside? I could try and collect more data to help with the eventual takeover, but what if I get caught?! Then again, am I really sure that the person I was following is the same guy from the poster? It could just be a lookalike. Maybe I should go inside to look for evidence. Ahhh, I don't know what to do! Should I go back and risk capturing a random guy, or do I go inside and risk getting killed?)

(Screw it, I'm going in!) I slowly make my way over to the building, looking for an entrance.

After circling the building, the only entrance besides the front door is a window on the second floor. (How am I supposed to make it up there?!)

I scan the surroundings, trying to come up with a plan. The building is old and rundown; maybe there's something I can use to climb up. I notice a stack of crates and barrels near the side of the building. (That could work.)

I carefully approach the stack, testing each crate to make sure it can hold my weight. Slowly, I climb up, trying to be as quiet as possible. My heart races with every creak and groan from the wood. I reach the top crate, still a few feet short of the window. (I'll have to jump for it.)

Taking a deep breath, I brace myself and leap towards the window, grabbing the ledge just in time. I pull myself up, peeking inside to make sure the coast is clear. The room appears empty, filled with old furniture and dusty shelves. I quietly slip inside, landing softly on the wooden floor.

(Alright, I'm in. Now I just need to find some evidence that this guy is the criminal from the poster.)

I carefully make my way through the building, keeping my ears open for any sounds. The place seems deserted, but I know better than to let my guard down. I reach the hallway and start checking the rooms one by one. Most of them are empty or filled with junk, but I finally find one that looks like it's been recently used.

The room has a small table with scattered papers and a map pinned to the wall. I quietly sift through the papers, looking for anything that might prove the man's identity. Among the papers, I find a wanted poster similar to the ones at the guild, but with different criminals on it. (Why would he have these? Is he planning something?)

I continue searching and finally find a small notebook. Flipping through it, I see notes written in a hurried hand.

(Damn it, I can't understand anything that's written in this book. I can't use this as evidence, I need to look for something else.) As I'm looking for more evidence, I start hearing footsteps coming up to the second floor. (I need to hide!) I look around for somewhere to hide and eventually decide to hide under the bed and wait.

I hear the sound of footsteps getting closer to my location and then hear the door open.

Holding my breath, I lie as still as possible, trying to make myself as small as I can. The person's footsteps echo in the room as they move around, shuffling through papers on the table. My heart pounds in my chest, each beat seeming louder than the last.

I peer out from under the bed, trying to get a glimpse of the person. From the limited view, I can see a pair of worn boots and the hem of a cloak. The person mutters to themselves, but I can't make out the words. They continue searching for a few minutes, and I worry they might notice something is amiss.

Suddenly, the person stops and sighs, then starts to leave the room. I wait until the footsteps have completely faded away before daring to move. Slowly, I crawl out from under the bed, my heart still racing.

(That was too close. I need to find something useful and get out of here.)

I resume my search, being even more cautious this time. I check the drawers and shelves, looking for anything that might serve as evidence. After what feels like an eternity, I find a small, locked chest hidden under a pile of clothes. (This could be it.)

I pick up the chest and examine it. It's heavy and feels solid. (I need to open this, but I don't have the tools right now.) Deciding it's worth the risk, I tuck the chest under my arm and make my way back to the window.

I carefully climb down the crates, my heart pounding with every step.

i finally climbed all the way down to the ground and start sneaking away from the house.

but as i move to get out i hear a sound,( is that someone crying ?) i stop dead in my tracks and listen closely( its coming from the building i just came out of!) suddenly i hear more sound coming and then the sound of somthing being hit and followed by a yell of pain.

(I need to get back to the guild now! And—) before I can continue, I hear the sound of a child crying and calling out for someone. (What the hell is happening in there?)

I decide to stay and investigate where the sounds are coming from. I find a small crate by the side of the building that I had missed before. (The sounds are coming from behind the crate!) I carefully move the crate and see small iron bars that seem to look down into a basement area.

Peering through the bars, I see a bunch of women and children being held captive. My heart sinks at the sight. Among them, I spot the guy I was following. He is standing over one of the women, and in his hand is a wooden bat.

My breath catches in my throat. (I have to do something!) But I'm not sure what. I can't just leave them here, but I also can't confront him directly and risk getting caught or worse.

I look around, trying to think of a plan. (I need to get back to the guild and get help. But I have to make sure these people stay safe until then.) I decide to take a risk and quietly head back to the window I came in through.

Climbing back up, I slip inside the building again. I move as quickly and quietly as possible, making my way to the basement entrance. I find the door leading to the basement.

(I can't just go in unarmed. I need to find a weapon.) I go back to the room above and search frantically, eventually finding a hatchet. Grabbing it tightly, I make my way back down to the basement and carefully open the door. The man is still standing over the woman, chuckling about something. He crouches down and grabs her by her hair, saying something I can't understand. He seems preoccupied, so I slowly make my way over, raising the hatchet over my head. Some of the other women notice me but remain silent.

I get close enough to him and bring the hatchet down, striking his back. He screams out in pain, and I manage to pull the hatchet out. Before I can attack him again, he stands up and kicks me hard, sending me sprawling across the floor.

Dazed, I see him approaching, shouting angry words I can't understand and raising his bat to strike me. Just before he can land a blow, the woman he was tormenting stands up and tackles him to the ground. They wrestle violently, and I struggle to my feet, grabbing the hatchet with both hands.

The man overpowers the woman, knocking her to the ground and spitting on her. He turns his attention back to me, snarling something angrily as he advances. I can see the fury in his eyes as he swings his bat wildly. I duck under the swing and slash at his legs, causing him to stumble and cry out in pain.

Suddenly, he falls face-first into the ground. (It's the child! She tackled his ankles and made him fall.) Seizing the opportunity, I rush over to the man and raise my hatchet. (I need to finish this in one blow!) I strike his neck with all my might. Blood starts spraying everywhere, but the man still seems to be moving.

In a fit of panic and desperation, I raise my weapon and strike his neck again and again until his head finally detaches and rolls to my feet.

Breathing heavily, I take a moment to steady myself, the adrenaline still coursing through my veins. The women and children look at me with a mix of fear and relief. I drop the hatchet, my hands shaking from the ordeal.

the lady from befor stand up again and seams to be hurt she look at me and says something that i dont understand but it helps me focus on something ells i stead of the head at my feet.

She raises her voice, telling the other women something, and starts going to each one, untying the ropes that held them. Slowly, she gets everyone out of the building, and they start moving away together. (They are most likely going to get someone to check this place out...)

Determined to ensure there is undeniable proof of the man's crimes, I head back inside and down to the basement. The severed head still lies there, its eyes looking directly at me. I take off my shirt and use it as a makeshift sack to hold the head.

With the gruesome evidence in hand, I make my way over to the guild. Ignoring the curious stares from the other adventurers, I head straight to Varin. She notices me, smiles, and starts to say something, but I interrupt her by grabbing the makeshift sack and pulling out the head. I drop it on the desk in front of her, causing everyone, but especially Varin, to cry out and shout in shock.

The guild falls silent as all eyes turn towards the severed head on Varin's desk.