《The Shadows in Runrick》 Home Sweet Home The story has been illicitly taken; should you find it on Amazon, report the infringement. Boyhood Curse Reading on Amazon or a pirate site? This novel is from Royal Road. Support the author by reading it there. SLAP! Our Hero Stolen story; please report. The Onlooker Stolen from its original source, this story is not meant to be on Amazon; report any sightings. Old faces, old scars This tale has been unlawfully lifted from Royal Road; report any instances of this story if found elsewhere. Best Served Cold Slowly, the pieces were starting to come together. Nelle hadn¡¯t been actively looking for answers, had no intention of getting involved in Luric¡¯s personal affairs, but it would be a lie to say that she hadn¡¯t been wondering. Wondering why Luric had wanted to stay at an inn too, instead of his parent¡¯s house or with some other relative. Answer: he didn¡¯t have any. She had wondered what had happened that made Luric so spiteful towards his people. Answer: he had been mistreated by them. She should¡¯ve guessed that last bit on her own, though. Of course these people wouldn¡¯t react kindly to the presence of a blighted person, even if that blighted person was also a child. Nelle knew that in these remote, rural areas, fear of Shulffa, together with everything that she represented, ran deep and rampant, and anything that was touched by her corruption had to be extirpated from society. Executions were not that unheard of, even in this day and age. She had grown up in a pious environment too, but the guardians at her boarding school were far more concerned with coaching proper decorum than matters of faith. In the capital, as well as other large cities, beliefs and superstitions were met with mockery. Which is also why The Institute of Occultic Science and Affairs didn¡¯t exist for the larger public, as practically no one still believed in demons and monsters and curses. And the people involved with the Institute wanted to keep it that way. If it hadn¡¯t been for Duchess Archvel being directly related to the King, and proving to the nation''s higher-ups that there was a surge of demonic activity in recent years that necessitated a special organization dedicated to studying and combating it, Nelle doubted the Institute would¡¯ve ever been created. But demons and monsters and curses were very much a reality to the citizens of Runrick, and like with everything else that pertained to a ritualistic life style steeped in religion, they had a certain way of dealing with these things. She had only heard about what had happened to his friend and the other orphans. She could only imagine what they had done to Luric. He was walking in front of her again, and she couldn¡¯t help but notice the stiffness in his shoulders. He wasn¡¯t marching ahead at full speed anymore, yet there was something ominous about his tempered stride. With her newly bandaged feet, it no longer hurt to keep up with him, but this time it was Nelle who wanted to keep some distance. It was also what made her still her tongue when Luric had announced they would take yet another detour. There had been something in his voice that told her not to argue with him. It wasn¡¯t just his stern carriage, she had to admit to herself. Nelle also felt a bit sorry for him, now that a bit of his sad past had been revealed to her. Seeing him stand in front of that grave had moved her, so she thought she could tolerate one more diversion. Then Nelle saw Luric lightly tilt his head upward. The gesture looked off to her. It was familiar in a way, yet uncanny at the same time. As if this wasn¡¯t something she had ever seen a person do before. The image of an animal came to mind- a cat , more precisely. How they would sometimes raise their nose to sniff at nothing. To taste the air for prey, as they would say. A shiver ran down her spine. She understood now what about him was setting her so on edge. His demeanour right now reminded her of a predator on the prowl. She immediately regretted agreeing to this detour. ¡°Can¡¯t whatever this is wait? It¡¯s already late, and we have done practically nothing for our mission today.¡± He didn¡¯t even deign to properly acknowledge she had spoken to him, only rotated his head slightly so he could look at her out of the corner of his right eye. A sign that he had heard her, but didn¡¯t care enough to reply. He just turned his head back and kept walking. Message received and discarded. He didn''t even bother trying to appease her with excuses anymore - that¡¯s how committed he was to seeing this mysterious endeavour through. ¡°At least tell me where we are going.¡± So she could at least prepare herself for something. No answer still. She had become completely insignificant to him. The only reassurance she had now was the cold weight inside the pocket of her trousers. Please don¡¯t make me use it, Nelle thought anxiously. A few minutes later she became aware of a heavy rancid stench that was gradually growing in intensity. Even with senses that were largely unacquainted to the smells of village life she could tell this was more than just a mixture of livestock and excrement. It was putrid and vile. They had reached an even shoddier part of town, with houses built out of cob, stone, and sticks, covered with straw roofs. There was no sign of human activity, but lone, ill-fed farm animals were roaming all over. They stopped in front of a cluttered, mud-filled yard. Several pigs were dawdling around on the other side of the crooked wooden board fence. These pigs weren¡¯t malnourished like the other animals, but when Nelle got a better look at them she noted, horrified, that they had suffered a fate far worse. Almost every one of them had some form of disfigurement. The type that came from violent maltreatment. She saw wounds that had scarred over long ago as well as fresh ones that were still bloody and oozing. There was one walking around with a huge gouge on its back, like something had taken a large chunk out of its flesh; one was dragging along a crushed hind leg; one had its snout cut off; another its eyes poked out; all over were bones and rotting remnants of pig carcasses- Nelle was going to be sick. What was this place? Why were they here? She looked over at Luric.¡°Is-Is this the work of the monster?¡± This time he answered, but without taking his eyes off the grotesque ensemble. ¡°Yes, but not the one you are thinking of.¡± As if on cue, a door swung open, and out of the dingy shack wobbled out a thin, sickly looking man holding a bucket of slop. Just as he was about to toss it to the animals, Luric yelled out to him. ¡°Baliger! Nice to see you, old man. How have you been? Lost a bit of weight, I see.¡± The man squinted in their direction, not happy he had company, but then his eyes widened when he saw who his visitor was. ¡°You!¡± Luric smirked jovially. ¡°Me!¡± And his eyes had a dark ferocity that belied his mock jolliness. If his intentions hadn¡¯t been clear before, they were now. This wasn¡¯t a warm reunion, like earlier at the pharmacy. He was here to settle a score. He leaped over the fence and landed heavily in the muck. He didn¡¯t so much as glimpse at his ruined outfit, his focus trained solely on his prey. Desperate, Nelle cried out the world¡¯s flimsiest excuse. ¡°Luric, y-you can¡¯t enter someone¡¯s property uninvited!¡± And of course, he paid no heed to it whatsoever. The man in turn started scurrying backwards when he saw Luric approach. ¡°S-Stay away! Stay away from me, or I¡¯ll-¡± ¡°Or you¡¯ll what?¡± Luric asked, undiluted contempt dripping out of his words. ¡°Hit me? Kick me? Break my bones and get aroused at the sound of them cracking?¡± The man slipped and fell. Every time he tried to get back up on his feet to run away, he slipped again, and his movements only got more erratic as Luric came closer. Luric took his time walking towards him, obviously enjoying and wanting to prolong the sorry display. ¡°Luric! Stop this!¡± Nelled called out to him. He kept sauntering over to the frightened man, until he was standing right above him. Now the man was still, fear freezing him in place, and staring up at Luric. He was heaving loud puffs of air, how frightened people tended to do when bracing themselves for the inevitable, but there was a hint of defiance in his wide, tear-filled eyes. One last try before she would reach into her pocket. ¡°Luric, I¡¯m warning you!¡± ¡°I¡¯m not going to kill him, if that¡¯s what you are afraid of. I¡¯m not even going to hurt him,¡± he answered calmly without turning to look at her. ¡°I just want to show him something.¡± He moved to straddle the man lying on the ground, one leg placed firmly on each side. With his back turned to her, Luric¡¯s long black cape obscured her view of the other man. Nelle panicked. She opened her coat to have fast access to the pocket of her trousers. There, she felt the metallic coldness of the gun the Institute had instructed her to use if the situation called for it. But she didn¡¯t take it out. Not yet. She was only allowed to use it against him if he turned and became dangerous. Luric said he wouldn¡¯t hurt the man, and she wanted to believe him. This novel''s true home is a different platform. Support the author by finding it there. Then Luric bent down, and she saw his head dip down underneath the line of his shoulders. To bring his face closer to the man, but he didn¡¯t move to kneel. The man, from what little she could see of him, tried to sink further into the mud to get away from him. She kept her eyes fixed on Luric¡¯s movements, and gripped the gun. She was trembling. Nelle had never hurt anyone before, how could she be expected to shoot someone? She should have never agreed to this mission. She had simply been upset to see the message that had been sent to their office be ignored or down-right rejected by every field supervisor that she had presented it to just because it seemed so mundane and too out of everyone¡¯s way. A town had sent for help and nobody cared. These people didn¡¯t deserve to be so callously dismissed because they were small and far away. She had thought it unfair and volunteered to take the mission herself after being told that it was simply a meager shadow creature that they would be facing. But she was way in over her head, and they hadn¡¯t even encountered the monster yet. ¡°Luric, please!¡± Her plea, like everything else, fell on deaf ears. And to her horror, she saw Luric¡¯s shape change. His frame was growing larger. He still retained his human appearance mostly, but there was no denying that he had gone beyond what she had seen him manifest on the train. And she wasn¡¯t even looking at the worst of it. The man, who could see Luric¡¯s now demonic features up close, let out a terrified cry. ¡°NO! PLEASE BAAR, PROTECT ME!¡± Luric threw his head back and laughed. It was the most dreadful sound she had ever heard. Low, guttural, and malicious. She took out her gun and pointed it at him. Any other time she would have been embarrassed by the way her voice was trembling, but right now, all she wanted was to end this moment. ¡°Luric, get away from that man or I will be forced-forced to shoot you!¡± The fact that he even heard her over his own laughter was surprising, and this time he even answered. ¡°And then what? You gonna fight the monster on your own?¡± ¡°If I have to. I¡¯m dealing with one right now, the way I see it.¡± ¡°It¡¯s like I said, you got your monsters mixed up.¡± She didn¡¯t understand, was too high strung to try to make sense of his cryptic message. She heard that a Blight¡¯s mind gets altered too when they turn. This meant she had no one to reason with. ¡°Look around you,¡± he continued. ¡°Does this look like the work of a sane man to you?¡± The pigs? Was he saying that the man had done this to them? Yes, it was sick. Absolutely atrocious. But- ¡°It¡¯s not our place to punish a depraved mind. You have no right to do this.¡± ¡°I have every right to do this,¡± he barked, but didn¡¯t turn around, ¡°the grave we were at just now, that was his work as well.¡± Oh, no! ¡°D-Don¡¯t try to justify this. If he were truly a murderer, he would¡¯ve been locked up long ago.¡± ¡°In any other place, maybe. No one here ever raised a hand against this freak. Everyone knew that he had a screw loose, and all they ever did was stay out of his way, let him act out his perversions against his own animals, because there¡¯s no law against that. And that was the only thing that kept him from going after people. The law. But he must have been harboring a mighty desire to let out his vile impulse against a person for years, because the moment the opportunity arose he jumped at it with so much enthusiasm.¡± Now Nelle understood. ¡°They let him take it out on you!¡± ¡°Yes. And my guardian, as well. The person who raised me.¡± His cadence betrayed his grief, but it was so strange to hear something so human be conveyed in such an inhuman voice. ¡°The person who raised and harbored an abomination, so the rest of this town must¡¯ve thought he deserved a good beating too. I didn¡¯t see it happen, the beating I mean, but this guy here was with the group of men that him dragged away Mr. Carshtin¡¯s limp, broken body. I didn¡¯t understand back then, didn¡¯t know the extent of his derangement until I was given over to him. Oh, he wasn¡¯t the only one who hurt me, but he was the only one who really enjoyed himself while doing it.¡± Luric¡¯s shoulders started to tremble. ¡°You know what that¡¯s like? To be battered to a pulp, and see someone take so much pleasure in it? I was the demon? I was the abomination? He is allowed to exist because he looks human, and the others accept him because he is part of the community and one of them? Tell me, do you think it¡¯s fair that someone like him gets to live his life freely and exempt of consequences, while my guardian lies dead in the ground? And I''m not allowed to even terrorize him a little as payback?¡± Nelle closed her eyes, and drew a deep breath to calm herself. ¡°No,¡± she answered him. He turned his head a little at that, and she saw a bright yellow iris peek at her from behind black tresses. She needed to get this out before he showed her his entire monstrous visage, knowing it could cause all her resolve to crumble. ¡°No, you are not, Luric. No matter how this man may have wronged you, you are not entitled to vigilante justice. You cannot take the law into your own hands.¡± ¡°FUCK YOU!¡± He whirled around, and Nelle finally saw his face. It was the eyes that she found most terrifying; large, bulging, bright yellow, and staring at her in unabashed fury. His face was scrunched up in a fierce, animalistic snarl, his fangs fully bared to her. She tightened her grip on her gun, and that¡¯s when she realized she had laced her finger around the trigger guard instead of the actual trigger. But she was too afraid to move now. Afraid that Luric would see her mistake, would take her moving her finger on the trigger now as a threat, and move to attack. He would be faster than her, of that she was certain. She remained still and silent while he blared his rage at her. ¡°FUCK YOU AND YOUR HIGH AND MIGHTY BULLSHIT. THE LAW DIDN¡¯T APPLY TO ME WHEN I NEEDED IT, BUT HE IS ALLOWED TO HIDE BEHIND IT?! SIMPLY BECAUSE HE IS NORMAL AND I¡¯M NOT? HUMAN RIGHTS ARE JUST FOR HUMANS, IS THAT WHAT YOU¡¯RE SAYING?¡± He was breathing hard, his eyes boring into her. There was a change in his expression, something more akin to irritation rather than anger, and he suddenly lowered his face to look away. He was visibly winding down, his breathing relaxing, posture straightening and shoulders slightly slouching. He seemed a little defeated. He was changing back too, but his appearance wasn¡¯t completely human yet when he spoke again. ¡°Justice? It''s too late for that. What I want -What I deserve is revenge! But I''m not allowed that, am I? It''s not right. It¡¯s not moral.¡± He gave a dry chuckle. ¡°I was too small and weak to fight against the unfairness back then, but now that the tide has turned and I¡¯m the one with all the power, I¡¯m supposed to be nice and play by the rules. Be more accommodating for you poor, defenseless folks.¡± ¡°Luric, that¡¯s not what I mea-¡± ¡°Forget it.¡± He looked back in disgust at the sorry state of the man, crawling in the mud and whimpering like a whipped dog. ¡°I have no choice but to be content with this.¡± With one finale inhale and exhale, the last traces of his blight disappeared. Luric was walking towards her now, but still not meeting her eyes. When he jumped the fence and landed within five feet of her, Nelle winced. She had lowered her arms, but she was still griping the gun very tightly. Her muscles were numb, and she couldn¡¯t feel her fingers anymore. She might need help to disentangle them because right now she couldn¡¯t get her hands to unclench. She watched Luric carefully, studied his features, his hands, his movement, making sure there was not a single trace of his other form left on him. She would probably make a nervous habit of this. It was mind boggling how easily he could do that, look like any other person one moment, and then be something so frightfully inhuman the very next. Like he was simply changing a coat instead of skin. There should be something separating these two sides, she thought, something definite and detectable that could serve as a proper warning and a means to stop it from happening. Because how could she work with someone so dangerous and volatile, and who could harness so much destructive power at the blink of an eye? She wanted to go home, Nelle realized dejectedly. She didn¡¯t want to do this anymore. She didn¡¯t want to stay in this cold, unwelcoming town, or be anywhere near this bitter and unstable man. ¡°Sorry,¡± she heard someone mumble. Luric? She couldn¡¯t be sure, since he had turned his head the other way, and it had been spoken so softly, she might have imagined it. ¡°If you want to go back to the inn, you should,¡± he told her. ¡°I¡¯ll go talk to Egbrim now. No more detours, I promise.¡± Was he feeling contrite? Was this his attempt at conciliation? If so, was he doing it because of the gun, because of the report, or because of her? Whatever the reason, it helped, even if only a little. She¡¯d take reluctant remorse over unhinged anger any day. Nelle finally let her arms relax, her fingers loosening around the gun. Once the tension left her body, she noticed how sore the muscles and joints were. Gods, she had been so terrified. Something was tickling her cheek - probably a loose strand of hair - but when she brought a hand to her face to wipe it away, she touched wetness. It was on both of her cheeks. Thick streaks of water she traced up to her eyes with fingertips. When had she started crying? Immediately, she looked back at Luric. Had he seen? He must have, she realized despairingly. He wasn¡¯t looking at her now, but she was sure he had seen her tears. The sudden change in demeanor earlier, from aggressive to pensive, and now to apologetic, made sense. She had made him feel guilty by crying in front of him. Nelle felt like dying of shame. Was it understandable to cry given the circumstances? Yes. That still didn''t make it right. Luric had done what she asked, had stopped harassing the man like she wanted him to, yet Nelle still felt like she had failed; because it hadn¡¯t been her will, her reasoning, or her competency that had dissuaded Luric, but her weakness. She couldn¡¯t help but hate herself for that. In her head, she could hear Headmistress Seraclea proclaim in her typical condescending way how disgraceful it was for a woman to use tears as a weapon to persuade a man to do her bidding. To willingly embrace fragility so it may be used to coax protectiveness and favoritism, instead of trying to cultivate strength and integrity. Nelle had always agreed with that wholeheartedly. Had always looked down on her fellow students, delicate ladies in training, because they applied these tactics almost instinctively. A bat of long eyelashes, a twirl of a finger through a loose lock, a pout of delicate lips, and if all else failed, in come the waterworks. It even disgusted her to some extent, and she felt shame on behalf of those girls. Cry if you must, but do so privately. Do it to ease your heart, not to gain something. It almost made her want to apologize to Luric too, but she was well aware of how ridiculous that was. This wouldn¡¯t do. Not this pathetic state she was in, not her childish need to run home and hide under her bed because things were difficult. She would not abandon her responsibility so easily. She had to be stronger than this. Luric had to prove himself to be trustworthy, but she also wanted to prove back that she could be more reliable too. ¡°No, I am coming with you,¡± she said forcibly. She pocketed her gun, and righted her coat. The trepidation hadn¡¯t left her system completely. Her legs were jittery from exhaustion and she felt a bit light headed too. But she would press on. Luric looked back at her, nodded once, and lead the way. Clash and crash By the time they had finally left the inn, Buck had been waiting around for well over four hours. He had left his house well before dawn, tiptoed his way across town using only back alleys, and set up watch behind a dark corner that was overlooking the front door of Utmar¡¯s inn. But boy, was Luric taking his sweet time. Last night, Luric had told Chief Slatrim that he¡¯d meet him around noon, but Buck hadn¡¯t expected Luric to idle around in the dining hall the entire morning. Had he known this, he would not have woken his ass up so early to stand uselessly in the freezing air for hours on end. Luric sat by himself,reading. At some point he saw Mrs. Mura approach him timidly, probably to ask him about breakfast, and he dismissed her with a flick of his wrist without even looking at her. That had angered Buck. Well, aren¡¯t ya full of ya¡¯self, little lord. Mrs. Mura may not be the sharpest mind in Runrick - a bumbling old lady that was more often than not a source of mean-spirited comments - but she was a hardy, hard working person that never did nothing to no one and she sure as hell didn¡¯t deserve to be treated like a dirty dish rag. Hours later, Buck saw another woman come down and sit with Luric at his table. He couldn¡¯t get a good look at her, but judging from her modern-style bowl cut, it was safe to assume she was Luric¡¯s companion from the capital. Yet Luric made no move to greet her; didn¡¯t so much as look at her. Just how rude was this asshole? He wondered if the blond woman was like Luric too- not completely human- and this cold behavior towards each other was the norm for them. Mrs. Mura came again, and brought the new woman something to eat. When Mrs. Mura spoke to the new woman, she answered; Luric¡¯s companion seemed to be more inclined in acknowledging her presence. Luric ignored both of them. When he finally did say something, Buck noticed how the conversation changed. Mrs. Mura took her leave suddenly, and the exchange that followed between Luric and the other woman appeared to be brisk and unfriendly, and it ended with Luric scowling out the window. Buck crouched further behind the wall, making sure Luric wouldn¡¯t catch sight of him. After what felt like an eternity, he finally saw them rise from the table. The woman took a handkerchief out of her pocket, wrapped what she hadn¡¯t eaten in it, and stuffed it back in her coat. Guess the food wasn¡¯t to her liking. He waited a minute after they stepped outside, and then followed them. He noticed how Luric was zipping ahead, just a breath away from calling it sprinting, while the petite woman struggled to not be left behind. They weren¡¯t on the best of terms, he concluded. This was useful to know. Maybe he could approach her. He was surprised to see them cut through the market. It was so packed with people he had assumed Luric would want to avoid it, but they moved effortlessly through the crowd. Or rather, the crowd parted and moved out of their way. Some people dashed to leave the market once they saw them, but most were content to either pretend Luric wasn¡¯t there while maintaining a healthy distance. There were some whispers, some excitement, but nothing too obvious. They were afraid to be heard or noticed by him. Buck wondered if Luric could hear what was being said? So focused were the people on Luric¡¯s presence that no one paid him any mind. On any other day, Buck would¡¯ve been confronted by someone, or a lot of someones, spit on, and hauled out of the market. He was the least of their problems today. He took his time following them across the market, since he knew where they were heading. He then went round the other side of the prayhouse and once he made sure there was no one else around, crouched beneath an open window of the magistrate¡¯s office. There, he became privy to another session of thinly veiled contempt being passed between Luric and Slatrim. It had white eyes, dammit! There was a brief moment of panic when the woman asked about the possibility of there being two of those damned monsters lurking around, but Luric¡¯s firm and resolute negation laid those fears to rest. When Luric asked about any survivors he could talk to, Buck stiffened. But his own name never came up. It seemed like Slatrim and Santr had forgotten about him, even though it was him that had led the party. Maybe this is for the best.... They would go see Egbrim next. He lived close to the market, but Buck wouldn¡¯t be able to go anywhere near that house himself. Egbrim¡¯s father would murder him on sight. He prepared to crawl towards the doorway when he heard his name being mentioned. And then immediately dismissed by Slatrim. Hard. A chicken ass, he called him. Buck couldn¡¯t help the wave of indignation that came over him. He deserved to be called that, he knew he did, yet it still stung like a bitch. Worse yet, Luric was there to hear it. It was most likely that Luric didn¡¯t even remembered Buck, so the harsh brush-off might not mean anything to him. Nevertheless, he felt shame at being belittled like that, and in Luric¡¯s presence no less. He didn¡¯t truly understand why. They hadn¡¯t been friends, had barely spoke to one another as children. Sure, Buck had taken notice of him, there had been all sorts of rumors surrounding the pale boy after all, but as a child, Luric had always given off such an air of prickly aloofness that Buck had always been disinclined to approach him. Luric would seldom talk, even during class, but when he did, he liked to make it more than clear just how much smarter and well-read he was than then rest of them. Not like Sivale, who simply got overexcited when answering and wanted to share what he knew. At a distance, Luric had seemed quiet and shy, maybe a little meek, but there was a contempt hidden in his speech that as a kid, Buck didn¡¯t quite understand but picked up on regardless. He remembered catching Luric stare at him a couple of times, and it always felt like he was silently judging him. Buck hadn''t cared that much back then, since he had too much to be content with to bother with the attention of a single, sullen kid that sat alone under the tree. But now? Now, he was holding his breath, waiting to find out what his name brought out of Luric. Luric didn¡¯t say anything; simply walked out the door without another word. Guess his name must have truly not rung any bells. And that bothered Buck too. He looked around the corner to see the pair walk back in the direction of the market. Egbrim¡¯s house was just on the other side. Buck scurried after them. They seemed to be arguing again, but he couldn¡¯t hear what they were saying. The woman soon fell behind, and Buck realized she was limping lightly. Then suddenly, with no warning, Luric changed course and came straight at him. Just like last night, Buck froze. Had he been seen? Had Luric known he was being followed? Of course, you idiot. He wasn¡¯t human. He could probably sense anything and everything in his vicinity. Buck braced himself for a confrontation. But the confrontation never came. Luric just walked past him without so much as a look in his direction. Even the woman gave him a quick glance when she followed after, but he might as well have been invisible to Luric. Again, it shouldn¡¯t have bothered him. More than that, Buck should have been relieved that he hadn¡¯t been caught. Instead, it only stung. When he saw them entering Sivale¡¯s shop, his first instinct was to burst inside and stand by his friend. Sivale was pretty much the only person in town aside from his parents that still talked to him. He even went out of his way to help him find medication to ease his troubled mind. Sivale was a good-natured man, if not a bit jumpy, who definitely didn¡¯t deserve to be at the receiving end of Luric¡¯s haughty bullshit. But then he remembered that Luric had been Sivale¡¯s friend before Buck. They had both been orphans living with his old teacher. Sivale never spoke of either of them, so Buck had forgotten about their connection. He hoped this would mean Luric was going to be civil with him. And if they ended up talking, Buck might be able to get some information out of Sivale later. He was a little surprised to see Sivale leave with them, though. And they still weren¡¯t heading in the direction of Egbrim¡¯s house. It was getting harder to remain inconspicuous. They were leaving the more populated center of town, and there was no way to not stand out as the only other person going the same way they were. Sivale would definitely recognize him. It soon became clear, though, where they were going, so he could afford to remain at a safe distance. Buck himself hadn¡¯t been there for years, but he still knew the way. His old school stood abandoned on top of a flat hill at the edge of town. There were only a few houses standing a little further down the slope that led to it and he only had small fences to hide behind now. The top of the hill was empty aside from the school building, Mr. Carshtin¡¯s house, and one lone tree in the yard. They never went inside, however. Neither inside the school, nor the house that had been their actual living space. They just hovered under the tree, facing it. The woman stood a few feet apart from them. Everything about it looked odd. When Sivale came down the hill alone, Buck decided to make his presence known. His friend nearly jumped out of his skin, but Buck was fast enough to clamp his hand around Sivale¡¯s mouth and drag him down next to him behind a low bush. When he took a peek he saw Luric and the woman head down another road, one that led further outside of town. Good, he had time to talk with Sivale. His friend had calmed down somewhat when he saw who had grabbed him, but he was still looking at Buck with large, questioning eyes. ¡°What are you doing?¡± Sivale wheezed. ¡°Sorry, it¡¯s not you. I¡¯m following him. ¡± ¡°What? Luric? Why?¡± ¡°I ¨C I don¡¯t trust him. I don¡¯t think he¡¯s here just for what he claimed.¡± ¡°You think he¡¯s here for something other than getting rid of the monster? What makes you say that?¡± ¡°It¡¯s a feeling, all right? He wouldn¡¯t come back just to help us. Not after¡­,¡± and Buck trailed off. ¡°It just doesn¡¯t make sense.¡± Sivale just stared at him as if he wanted to say something about that. ¡°What were you even doing up there?¡± Buck asked. ¡°It looked like you both were taking a piss at the same time.¡± He had never seen Sivale look affronted before, it was almost comical, ¡°That is ¨C I am sorry, but it¡¯s none of your business.¡± ¡°Just tell me, will ya. I¡¯m gonna go over there anyway, and I¡¯ll be kinda miffed if all I find is your puddle.¡± Silvale exhaled trough his nose loudly, and his shoulders slumped in defeat. ¡°I guess ¨C if it¡¯s you it¡¯s all right. I can tell you.¡± ¡°Sivale?¡± ¡°It¡¯s nothing important, alright? I just made a small pray place for Mr. Carshtin. For me and Chipi to go to and pay our respects to him without anyone else knowing. Luric wanted to see it.¡± This, Buck had not expected. ¡°What- when did you- why did you never tell me?¡± ¡°I- I didn¡¯t know how you felt about him.¡± What Buck thought of Mr. Carshtin? As in, if he believed what people said about him after he died? That he had created Luric? That he was a dark conjurer? An evil man that had planned to feed Runrick¡¯s children to Luric one day? No, he didn¡¯t believe that. Some of what the adults had spun about Mr. Carshtin might have stuck with him for a while, but it had never felt right. Nothing about his teacher had ever seemed off or evil to Buck. And now that Buck found himself the subject of all sorts of twisted tales being passed back and forth, he was even more convinced of Mr. Carshtin¡¯s innocence. Whether he had known about Luric¡¯s true nature didn¡¯t matter, he was certain his old teacher had never intended to do anyone any harm. Luric on the other hand¡­. ¡°They said Luric killed him.¡± ¡°They said a lot of things, didn¡¯t they?¡± answered Sivale, a little sourly. ¡°Luric would never hurt him. Mr. Carshtin went to look for Luric with men that didn¡¯t like either of them. Slatrim¡¯s men. And- and Baliger was there too. They came back with him unconscious, and they took us away before I got to see what had been done to him. But I know I didn¡¯t see any bite or claw marks. Wasn¡¯t that what they said Luric has when he turns? None of his clothes were ripped, there was no blood aside from what was running down his mouth and nose. He looked bruised and swollen. He had been pummeled by fists. ¡± ¡°Luric was there when they found him dead in his house.¡± ¡°So what could he have been doing aside from slowly killing Mr. Carshtin? Maybe tending to the man that had raised him, since no one else would. Staying by his side? Trying to comfort him? Does that sound so implausible?¡± Buck lowered his eyes. ¡°No.¡± But neither do I know him well enough to be certain. Maybe Luric was not to blame for Mr. Carshtin''s death. Maybe he had not deserved what had been done to him. In the end, it didn''t matter. It wasn''t like he could undo any of it. There was only one truth they had to deal with now; Luric was a monster, and he was pissed at them. ¡°Are you going to keep following them?¡± ¡°¡­Yeah.¡± This story has been taken without authorization. Report any sightings. Sivale shook his head. ¡°This is what he had to put up with back then too. Even before he turned that time. Suspicion. Animosity. People assuming the worst of him. Nothing has changed.¡± ¡°So then tell me why he¡¯d want to come back here, ey? Why would someone come to aid the people that have wronged him so? Because he enjoys seeing us suffer, that¡¯s why. He said as much. But if that¡¯s what he¡¯s after, then why take away the cause of our suffering? Am I wrong to think he might want to prolong it instead?¡± ¡°He wouldn¡¯t do that.¡± ¡°Wouldn¡¯t he?¡± They were at a standstill, and Buck wanted to stop it before it turned into a clash. Sivale hated conflict, would avoid a fight at any cost, but he was determined to hold his ground this time. And Buck didn¡¯t want to upset the last person in Runrick that he could still call a friend. So he backed off. ¡°I just want to make sure. For my own peace of mind, all right?¡± ¡°Suit yourself.¡± It wasn¡¯t the concession he was looking for, but he had no time to try and pacify him. He¡¯d make amends later. When he was able to prove that Buck had every reason to be suspicious of Luric. They parted ways, sullen and at odds. Buck climbed up the hill until he reached the spot where the road intersected with the one Luric and the woman had taken. He had lost sight of them, but even so, it felt wrong to simply follow them and ignore what he had just found out from Sivale. It felt¡­ disrespectful. So he walked a little further upwards until he reached the tree. Sure enough, there was a rock, barely taller than a foot, with faint letters written on it. There were even some withered flowers scattered here and there. It had been years since he had properly thought of the man. The ashen-haired man with kind eyes standing in front of a black board and waving his hands around energetically as he tried to convince his students of the thrill that were trigonometric functions. The man loved teaching, becoming livelier and more animated when he was reenacting famous generals on battlefields in history class, or speaking of his favorite writers in literature class. Some lessons were too tedious no matter how hard Mr. Carshtin had tried to make them exciting so attendance varied drastically, but whether he had a full room, or just two students, he was always happy to teach anyone who was willing to learn. Outside of class though, Mr. Carshtin was a different man. Reserved, withdrawn, and rarely seen at town gatherings or local festivals. This hadn¡¯t helped his reputation. Buck had sought him out a couple of times, outside of school. He loved literature class when the books Mr. Carshtin brought were about heroes and adventures, and Buck had wished to talk more about them. Wanted more stories like that. Mr. Carshtin was more than happy to oblige. But there was one book they had discussed once, that made Buck think. The tale of ¡®Ruuderan and the Water Serpent¡¯. Mr. Carshtin had asked Buck if he thought the water serpent had deserved to die. ¡°Of course,¡± Buck had answered resolutely, ¡°how else would Ruuderan have been able to get its eggs that would grant him immortality?¡± Mr. Carshtin had looked at him, and asked if he thought it fair that a creature that had not hurt anyone, had just wanted to protect its children from invaders that intended to kill them, be vilified in the book. Buck had been confused then, and Mr. Carshtin had not insisted further with that rationale. For years, Buck had thought his teacher simply tried to warn him in his own way about the bias in these tales of heroic grandeur and not be fooled by them. He knew now what he had been trying to tell him. What he was trying to prepare him for. The monster is not always evil. Yes, Mr. Carshtin had known about Luric, and he had tried to prepare Buck for the moment when Luric¡¯s secret would inevitably be found out. Had silently asked him to think before he judged. To not hate Luric for something he couldn''t help. Maybe even be an ally to him. I¡¯m sorry, I think it¡¯s too late for that. He went back to the crossing and looked down the road he had to follow. It was strange that Luric had chosen to take this route. You could technically still reach the market using this path, but it would take longer, and it led through one of Runrick¡¯s more unseemly neighborhoods. Why would he want to- Oh. Oh, shit. I was right! I was right! I was right! That was the only thought that kept pounding in his head as he stared at Luric¡¯s ghastly, snarling face. He got to them just as Luric whirled around to spit furiously at the woman. She, in turn, had a small gun pointed towards him. Baliger was on the ground, and Buck couldn¡¯t tell if he was hurt or bleeding with all that mud on him. Luric was looming over him like a predator over a fresh kill, possessive and threatening towards anyone that could steal it from him. Luric was also yelling, and Buck was dimly aware of words being spoken, but all he could hear was the deep rumbling reverberations that no human throat could produce. Fear paralyzed him, and he felt his body shutting down again, just like last night. Just like before. What made it worse was that he was in full view. The scene had taken him by surprise, so he had stumbled right in the middle of the road and forgotten to take cover. If Luric would turn his head now, he would see him, standing there and gawking at him like a moron. In the end, no one died. Not Baliger, not the woman, not him. For reasons Buck couldn¡¯t discern, Luric cooled off, and walked away from Baliger without laying a finger on him. He then went to the woman, and they spoke quietly. Buck thought he could see her shoulders shaking. This had perturbed her as well. He was certain now that she was just a regular human. Maybe sent to keep Luric in line, if the gun was anything to go by. The gun! That was what must have impelled Luric to abandon his form. A normal bullet couldn¡¯t harm the beast, so it was probably safe to assume that it wouldn¡¯t hurt Luric either. That that gun must be specifically designed to be used as a weapon against his kind. Maybe it used a special kind of bullet. That was it. That was his chance. He had to get that gun. There was no time to wait for the opportunity to get close to the woman, convince her of Luric¡¯s vengeful intentions, and make her an ally. He had to get that gun now. Luric could turn on anyone at any moment. Runrick was full of people he had a grudge against. Luric and the woman started walking again. This time Buck was sure they were going to see Egbrim. Buck tried to remember if either Egbrim or his parents had ever done anything to Luric. Something that could tick him off. He couldn¡¯t remember, but neither did he want to risk it. He owed Egbrim at least this much. He followed after them, tried to keep his steps as light as possible because everything had gone so quiet. It was getting dark, and the animals had gone into hiding. As the small alleys gave way to larger, more populated streets, Buck gathered his courage and quickened his steps to get closer. The woman was walking a few feet behind Luric, and once they¡¯d enter the market space, he¡¯d rush her and get the gun before Luric could react. If only he could make sure that his body wouldn¡¯t freeze on him again. Even now he could feel the muscles in his legs systematically tensing and relaxing, and he tried to maintain the fast walking rhythm to keep the blood pumping and force adrenaline into his system. Buck fixed his eyes on the woman¡¯s small frame and tried to tune out Luric¡¯s presence in front of her until he had the gun. They were in the market now. Everyone was scrambling to gather their things and leave before it got too dark, but there were still far more people around than Buck had anticipated. But this was good. It would make getting closer to her less obvious with the crowd. He made his move, closed the distance in large, fast steps, and went for the woman¡¯s right pocket. That¡¯s where he had seen her put it. Buck wouldn¡¯t bother with being stealthy; he knew he had no skill in subtracting it without her noticing. But he could overpower her easily. He grabbed her right arm with his left hand to keep her still and to make it easier for his right hand to go inside her pocket. ¡°HEY!¡± she yelled frantically. ¡°Don¡¯t be scared, I just want to-¡± It wasn¡¯t there. The pocket was empty. He didn¡¯t even have time to worry or regret his decisions, because the very next moment, he felt fingers dig into his jugular, and a pair of obsidian eyes looking at him in open disgust filled his vision for a second. He then got lifted off the ground and flung backwards. He didn¡¯t fly far, but he slid and rolled across the ground a good distance before he came to a stop. When he opened his eyes, he wished he had been pushed even further away, because Luric¡¯s imposing figure was far closer than he would¡¯ve liked. And like that, they were finally face to face. He got up on his feet, grateful they could still hold him up. He just prayed they wouldn¡¯t start shaking. When he looked at Luric, he noted that the other man seemed neither angry nor annoyed, but amused. Like he was looking at something that was both pitiful and funny. And that just made his blood boil. Oh, there was still a good deal of fear inside of him, but now it was forced to make room for a shitload of indignation. ¡°You have got to be a special kind of stupid,¡± Luric teased, ¡°to actually try something like that around me. Never mind that that was the worst attempt at pickpocketing I have ever seen.¡± ¡°Luric, leave him be. I wasn¡¯t hurt, and we don¡¯t have time for this,¡± the woman yelled. Luric looked at her like he wanted to start an argument, but then sighed, gave him the stink eye again, and turned to leave without another word. Around them, everyone had gone still, people standing to observe them even from the furthest corners of the market. He¡¯d take advantage of the silence. ¡°Shoot him!¡± Buck yelled. Both Luric and the woman turned to look at him, perplexed, but he kept his eyes on the woman so that she could understand he was talking to her. ¡°Shoot the bastard! You were right to want to earlier. He can¡¯t be trusted. He is out to get us.¡± There was shock now on both their faces as it dawned on them what he meant by ¡®earlier¡¯. Now Luric was angry. ¡°If you know what¡¯s good for you,¡± he spat, ¡°you¡¯d keep your fucking mouth shut and high tail it out of here.¡± But Buck ignored him, kept his focus solely on the woman. ¡°I was just trying to get your gun, not attack you. I don¡¯t know what your relationship with him is, but if you truly want to make sure that he doesn¡¯t get to hurt anyone then end it now. Baliger won¡¯t be the only one otherwise.¡± People were starting to whisper agitatedly. He knew most would think Luric had killed Baliger from the way he worded it, and that was good. It might get them to side with him. He needed all the help he could get. Now Luric was livid and he was coming towards him. Buck felt his knees go numb, but he forced himself to keep standing. ¡°You little shit, who the fuck do you think you are? Slatrim send you to follow me around or something?¡± Buck blinked. Wait. No way? Even now? Luric was staring him right in the face, and yet he didn¡¯t- ¡°You seriously still don¡¯t recognize me?¡± It was Luric¡¯s turn to look surprised. He frowned, gave his tattered appearance a long one over, then settled on his face, and squinted in confusion. He saw the exact moment the light went on in Luric¡¯s head. His eyes got impossibly large, and for a second all traces of animosity were gone from his expression. ¡°Buck?¡± he said with utter astonishement. Okay, I can¡¯t look that bad. It lasted only a moment, though. The same way he got to witness recollection render Luric speechless, he now got to see the incredulity morph into a sadistic smile. Luric¡¯s rancor was back, with gusto. ¡°Well, if it isn¡¯t good, old Buckcrown. It¡¯s been forever hasn¡¯t it? What have you been up to, old boy? Slay any dragons yet? Rescue a couple of maidens, have you? Whatever it was, it must have been grand. You must¡¯ve turned out exactly how everyone always said you would. A great and famous man.¡± He was so smug, so self-satisfied with his little bit, and Buck wanted nothing more than to hurl himself at Luric in blind fury, if only to wipe off that insufferable smirk. He never got to think of a rebuke however, because a booming voice suddenly filled the square. ¡°He was a righteous little prick, I¡¯ll give ya that. Always goin¡¯ on and on ¡®bout how he was goin¡¯ ta become the First Knight or some bullshit like that. Annoyed the hell outa me too, most¡¯a time,¡± said the deep, baritone voice, far more cheerful than was currently appropriate. ¡°But it makes now rubbin¡¯ his failures in his face all the more enjoyable, I¡¯d say.¡± Standing there, with his formidable bear-like built, and boasting loud and proudly, was Izver. Great, that¡¯s all I need now. Out of all his defamers, Izver was the most ardent one. When Buck had returned to Runrick, disgraced and broken, Izver had shown his true colors. Not that he had ever been truly fooled by him. Izver was as shrewd and subtle as he was pretty, but even Buck could have never guessed the absolute enjoyment he would take out of dragging his name through the mud. What he had first thought was simple, boyish rivalry laced with some jealousy had actually been full blown hatred. And what made everything worse was that Izver now received the sort of appreciation and admiration that Buck had once emjoyed. Izver was well-liked. He was considered the strongest man in Runrick. Could supposedly rip a tree trunk from its roots with his bare hands. He was the best hunter. All that qualified him as an exceptional northerner, and the praise wouldn¡¯t stop flowing. People turned to him when in need, and the hunters and woodmen rallied behind him. He was the reason Buck hadn¡¯t gotten as much support with his campaign against the beast as he had hoped; Izver had spoken against it, and most men listened to him. Even Slatrim seemed a bit wary of Izver lately. But by Baar, was he still as stupid as ever. If Luric resented Buck, than he must absolutely loathe Izver. His overconfidence would be the end of him. ¡°Izver? What in heaven¡¯s name did they feed you?¡± Oh, so him you recognize instantly. What gave him away? The facial hair? As expected, Luric turned his entire hate-filled attention towards Izver. ¡°Are we supposed to be friends now? Brought together by our mutual distaste of Buck?¡± Izver chuckled and answered just as cheerfully. ¡°Oh no, don¡¯t ya worry ¡® bout that. I¡¯d never care to associate with a piece a sheep shit like you. Never liked ya then, like ya even less now, fancy fuckboy dress an¡¯ all. ¡± Stupid Izver! He might not care much for the oaf, but Buck still wouldn¡¯t want to see him getting disemboweled by Luric. It all came down to the woman, if she would hold him back like before. Only he didn¡¯t see her reach for the gun at all, just stare disapprovingly at Luric. ¡°Luric, you promised.¡± And it worked again. Luric huffed in annoyance like a discontent teenager being denied something. ¡°Fine, let¡¯s just fucking go!¡± But Izver was in their way, and the brute was making no attempt to move aside. It was another challenge. To Buck¡¯s surprise, Luric gave in again, and instead of staying his course and forcing Izver out of his path, he instead attempted to walk around him. People would see this as a win for Izver. Luric must have hated that, yet the he proved to be more reasonable than that block-head. But said block-head couldn¡¯t let things end well, could he? Izver¡¯s fat arm shot out and barred Luric from walking past him. ¡°How impolite. I wasn¡¯t done talking t''ya. I thought the nobles would teach ya manners too. Or is followin¡¯ orders like a dog the only thing ya supposed ta do? Is the little lady ya owner? She give ya a treat later for bein¡¯ a good boy? Can I pet ya?¡± And the bastard actually started reaching for Luric¡¯s head. It all happened so fast. Luric didn¡¯t change, at least not visibly, but he grabbed Izver¡¯s left arm and swung around, taking the rest of Izver with him. Izver tried to stand his ground, planting his feet firmly in it, but Luric¡¯s brute strength had him soon tripping and staggering after the smaller man. He was getting dragged along like an unruly child that didn¡¯t want to go home. Luric twisted them around, once, twice, until Izver was completely caught in the centrifugal force of his rotation. The moment Izver lost his balance, Luric let go and the large man went plummeting to the ground hard, a cloud of dust rising up around him. Had Izver let Luric go without another word, he would¡¯ve left the market a hero. To all eyes around them it looked like Luric had been the one to back off, but Izver had taken his taunting to dangerous extremes and had paid the price for it. Luric had known exactly how to turn this around in his favor; instead of a bloody outcome that would only cement him as the freak Izver wanted to paint him as, he resorted to a show of force in which Izver ended up looking like a fool for having thought to oppose him. Izver was aware of that, given how enraged he looked. Yet being tossed around like a sack of potatoes despite his size and weight wasn¡¯t enough to make him realize just how outmatched he was. Even the dumbest bovine would have taken the warning, and thanked the gods for being able to walk away from the encounter with all his limbs still attached, but Izver was clearly not done pushing his luck. He got up, grunting and swearing, and charged at Luric full speed. Buck hoped that Luric would be smart again, jump to the side, and let the big idiot fall on his face. It would add to his embarrassment. But to his frustration, he saw Luric crouch down and brace himself to meet Izver¡¯s attack head on. He really wanted to prove how much stronger he was. Obviously not quite as much as he, and the rest, had thought. Izver collided with Luric, and the smaller man wasn¡¯t able to repel him with the ease Buck had anticipated. Izver grabbed him by the shoulders firmly and pushed against Luric with all his might. To everyone¡¯s surprise, Luric was being driven back, despite his entire body propped to fight against Izver¡¯s advance. But Luric¡¯s reserves of power ran deep, and this had to end before he felt the need to tap into them. ¡°LURIC!¡± the woman screamed. Somewhere underneath Izver¡¯s bulk he heard Luric answer with a strained voice ¡°Oh come on, you can¡¯t blame me for this too. He started it!¡± ¡°LURIC! MONSTER!¡± ¡°Fuck¡¯s sake, Nelle, I won¡¯t use that, all right? I can deal-argh- with this lummox like this-ow-just fine!¡± ¡°NO, LURIC! THE MONSTER! THE LUSRAE! IT¡¯S HERE!¡± It took a moment for Buck to fully understand what she meant. He saw her shaking arm extended all the way and he turned his eyes towards what she was pointing at so feverishly. ¡°ON THE ROOF!¡± - was the monster. Between Fangs The size of a wolf, my ass! And it was probably bigger than a regular bear, too. It was hard to tell with those freakishly long limbs, but it was definitely far larger than Luric had expected. Also, and it had white eyes. The lusrae was so black that all Luric could discern inside its outline were the two gleaming white eyes staring curiously at what was going on in the square. That¡¯s when Luric noticed it had something in its maw. Hanging by the neck, bloody and lifeless, was the fresh corpse of a man. For the briefest of moments, the square had gone completely still, the horrific image rendering everyone too stunned to move. But Luric could already sense the collective terror that was about to rip through the crowd, sending people ricocheting in every direction, and making it harder for him to track motion should the monster decide to pounce. He had only a second before all hell broke loose. ¡°NOBODY MOVE!¡± he bellowed. If there was one thing he could appreciate about the people of forest dependent communities, it was their ingrained sense of survival. People that are taught from an early age what to do and how to act should they ever encounter a wild animal; a bear or a wolf, or something worse. His words must have prompted that part of their subconsciousness that told them not to make sudden movements in front of a large predator. No one started running. Yet. They were shaking and whimpering, though. Luric reached inside, where he found the energy bubbling and agitated, and allowed it to rise to the surface. He¡¯d have to use much more of it than usual in order to be able to face something of that size. It seeped into his system, pulsating rapidly, and he felt his muscles grow and bulge, his bones lengthen and harden; these clothes would be ripped and stretched beyond repair, he noted angrily. He stopped just short of losing his human visage; Luric rarely went all the way with his transformation. He didn¡¯t feel quite as in control when he was in that state. With his eyesight enhanced, he could make out the tiny hairs on its back blowing softly in the light wind. So it had fur, just like Luric did when he was fully transformed. The thing leaned forward a little, as if to peer at him, and opened its jaws wide enough for the body to slip out. Luric knew that the sickening crunch of flesh and bones would be too horrific for the people to handle and he had to make his move before the body hit the ground. He charged, claws at the ready. Luric tore through the mass of frozen people gaping at the monster, adding as much speed as he could to gain velocity and then launch himself at the beast on the roof. The leap would be tricky, but if he got the takeoff right he should be able make it all the way to it. He hoped that taking the offensive so boldly would startle the monster and convince it to retreat. Luric could chase it off to somewhere where there weren¡¯t as many people around. But nothing had gone as planned today, and apparently now was not going to be any different. Luric jumped and was already mid-air when he saw the monsters grab the edges of the roof, pull the rest of its body back like the string of a bow being drawn, and then slingshot itself right at him. Its mouth was opened impossibly wide, and those razor-sharp teeth posed to tear into him. Propelled like that, it could even cleave him in half. He couldn''t evade the attack while in the air, so he had no choice but to try and shield himself as much as he could. He brought up one forearm as guard for his head and neck, and the other for his stomach. They collided violently, and Luric felt those these teeth clamp down on his arms. He flexed his muscles to keep the fangs from going all the way through them. Bodies twisted and twirled until they crashed on the ground, and even then, the beast did not let go. Both righted themselves at once, the monster shaking its head side to side trying to shred Luric''s limbs off. Luric in turn gathered all his strength to push against the pressure of its jaws and force the maw apart. His arms were a bloody mess, but as long as the bones weren''t broken and the muscles fairly intact, he was good. Adrenaline would stave off most of the pain until later. It seemed like he and the beast were caught in a stalemate - it trying to chomp down, Luric trying to dislocate its mandible. From the corner of his eye, he saw it prepare to fling its long right arm at him, fingers clenched, and talons extended. He had no means to deflect that attack, so before it could start clawing at him, he leaned backwards as much as he could, and head-butted the fucker right in the snout. He managed to startle the thing into letting go. It crawled back a little, blinded by the stinging pain and huffing loudly through its abused nose. This was his chance. Luric was on it before the lusrae could catch its bearings, and grabbed it by its short stubby neck. His right arm kept a tight lock on the throat while his left one went over its head to clutch the left lower jaw. He then pulled. Snapping the neck rarely killed them, but breaking the spine should at least render it motionless long enough for him to deliver the finishing blow. But again, the thing surprised him. Instead of tensing and resisting the sprain, he felt it go lax. It threw its entire weight to the side and rotated its body congruous to Luric''s pull. To keep its spine aligned with the position Luric was forcing its head into. This was beyond instinctual, this was a calculated counter move that no dull-witted creature should have been able to comprehend, let alone carry out. This lusrae had understood what Luric was trying to do, and understood how to oppose it. So not only was it larger than expected, more aggressive than expected, but also smarter than expected. He had to end it. Fast. The monster was now belly up and vulnerable, so he dislodged an arm to go for its exposed throat and rip it open with his claws. The beast was faster, bringing its large front appendages to cover and protect its neck. It then curved itself into a ball, and Luric found himself face to face with its powerful hind legs aimed at him. He got punted what seemed like halfway across the square. Luric found his footing with far more difficulty then he''d have liked, vision a little blurry from the blow and loss of blood. But at least the lusrae didn''t seem any better off. It scrambled to quickly roll back on its legs, and then lowered its head to glower at him. There was a suspicious lack of barred fangs. Any other animal would have been showing teeth at this point, to warn and dissuade its assailant from coming closer. Bright, white eyes were staring at him from within the monochrome blackness, and Luric couldn''t help but feel like it was analyzing him. Sizing him up. Slowly, it started to crawl towards him. It was only then that Luric got the first good look at its form. It had impossibly long and nimble front limbs with which it dragged its thick and compact trunk across the ground, one cautious stride at a time. Its hind legs were far shorter, and watching it maneuver itself around, Luric realized the thing resembled a wingless bat. It wasn''t built for speed - not with those uneven legs - but for gripping and swinging around. It had hands rather than paws, and the only thing that could hinder its dexterity were those dangerously long and sharp claws. It wasn''t the weirdest shape he had seen in a lusrae, yet watching it slink its way to him unnerved Luric far more than a frenzied charge would have. But by far the most unnerving thing about it was its awareness. It kept its eyes fixed on him, and stopped right as it came within striking distance of its longer limbs. Sure enough, it raised its right arm and coiled it like a scorpion¡¯s tail, with four long talons at its end instead of a stinger. Luric prepared himself for the attack. And the attack came, but not from where he had expected it. Instead of the arm, he found himself the target of those fucking teeth again. Luric barely had time to jump aside as its head shot forward with lightening speed, it''s gaping maw snapping shut just inches away from his stomach. Holy shit! How had it closed the distance so fast without him noticing it? Enjoying the story? Show your support by reading it on the official site. Turns out it hadn''t, at least, not all of it. The body hadn''t moved, only the head. The thing could extend and retract its neck at will, incredibly fast and incredibly far. The bastard had saved this little idiosyncratic trick for last to use as a trump card. Moreover, it had tried to fool him, had deliberately lured his attention towards its claws, made him expect an attack from a different direction, and struck while he was distracted. It had almost worked. If it hadn''t been for his enhanced senses and reflexes, he would now be missing half his torso and with no idea where it went. You -you fucking piece of rat shit! Not only had it thwarted absolutely every one of Luric''s attempts, it also thought it could outwit him. First Izver, now this. At least Luric wasn''t the only one losing his patience; frustrated that its tactic hadn''t worked, the beast hissed and snarled, stomped its legs angrily at the ground. It was done with forethought, regressing to a state of pure anger and aggressiveness. It lurched forward, once more trying to catch Luric by darting its neck. Luric had been hoping for this. He didn''t move away, and counted on his sense of precision and speed to time this just right. Just as the head was about to reach him, he rotated his hip and torso, and swung his right leg with all his strength. His knee connected with the side of the head, knocking it away with a loud crack. Luric hoped he had broken its jaw. It was kind of hilarious how the neck wobbled as it retracted back in its gullet. The beast was swaying slightly from side to side; the kick had left it dazed. Come on, go for it one more time. Let''s see you try and make a fool out of me now. But the monster wasn''t budging, just staring at him. Analyzing again. And then it let out a roar. A load, explosive howl that flooded the square, the whole town; Luric could swear it had bounced off the mountain ridge north of them with the way it echoed through the air. The battle cry wasn''t followed by an onslaught however, instead the monster turned around, scurried back over to the buildings surrounding the square, and with two long hauls of its front legs disappeared over the edge. It was running away. Luric was tired, wounded, and far from as advantaged over his adversary as he thought he''d be, but if he if he let it escape now, he might actually find himself even worse off the next time they fought. Oh no you don''t! And chased it. He could go after it on the roofs, so as to keep it in his sight, but he suspected its built would give it an edge over Luric on the slippery and uneven canopy of tiles. He chose to run after it on the ground, keeping his ears focused on the thumps and clatter that marked the direction of its movement. Every so often, he could see sinewy limbs pop out over the ledge, debris from crushed bricks and slate raining down on him. He cut through a narrow alleyway separating two houses and saw the length of it pass from one side to the other right above him. Seeing its underside stretch out to cross the gap gave Luric an idea. He sped up. His plan depended on whether or not the monster was heading where he thought it was. They were in the southwestern part of town, and if Luric remembered correctly, this was the only district where the crowded constructions didn''t devolve into vastly spaced huts and cottages before it met the edge of the forest. From here, it could swing its way from the roofs right into the line of trees and disappear among the thick foliage. It had to be cut off before then, and he ran faster to overtake the monster. He reached the street just seconds before it did. The creature had to traverse it if it wanted to reach the forest, but the gap was too wide for it to simply hoist itself over it. It leaped, body and extremities extended along the trajectory, leaving its soft underbelly completely exposed and accessible. Luric was right under it. He bent down fast, until his knees were angled just right, and propelled himself vertically with all the force his muscles could provide. He impaled it with his claws, fingers going all the way inside its flesh and he hooked them to secure his hold even as they went barreling down. The beast hollered in pain, and it twisted midair to land on its backside. Luric was straddling it and he pushed his claws in even deeper to try and inflict as much damage as he could, maybe even reach down all the way to its spine and rip it out. But he couldn''t penetrate as far as he wanted. Underneath its skin, he found a thick, black, viscous substance and it felt like he had shoved his hands inside wet tar. He had seen black ooze come out of the wounds of other monsters before, but it had never been this though or dense. And stranger still, as he took out his hands, none of it stuck to him. He had no time to mull over yet another anomaly - the arms were moving to encircle him, and he was forced to catch each large spidery hand and push it away before he found himself trapped in its grasp. He became aware of his mistake far too late; now it was his body that was wide open. His eyes met the colorless glimmer staring at him only for a split second before that open mouth was accelerating towards him again. He was so sick of those damned teeth. But he couldn''t move to kick it away this time, so all he could do was pivot sideways to keep his head from being bitten off. It chomped down on his left shoulder instead and his ribcage was barely strong enough to keep the fangs from piercing his heart. Its clasp on him was good and strong and when that powerful neck whipped around, it lifted his entire body off of it, and flung him against a wall. The impact had him black out for a few moments and he came to just in time to see its hide disappear behind a corner. He peeled himself out of the rubble and staggered after it. But he could no longer run, and it took too much effort to drag his feet through the pain and exhaustion. By the time he reached the tree line, the monster was long gone. He couldn''t follow it in there. That was its territory, and he was in no shape to try and outmatch it while it had the advantage of familiar terrain. That thing was far too smart for his liking. Luric had chased it off, but his aim had been to kill it on the first encounter; for him, this meant he had failed. Shit. As his body relaxed and adrenaline started to dwindle, the consequences of his recklessness were finally catching up with him, and they were bringing along their best friend: throbbing pain. Ow. He dropped to his knees and tried to regulate his breathing. He couldn¡¯t shift back to full human yet. Same as his strength and senses were enhanced when in this form, so were his healing abilities. These weren''t wounds his human body could handle, and he had to wait for enough of the damage to be repaired before he could completely unwind. But maintaining this form and the accelerated healing was draining him of the little energy he had left, and he still felt the pain as acutely as any other normal person. He sat down to rest while his flesh recovered, but not once did he take his eyes away from the edge of forest. This wasn''t how it was supposed to be. It shouldn''t have gone like this. Out of all the scenarios he had pictured in his head, not one of them had him waddling through the streets of Runrick in a state of bloody ruin. He had healed away the worst of the damage, but he still looked and felt like he had lost a tussle with a meat grinder. But as battered as his flesh was, nothing could quite compare to the massive blow his pride had taken. He had come here with the intention to show off, to flaunt his superiority in the miserable faces of the denizens of Runrick, and he had paraded himself around like a peacock during mating season. Not only had he gotten his ass thrashed thoroughly all over town, the people he hated would now get to see him in this sorry state. How had this happened? One moment everything was going his way, the other it was...not. First of all, the lusrae should have never ventured within the bounds of the town after last night. His presence alone should have made sure of that. It was one of the first tactics he had learned when training under Mr. Visloc. Lusrae stay clear of Blighted if they can sense them. For one of their missions, they had been tasked to find and kill a man-eating spider-demon, but as it had several lairs strewn across the vast expanse of Oalchar city, it kept eluding them for days. He and Mr. Visloc had separated to cover as much of the city as possible and spread their scent all over. In trying to avoid him and Mr. Visloc, it got driven back until it all it had left was a meager quarter of the city, and finding it afterward was a cinch. Between the long walk to the inn the night before, and his excessive meandering today, enough of his scent should have wafted around to warn it that a new top dog was in town. But instead of keeping it away, it had attracted it. In his overconfidence, he had just assumed the creature would be way weaker than him; that it would be too scared to come anywhere close to where he was. The monster had sought him out because it had known it could take him. It hadn''t been wrong. And second of all, why hadn''t his senses warned him of its approach?! His insides always went haywire when a hostile lusrae was nearby, yet he had felt nothing all the way up until he had laid his eyes on it the first time. Had he really been so distracted by Izver that he couldn''t feel that thing until it was practically upon them. Or maybe his alarms had been going off like they were supposed to, they just got drowned out by all the turmoil he had to deal with today. Nelle, Slatrim, Sivale. Mr. Carshtin, Baliger, Izver. Yes, he had been agitated the whole day, he had just mistook the cause behind it for severe annoyance. He could hear Mr. Visloc cackling in his ear. His mind turned to the poor bastard whose corpse was now lying splattered in the square. Who had it gotten on its way to him? Did Luric know the person? It might have even been someone who he had met today, if it was his scent that coaxed the monster out. He froze! Sivale? He felt himself go numb with worry. What if that thing had followed him around all day; had seen Silvale walk with him. He shouldn''t have allowed his friend to leave alone. He let his vengefulness and anger dictate his actions, turn him into an inattentive, self-absorbed imbecile, and because of him Sivale might now be- He caught the sound of frantic footsteps and rapid breathing. Someone was running towards him. Darting from behind a house and stopping dead in his tracks once he saw Luric, was Buck. His eyes widened in surprise, and then widened even more in horror when saw the number the thing had done on him. Their gazes met for a moment, but neither said anything. Luric knew he was supposed give a snide remark, but it was hard to concentrate with the wave of nausea that had just come over him. Maybe Buck had seen who the monster had killed and was here to tell him. Accuse him of what a shitty job he was doing. That it was all his fault. Another pair of steps, and then Nelle barreled right into Buck. ¡°I told you not to run so fast, I can''t -¡± And then she saw him. She had every right to be angry with him, and he was fully prepared to receive her criticism, and more; what he wasn''t prepared for, however, was the open concern she was showing him now. ¡°Are -are you alright?¡± No scorn, no blame, just concern. One more person flailed into the picture, and stopped next to them. Right there, severely out of breath and pale-faced, was Sivale. The surge of relief was far more than his abused and exhausted body could handle, and his legs finally gave out under him.