Chapter 73 - Monsters of Lakewood

Hump was surprised when the guard led them down to the docks rather than Mayor Arnold’s office. They found him down by the lake alongside Captain Winfrey, and a middle-aged man that Hump he didn’t recognise. There was no sign of Albry or Randall’s party, something Hump was grateful for.

“Thank you for coming so quickly, Wizard Vivienne,” Arnold said, walking over to them. “My apologies for the abruptness.”

“Nonsense,” Vivienne said. “I asked you to direct such requests to me for a reason, Arnold. We’re here to help.”

Arnold gave her an appreciative smile and gestured to the man standing nearby. “This is Kastin Rybar, a fisherman from Lakewood. I’m afraid to say he’s brought some devastating news.”

“We’re familiar,” Vivienne said. “It’s good to see you again, Kastin.”

The man nodded a greeting. “And you Wizard Vivienne, Mister Dylan. It’s good to see you both again.” He was a short, skinny man with deeply tanned skin that looked hard as leather. His clothes were discoloured, but made of thick, high-quality wool.

Dylan approached the man and shook his hand. “Kastin. I’m so sorry to hear the news. We were told there were two dead, and a third missing. Who…?” He trailed off.

Kastin sighed. “Silson and Anne were found in their home this morning. And Nini’s missing. We found no blood around her home though—thank Hestia—we’re still searchin’.”

Dylan rubbed a hand against his face and turned to the rest of them. “Silson and Anne were an elderly couple, and Nini their neighbour if I remember correctly.”

“Right you are, Mister Dylan.”

“So this girl, Nini, she could still be out there,” Bud said.

“I hope so,” Kastin said. “Gods, I hope so. I’m the fastest paddler in town, so I was sent here while the others went out lookin’.”

“Then time is of the essence,” Bud said. “We need to leave. I assume that’s why you called for us, Mayor Arnold.”

“Well, yes, that’s correct,” the man said. “Usually I’d send my own men but considering the circumstances and Wizard Vivienne’s request… well, this seemed like a job for adventurers. I’m prepared to make it a formal request to see you’re rewarded adequately.”

Hump frowned. “What circumstances are those exactly?”

Arnold cast an uncomfortable glance in Kastin’s direction and cleared his throat. “I’ve come to understand that the scene was rather… gruesome. Some sort of demon according to Lakewood.”

“Did you see it?” Hump asked.

“No, we didn’t see it. But… I’ve never seen so much blood. It was a sight straight from hell. Claw marks in the walls, the door ripped off its hinges. The bodies… gods, they were hardly recognisable.”

“What comes to mind when you hear that?” Dylan asked.

“Gnolls, werewolves, or literal demons from hell,” Hump said. “Any other ideas?” He asked Vivienne.

“Only the obvious,” she said. “There’ve been owlbears in the area before, though I wouldn’t expect them to barge into a house. Certain undead might leave claw marks behind, though again, this attack seems too specific.”

“It couldn’t be people, could it?” Celaine asked. “Some sort of shapeshifter would explain the claws.”

“I hope not,” Hump growled.

“Aren’t people better?” Bud asked.

“Not always,” Hump said. “People are smart, and often come in groups. Whatever the case, I’ll know more once we get there. I need to inspect the damage.””

“You’ll come?” Kastin said, perking up.

“Of course,” Hump said.

“Thank you.” Kastin took Hump’s hand in both of his. “Hestia bless you all. Thank you.”

As long as that’s all she does, Hump thought, trying his best not to look awkward as the man held his hand.

“Take these,” Vivienne said to Dylan, opening a potion pouch at her side. “It’s my standard medical kit that I used to take out back when I went adventuring.”

Hump stared at the potions in surprise. This was well beyond anything his master had ever carried. At a glance he spotted a variety of antidotes, Instant Stamina, Second Life, Dark Vision Elixir, and a bunch of other bits and pieces that must have cost a fortune. Vivienne unfolded a protected pocket.

“There’s also this,” Vivienne said “A Greater Healing Potion. Do not use it unless someone is dying. I’ve only got one, and I don’t need to tell you the price of that.”

“I’ll be careful with it,” Dylan said, taking the pouch and strapping it over his neck. “We’ll sort through everything along the way and divide up supplies.”

“Forgive me, Wizard Vivienne, but are you not going too?” Arnold asked.

“I’m afraid no, Arnold. But fear not, my apprentice and these three will be more than enough.” She turned to Dylan. “Remember, it’s the unknown danger that kills. Prepare well, know your enemy, and fight carefully.”

Dylan nodded. “We’ll be back as soon as we can.”

“I’ll go get the horses,” Bud said.

“No need,” Dylan said. “It’s a day and a half ride to Lakewood. We’ll be there in two hours by boat.” He nodded toward Kastin’s small fishing vessel.

***

It was a cool beginning to the afternoon when they headed out onto the lake. There was little wind today, leaving a thick mist to hang over still waters. The sun shone through faintly, a beacon of distorted light overhead that was hardly enough to see ten paces ahead.

The boat was little more than a wooden dinghy with storage space at the front, stuffed full of nets and bits of fishing equipment. He stared longingly out at the shadowy shoreline feeling naked on the small boat. He was a decent swimmer, but that meant little if it came to a fight out in deep water. For all his earth and fire magic, he had little to help him out here, leaving him to count on the mercy of nature and the gods…

Hump jumped as Kastin put two fingers to his lips and whistled.

The fisherman laughed as the boat rocked from the motion. “You seem nervous, boy. Don’t give me much confidence if you’re scared of a bit of water. What you gonna do when you’re face to face with a demon.”

“I can fight a demon,” Hump said, reaching over the edge of the boat and running a finger across the surface of the lake. “I can’t fight water.”

Kastin chuckled, paddling with an easy, practiced motion as the shadow of an island appeared ahead of them. “You don’t fight water. It’s the fighters that drown. First thing you gotta do if you fall in is keep your wits about you and stay calm. Might surprise you, but people float. So long as you don’t do anything stupid like splash about that is.”

“I can swim,” Hump said indignantly.

“Ah! Then you’ve got nothin’ to worry about. Apart from the demons that is.” He whistled again, and a few seconds later something blurred through the mist. A small shadow that swooped through the air and landed at the front of the boat, perching on the prow. “There you are, Betty. What did I tell you about coming when I call?”

The small bird let out a rumbling chirp and stared down at the water. It had a long beak, and bright blue feathers.

“You’ve trained a bird?” Bud asked, amazed.

“Don’t go nowhere without her,” Kastin said. “Best spotter in all of Fishers Lake, she is. Gets a touch too full of herself when there’s mist like this though.”

“Did you try using her to find your missing person?” Celaine asked.

“She spots fish, darlin’, and Nini ain’t no fish so far as I remember.”

“Did you know the two that died well?” Bud asked.

“Well?” Kastin snorted. “All my life. Two of them been married fifty-two years. Small mercy really that they got to go together. Deserved better though. They really did. But the gods have their purpose and it ain’t our job to question it, is it?”

“Indeed it’s not,” Bud said, giving Hump a pointed look.

Hump returned a look of shocked indignation but kept his mouth shut.

“Lakewood is only home to around thirty people,” Dylan explained. “These hamlets spotted around Fishers Lake are all like that. Everyone knows everyone. Each have their own specialities, and they trade to survive. By trail, it could take weeks for some of them to reach each other, but it’s only a matter of hours by boat.”

“Do you travel between the different villages often?” Hump asked Kastin.

“Course I do. See most of them every couple of weeks. Hard not to when you’re out on the lake all day like I am.”

“I don’t suppose you’ve heard mention of a party of adventurers?” Hump asked. “They seem to have packed up and left without a word. We think they might be imposters looking to score a few free meals and beds for the night.”

“I certainly have!” Kastin spat off the side of the boat, making a splash in the water. “I know exactly who you’re talking ‘bout. Passed through Lakewood not two weeks ago. Stayed two nights with Roils then left without a word of thanks.”

Hump pulled out his medallion from around his neck and showed it to the man. “Did they show you any medallions like these?”

Kastin leant in closer for a better look, squinting his eyes. “Didn’t see nothin’ like that. Showed up with a bunch of weapons and armour and we didn’t ask much after that.”

The four of them shared a look. Hump was beginning to suspect they might have a group of bandit shapeshifters on their hands.

“Did they say anything about what they were doing?” Bud asked.

“Lookin’ for ghosts,” Kastin said. “Seems to have worked too. We ain’t been attacked since they left.”

Hump glanced at Dylan and whispered, “At least the formation’s working.”

He dreaded to think what might have happened if Vivienne hadn’t configured her formation in time for the previous attack. A wave of spirits that large on a small hamlet like Lakewood could have wiped it out entirely.

***

It felt like a long two hours when they finally arrived. Hump had distracted himself with mindless chatter, and by sorting through the supplies Vivienne had given to Dylan. He was proud to say he’d contained his greed, only taking a couple of essence elixirs, a potion of Second Life, and a few general healing supplies for himself. The rest, he gave back to Dylan—including the potion of Greater Healing. As much as it pained him, spreading out the healing supplies was the safest option in the case where something happened to one of them.

Kastin brought them to shore and tied the boat to the pier. Stepping back onto solid ground again, Hump felt suddenly back in control. He took in a breath of fresh forest air and stared up at the cluster of cob houses amongst the trees that they called Lakewood. For a moment, he could forget about the reason he was there, and focus on the sight. He’d never seen a village like it.

From where he stood, it seemed as much a part of nature as the hills it was built on. Dirt steps wove a path up from the pier to the hills above, lined with trees and wild growth on all sides. The houses were made of dirt and wood, forming an almost tiered structure as they rose the hills due to the varying elevation. He counted nine of them, two of which were little more than wooden huts.

It was only when Hump noticed Kastin’s wide eyes that he realised something was wrong. “What is it?” he asked quickly.

“It’s too quiet,” Kastin said, terror in his voice. He hurried forward, paying them no notice. “Isaia! Lin! Huna! Is anyone there?”

Silence. Such complete and unnatural silence. Kastin’s blue bird flew up from the boat and landed on the fisherman’s shoulder, chirping softly. The only sound in all this forest other than that of his own heartbeat.

“There’s no birds,” Celaine said. “There’s nothing. Forests are never this quiet.” She scanned the surroundings, her hunter’s eyes seeing something Hump could not. “Oh no.” She pointed in the direction Kastin was walking, at what Hump thought was a house through the trees. “Over there.”

“I don’t see anything,” Dylan said.

Kastin stopped in his tracks, frozen in place as if time itself had come to a standstill. Then he collapsed to his knees and released a wail of pure, boundless sorrow. Hump’s heart nearly leapt from his throat.

The four of them shared a look. Hump saw the fear in each of their eyes, just as he felt it himself. He clenched his fist around his staff and turned back to the lone man ahead of them. “Come on,” he whispered.

He knew what he would find even as he approached but knowing wasn’t enough to prepare him. There was nothing that could prepare him for this.

Before Kastin, in a pool of simmering red, was the body of a young girl, or at least what was left of it. Her head had been torn free; her chest ripped open so that the bones of her ribs protruded like spikes. Hump felt his gorge rise but ruthlessly supressed it. There was nothing inside but red.

Nothing at all.