1 Night of the encounter (1/2)
Marceus was feeling pretty good about himself. He and his teammates had finally managed to corner the monster that kept harassing his village for the last four months. Every day the creature would come out at night and start rampaging like a wild beast scaring all the animals and villagers until it got bored.
Everyone kept asking his party to just deal with the thing already since they were designated as the guardians of that area, but there was little that he could do unfortunately. The creature was big as a chariot but it was also black like the night and fast like the wind so it was near impossible to catch it and defeat it. They tried setting up traps to stop his movement but it also proved to be rather intelligent and always managed to avoid every single one of them. One day one of Marceus's teammates finally managed to land a hit on it, but even that wasn't enough as it's skin seemed to be harder than rocks.
The tired warrior tried to ask for help from the villagers, trying to gather any sort of information that could help him end the beast. Maybe his movement patterns, his choice of spot for attacks, at what time he would come out, but nobody could aid him. The creature seemed to be as random as you can get. It would come out when it felt like it, sometimes at the start of dawn, sometimes minutes before sunrise. It's attacks were directed to just about anyplace it could reach, it could go for any the houses or farms. And even its movements didn't make sense. At times it would run like a person in two legs, other times it would appear rolling like a ball hitting anything around it, other times it would just come from the sky, smash a building and then leave.
Nothing about it made sense. The village guardians tried to follow the thing back to it's lair but it was way too fast for any of them. They would search the forest that the creature would disappear into but nothing was found. But one night, Marceus and his teammates finally got lucky.
Just like always the beast would appear out of nowhere and start creating destruction. The villagers started to panic and running tried to run away from it, it looked like it was going to be another night of frustration for everyone involved, when suddenly, the creature froze still. It was in the middle of flipping over a chariot when its eyes suddenly caught a glimpse of something that drew all of it's attention.
”Finally feel like calming down?”
Said Marceus while approaching the monster. The two of them were staring deeply at each other. A man with black hair and eyes and a strong build covered in a suit of armor and a beast, a huge shadow with the shape of a lion walking on two legs with blood-red eyes and claws so sharp that could cut a boulder by accident, both participating in a staring contest. Or so it looked like, in fact the monster was looking at what Marceus was holding. On one hand a sharp small knife that was shinning with the reflection of the light from the fire caused by the destruction started by the creature. His other arm holding a woman very tightly while pointing the knife at her neck.
”Now, we have confirmed that it is somewhat intelligent. I wonder if it can talk.”
Said the armored man. The creature glared at him with immense rage as if it wanted to chop his head off.
”You want to kill me? Your eyes tell me this is making you really angry for some reason. You attack this place every night but you never try to harm anyone, i wonder why that is.”
The woman started to cry in fear, her whole body was shaking. With a low voice she let out one word.
”Please...”
Seeing that the beast started to approach the two of them slowly and a sound could be heard from it.
”Coward...”
Marceus froze for a second but quickly returned to reality.
”So the feared beast can indeed talk. Now that is something interesting.”
As if ignoring the scared hostage the two started to engage in a discussion.
”You wear the appearance of a knight but you use a defenseless person as a shield?”
”I would have preferred to avoid such a situation i admit, but it's not like you gave me and my team many options. You are like a hurricane just coming and going as it pleases, what was i supposed to do? ”
”You were supposed to protect the people. Isn't that why they called you here?”
”I was called to deal with you, and that is what i am doing right now.”
His attitude was cold but deep inside Marceus knew, make one mistake and his life would end right there. Looking at it closer, there was no way he could defeat that thing in a fight. He wasn't expecting it to be able to talk but he was hoping some kind of communication could have been reached.
”Now talk, why are you terrorizing this place? Why do you keep coming here every night to go on a rampage and the leave. What do you want?”
”...”
”Don't feel like talking? Alright.”
Suddenly more people approached the three of them. More armored warriors dressed like Marceus, his team, all holding hostages with knifes at their necks. Children, woman, elders, all looking scared and like they could faint at any second.
”You really are a coward...”
”A coward would have left someone else to do this job. At least i have the guts to talk to you face-to-face.”
”I'm going to rip your heart out...”
”Rip...? Not eat...?”
The monster widened his eyes.
”Are you really a monster? Or are you just a person stuck in a monster body?”
”What?”
”You think you are the only one? People that can change their bodies due to a curse from a monster or a blessing from a god? I have met many types of magic or incantations while traveling this kingdom, sorry to say you are not special.”
”...”