What Do the Stars See?

The expressions of the subordinate soldiers went pale, horror seeping into their minds.

Brute then turned around, blood absolutely splattered over it to create an image only emerging from the depths of nightmares.

From its mouth dangled a severed arm that profusely had blood dribble out and leak downwards to drip down Brute's chin.

Slowly. Brute with its great heaving steps rapidly closed in on the now absolutely frightened soldiers.

"Get away from us you fuck!" screamed one in desperation.

How annoying his screams would be later on…

They wildly waved their weapons around, hoping to inflict some sort of harm onto my creation, all of this was futile.

One doesn't just use top-grade materials and get a substandard result.

Through the clash of metal and panicked screaming the Brute walked out of the reddish-haze that had now settled over the battlefield, it had been an exceptionally moist season recently after all.

Surprisingly enough, they had managed to land enough solid blows so that the Brute was actually injured, minorly, yes. But still, the fact that these simpletons had managed to even inflict a measure of harm onto Brute speaks volumes on just how much I had underestimated the opposition.

It's about time that I left these lands and established grounds somewhere new, the catacombs have now outlived their usefulness.

Soon enough the area would be practically teeming with little interlopers in search of glory.

With a wave of my hand my creatures respond to my call, gathering what parts are salvageable before following me.

Thankfully I've long since prepared for such an eventuality, having established a numerous number of safehouses to fall back onto.

So my creatures and I depart swiftly, taking care to remain out of sight. No doubt that such a progression as mine would spark unsightly fear in any passing citizen.

It'll take about 2 days to travel by foot, that is if I am lucky with the weather and all that. A common weakness I've noticed about my creatures, they don't fare too well when exposed to the elements.

Most likely though, I'll be stopped numerous times or have to skirt around patrols, no doubt the circle is already closing in.

-

So far the journey has been uneventful, it's getting close to dusk and we've traveled a fair amount of distance from my former base of operations.

I've established a scouting party of my visionaries ahead of us that are scanning for any signs of trouble. If they do happen to stumble across any then the course would have to be readjusted, there simply doesn't seem to be any other options. The heat is too dangerous as of right now.

Keep the head low and all shall be fine is what my mentor used to say.

There's nothing much to pass the time, just trees, trees, more trees. Of course, there's the occasional signs of life like that of a startled jackrabbit or something along the lines of a pheasant.

It would be rather nice to partake in a nice supper of roast pheasant but unfortunately, the creatures I currently have at my disposal don't possess the… how to say this. The more refined touch so as to not outrightly brutalize the poor creature to smithereens. It would be rather difficult to scrape together meat paste to consume, no?

And while I could utilize my magic to swiftly kill it, unfortunately, a downside of my magic would be that it pollutes the meat, making it inedible and poisoning anyone with enough folly to actually eat it.

Huh, inspiration really does sprout from the most random sources. Perhaps rather than hulking beasts, I could incorporate some more lithe builds.

Should I go for something that's nimble as a rabbit? If I do then I'll probably have to maintain it constantly, especially with how much it'll use its joints.

Actually, that's an inane thought. Of course, if something were to be nimble then it'll require more maintenance, especially since they'll lack the durability of Brute and the like.

Or maybe I should be considering an aerial approach? Perhaps I'll be able to draw inspiration from the tales of old, swift beasts who struck without a sound.

If I were to do that an owl would most likely be the most optimal to harvest from, but the issue that now arises would be the difficulty in catching these animals.

It'll be but a small hurdle in the grand scheme of things, a small group of Visionaries should be able to do the trick.

Well, that'll be a matter to consider for another time.

The sun is setting fast, I'm going to have to set up a camp for the night. Bandit activity has been increasingly reported here lately.

Preferably, I'd like to find a nice clearing to stay in for the night. Pushing through the shrubs, the sticks push back to scratch at my face, and then I find myself in a decent-sized clearing that would do for the night

After retrieving some dry, brittle sticks from not too far away, I bundled them together in the middle of the clearing. I then proceed to stomp around the sticks and lay a couple of stones on top of the grass.

It could've been better, but it's satisfactory given my current circumstances. I flung my hand out towards the bundles of sticks and what other things I had assembled. Gathering the arcane elements they swelled in my palm upon my chant of "Shammock."

*Fwoosh

The crackling and glowing ember grew from within the depths of the sticks. Stretching and grasping to lick away and slowly devour what meal it had been provided, the fire slowly grew.

The shadows dance all around me, a light breeze causing the flame to shift ever-so-slightly.

Plopping down on the soft grass I listen to the soft breeze and the nocturnal animals that come out and sing their melodies. Looking towards the sky I see the stars gazing back and I wonder what the world would be like from the perspective of the celestials. Would it be the view of a doting parent upon their children, or would it be that of the disciplinarian?

Huh, perhaps a disciplinarian is perhaps not severe enough a description.

The silence of the night is a facade of the grim and malicious reality of the world. Humans like me aren't meant to be here in the first place.

Rolling over I settle myself in to try and catch but a moment of rest before trekking on further once more.