The Wendigo Hour

POW Random mercenaries

Jake do you really think we will just happen to find more elves just walking around in this forest randomly?

Sigh Paul look here, where not just randomly walking around the forest. We are following that brat of a noble son, remember?

O! That's right! Something about him being a good luck charm right? And here I was wondering why you made me agree to help you babysit him.

That's right! If he can suddenly run into hot elven women walking into the forest, then we damn well better be with him! Then it's our turn to not share! Those greedy bastards!

Hey now that is our captain for you. You know he gets first dibs, until he gets bored.

Exactly! I'm done with barely alive used goods! Now it is our turn even if he punishes us later for it. I mean what's the worst he's going to do? Kick us out? Kill us? Please he needs all the help he can get right now, if he wants to finish this operation on time to please those higher ups.

Ya you're right! Hehe now we just have to hope our little hummingbird finds some sweet flowers, hehe.

while the pair were stuck in their daydreams the floor started to rumble. Woohoo!! Why is the ground shaking? Jake, what's going on? when did the sky suddenly get dark?

I don't know what is going on, but we better hurry up and find that brat Logan before something bad happens to him!

Boom!

Shit! we better hurry up Paul, I am getting a bad feeling about this!

Jake.. are you sure we should be heading towards whatever made that big explosion just now?

Paul we don't got a choice, it's in the direction the captain sent Logan into, besides he might need our help. Look I don't like that brat as much as the next guy but if he dies, it'll be our heads to go next!

It took the pair no more than 3 min to arrive at the goat pen only to find...UH??? there's nothing here! O! Thank the Lord!.. oh, I mean darn no Logan!

Paul just shut up!

And look here! There definitely was something here! I bet my beer money on the fact something was here not long ago in this giant hole.

You sure Jake? All I see are big smelly ass goats, as far as the eyes can see!

Will you ignore the goats for a second and focus on figuring out what happened!

Fine, fine it looks to me like whatever that explosion was, killed a bunch of livestock or something hard to tell now, it's just all blood and leftover bone fragments now.

Yes and by the looks of it something either survived or was the cause.

How can you tell Jake? it just looks like a bloody mess to me.

Well for one there's a blood trail leading out of the hole! So either it was injured or the thing carried off with its prey.

I see! you are wise as you are cunning Jake!

NO! Your just stupid! In any case I don't like where this is going.

Why?

Sigh! Well it looks like it goes off into the forest. I think that alone should answer your why. Anyway what do you think Paul? Should we follow after it?

Ya! It could be Logan, and if it's not, well hopefully it's an injured elf and not some monster. Otherwise we better make a run for it, if it looks like we can't handle it.

While the two goons were discussing their next move, they both fail to see a little teal color goat staring at them with an amused expression for the back of the herd.

Damn! How far did this thing go into the forest?

Calm down Paul! In fact going this far has given me a clue about what it could be.

O?? And what do you think it is?

Well it's definitely not Logan, we are headed further from the campsite, it's also not an elf because it's not heading towards the settlements or main town.

So by default it's either a scared and injured animal/livestock or the monster who was hunting them.

well if it's the monster shouldn't we turn back then?

NO! We still need to know if Logan is either dead or if it's something to warn the camp about. After all, a powerful monster living so close could become a problem, which shouldn't need explaining.

I get it but Jake

Ya

I need to take a piss!

Sigh fine, go over to that tree while I go further up ahead a little ways. Just scream if you see something ok.

Ya, ya

As Jake followed the trail of blood, he absentmindedly kept walking further and further away from Paul until he came upon a cave with two weird looking upside down trees. As he walked close to the cave entrance he noticed that the blood just stopped no more than 3 feet away from entering the cave. As he was debating whether or not he should enter the cave he heard a voice call out to him.

Hey Jake! I need your help!

Visibly confused Jake quickly connected the voice to that of Logan. while being ecstatic to know Logan is alive he, quickly called back out to him, " where are you" I hear your voice but I don't see you"

I'm here! I need your help!

OK Jake replied, just keep calling out and I will come to you! And followed the familiar voice Jake did all the way until he came upon an empty clearing, where a lone willow tree stood. Though he couldn't see the top of the tree, or any tree in the area, for it was covered in a thick misty fog.

Hey, are you behind the big tree? Jake asked. YA, answered Logan! With this reply Jake ran up to behind the tree to find no one there. Confused, he remembers what he just told Paul a few moments ago, the fact that it should be impossible for Logan to be here, or at least unlikely. As the Fear creeped into his mind, he heard the voice again say YA YA YA! Over and over again it just repeated that word and with each YA the voice slowly changed from Logan voices into a deeper, more snarling type of voice! Jake, now visibly shaking with a creeped out expression followed where the voice laid, which was up above in the big willow tree. What Jake saw was something he could never understand for this creature, never before excited in this world. With jaw wide open all he saw next was a big claw then the back side of his body as his head hit the floor!

As Paul was closing up shop, he heard a voice say " Hey Paul come here".