The Hunter’s Pact

The air in Eldermere was thick with uncertainty. The village square, once a place of casual conversation and daily life, now buzzed with anxious voices. The attack had rattled them all, and the wolves' unnatural behavior had driven fear deep into their bones.

But Aric knew that waiting would not save them. They needed answers. And the only way to get them was to return to the crater.

Standing atop an overturned wooden crate, he looked over the gathered villagers. Some had come out of curiosity, others out of concern. A few, like Roderic, had come only to oppose him.

Aric exhaled and steadied his voice. "We all saw what happened last night. The wolves are getting smarter, getting stronger—and the crater is at the center of it."

A murmur rippled through the crowd. Elder Mara, standing near the well, remained silent, watching with sharp eyes.

Aric continued. "If we want to protect this village, we need to know what we're dealing with. I'm putting together a scouting party to investigate. Any hunter willing to come with me, step forward."

Silence.

Then—

"You're out of your mind," Roderic scoffed, arms crossed. His voice carried over the crowd, filled with disdain. "You want us to march straight to the place where those damn things live?"

A few villagers muttered in agreement.

"Not just wolves," one man added darkly. "Something worse is out there. I can feel it."

Aric clenched his jaw. "And that's why we need to go. We can't afford to sit here and hope it just… stops."

Roderic let out a humorless chuckle. "Easy for you to say, outsider. It's not your family at risk."

Aric opened his mouth to retort, but before he could, Lira stepped forward, her voice sharp. "He's risking his life for this village, more than I can say for you."

Roderic's face darkened. "I don't need a lesson from you, Lira."

She smirked. "Then prove me wrong. Come with us."

A flicker of hesitation crossed Roderic's face, but it vanished as quickly as it came. He turned to the crowd. "We lost two good men last night. How many more will we lose if we keep following his madness?"

That hit harder than Aric expected.

The silence was deafening.

Then, a voice broke through.

"I'll go."

Aric turned toward the voice.

Garrick, the head hunter, stepped forward, his usual wary expression replaced with grim determination. "I don't trust you, boy," he admitted. "But I trust my own eyes. And something unnatural is out there."

Aric nodded. That was enough.

Another hunter joined, then two more. Five in total—not much, but better than nothing.

Roderic scoffed and turned away. "Fools."

As the small expedition gathered supplies, Kael approached Aric. His ever-present smirk was absent, replaced with something unreadable.

"You're persistent," he said.

Aric glanced at him. "You disagree?"

Kael chuckled. "No. But you should know—the things that live in the dark don't like being disturbed."

Aric frowned. "You know more about this than you're letting on."

Kael's gaze flickered to the treeline. "I know stories. Old ones. Stories of places that were never meant to be found." He paused, then met Aric's eyes. "Watch yourself."

Then he was gone, melting into the crowd as if he'd never been there at all.

----

As Aric finished packing, Elder Mara found him. The old woman's sharp eyes held none of their usual warmth.

"You're determined to do this?" she asked.

Aric met her gaze. "I am."

Mara exhaled slowly. "I have seen many things, Aric. I've seen fear masquerading as bravery. I've seen men march into darkness, thinking themselves invincible." Her voice softened slightly. "And I've seen them never return."

Aric didn't look away. "That won't be me."

She studied him for a long moment before sighing. "I don't believe in chance. You came to us for a reason. Just make sure you live long enough to find out what it is."

----

The woods swallowed them whole.

The deeper they went, the quieter the world became. Birds fell silent. The wind refused to stir the trees. It was as if the forest itself was holding its breath.

Lira walked beside Aric, her bow drawn. "This doesn't feel right," she murmured.

"It's never felt right," Garrick muttered behind them. "Not for years."

Hours passed. Then—

A foul stench filled the air.

The group halted. Garrick knelt, touching the damp earth. Blood.

Not just any blood. Something old, rotten.

Then they saw it.

A deer lay sprawled against the roots of a twisted tree, its body mutilated beyond recognition. Bones jutted from torn flesh. But what made Aric's skin crawl was the carving on its forehead—the same symbols they had seen near the crater.

A hunter cursed under his breath. "This ain't wolves."

Lira swallowed. "We should—"

A scream.

It was cut short, choked into silence.

They spun around.

One of the hunters—gone.

Aric's heart pounded. "Fan out! Stay together!"

The shadows shifted.

Then came the glow.

Two golden eyes blinked from the undergrowth. Then another. Then five. Ten.

The wolves were here.

Aric raised his weapon as low, guttural growls filled the silence.

They had made a mistake.

The wolves had been waiting for them.

And now, they were trapped.