Chapter 5: Newcomers

Back at the destroyed Red Skull village's site. Ash drifted in the wind like ghostly snow.

The village of the Skull Tribe was now a scorched memory. Charred remains of huts stood like skeletal fingers against the morning sky. Bodies, some burned, others torn apart, lay sprawled across the dirt paths, their lifeless eyes staring at the heavens.

Feet crunched on the blackened soil.

A small group had arrived, cloaked in deep grey and navy leathers, their faces hidden behind bone masks. They moved with precision and silence, scanning every detail of the ruined settlement.

"Thirteen adults here," one of them said, kneeling beside a twisted corpse. "Spines shattered, throats ripped. Some burned to cinders."

"Over there too," another pointed with the shaft of his spear toward a collapsed hut, smoke still curling from its ruins. "Same pattern. Brutality… but methodical."

The man who seemed to be in charge stood apart from the others. He wore no mask, just a mantle of dark fur and a single ivory fang hanging from his neck. His hair was tightly braided, and a scar ran from his left temple to his cheek. He did not speak. He merely watched.

"Commander Ayak," one of his men called out. "Over here. You should see this."

Ayak turned and strode across the smoldering ground. The call had come from near the far end of the village where a cluster of partially burned huts formed a half-circle. As he approached, he saw them: a woman, and two children, huddled together beneath a collapsed wooden frame. Their clothes were singed, faces streaked with soot, eyes wild with terror.

One of his scouts had already crouched near them with hands raised. "We mean you no harm," he said gently. "You're safe now."

The woman flinched, clutching her children tighter. Her lips moved, barely audible.

Ayak stepped closer. "Can you speak? Are you hurt?"

Her eyes darted to him, and her mouth trembled. "M-monster," she whispered.

Ayak lowered himself to one knee. "We're not your enemies. We came after the flames. Please, tell us what happened."

"Monster," she said again, louder this time. "A monster in the skin of a man."

Ayak glanced at his men. The youngest of them frowned and took a step back.

He reached into the pouch at his side and retrieved a long wand carved from aged white bone. Symbols spiraled down its length, ancient, tribal, forbidden by many. Ayak held it upright, and in a low voice, spoke three words in a tongue that predated the clans.

"Kel'raen oshtar luma."

The wind seemed to pause.

Ayak's eyes went white, pupil and iris fading into milky void. He inhaled sharply, shoulders locking, body still. Images rushed into his mind, sounds, screams, memories not his own. Blood. Fire. The agonized cries of dying warriors. And a presence... overwhelming, suffocating. A predator with the wrath of a god. Then it stopped. Ayak staggered, clutching his head as the wand slipped from his hand and struck the ground.

His men caught him. "Commander! Are you—"

He waved them off, breath shallow.

"I saw it," he said hoarsely. "It wasn't a battle. It was a massacre. An eruption of death like the gods themselves were raining punishment on mortals. "

They waited as he steadied himself.

"That woman… she saw the monster. And she survived only because it let her live."

He looked toward the eastern horizon, where the trail of disturbed earth and dried blood stretched out of the village.

"It's still out there," he said quietly. His voice was grave, his face pale. "And it won't stop."

He turned back to his soldiers.

"This creature, whatever it is, cannot be allowed to live."

The party of 8 walked away from the village after giving the woman and her children food. They walked towards a dense forest in the distance bordering a cave not far from them.

They walked into the dark cave and cleared out a circle where they were going to prepare their weapons in case they were to encounter the monster. Besides that one of the men wanted to relieve himself. 

The men gathered firewood around the campsite and piled them in neatly in a pyramid. Ayak came forward and casted a spell and a fireball ignited in his hands and he threw it on the firewood.

Once the fire started they sat around it and took out their weapons to begin preparations. 

"The creature seems to have drank them dry" said the youngest from them

" truly an abomination and a blite to nature" said Ayak 

"We don't know it's weakness so I suggest poisoned weapons" said another man raising his eyebrows.

The men around the fire all nodded together and took out red and blue herbs and started grinding them. 

"Jin, has that injury in your foot healed yet?" Asked An older man.

"Yes, I can stand up fine so I should be fine" answered Jin

The man nodded and returned to smearing the poison on his weapon.

"So should we die, what will become of our children?" Said one of the men.

"Don't think about such now Allen" snapped Jin

"I mean it's possible. Our line of work leaves us at risk of dying from these supernatural creatures" said Allen

"Remember that wolf that almost bit you b**t Kazan?" Asked Jin amused. 

Kazan rolled his eyes and continued with his task. The other laughed at his actions and jin shook Kazan who was next to him.

Ayak stood up and looked at the men solemnly. 

"We will need a blessing if we are to win this" he said

"From my vision, the monster is very strong" he added.

After his words the men stood up with serious expressions and walked towards him. With a few chants Ayak's hands glowed yellow, and he placed his hands on jin first then onto Kazan and then the others. When he was done the others tested their strength Jin particularly punched the air. 

He laughed in amusement when his fists made a sound while moving through the air. 

"Next we need to discuss strategy" said Jin seriously