Pursued by Hatred by GrayOverload, on Flickr
After eating and staying with Reginald’s troop for a few days, Scott and Ryan set out once more heading south. Conveniently, Reginald and his fellows were southbound, heading for Minten. Although Minten was their destination, their motive for patrolling the outer ridge of the Black Hills was not explained, until Scott took the initiative to ask.
“Reginald, what exactly was your mission in exploring this forest? If you are from Minten, and heading back towards Minten, what was the purpose of exploring this region of the kingdom?” Scott posed the question very innocently, although he feared the answer behind the jolly commander’s voyage north.
“Well, you see, there have been some rumors of a terrible beast living in these forests, terrorizing the villagers up here. We received a messenger from Carlien who was injured and claimed to have been attacked by the fiend. As he explained, he narrowly escaped with his life. Asking around a bit, we were able to-“
“The beast is a demon from the dirtiest bowels of the Nortlen, sent to punish us!” Peter exclaimed, waving his flag excitedly as he said so.
“Peter, you’re so easily frightened! The carpenter in Carlien saw it, and he described it as a creature that should be long dead, with flesh hanging off its bones! And yet, it walks and hungers for the souls of the living!” Thomas stated.
“That’s not true! It’s neither of those things, but rather it’s a crazy man who wears furs and lives in the woods. He often eats of the forest’s mushrooms, which drove him delirious and cannibalistic!” said the fellow named Martin.
“You’re all being ridiculous! I’m willing to bet this is nothing more than a bunch of peasants being scared of the dark, and needing armed presence to calm them down.” Jerold replied matter-of-factly.
“HEY!” Reginald boomed once again, and the party halted on the road. “That’s enough of this gossip! You boys need to learn to control yourselves! As I was saying, we were sent to investigate and, if possible, locate and vanquish the beast. Thus far, we have seen nothing.”
At this moment, there was a rustling in the woods. While the forest had thinned a bit since their last camp, the trees still lined the path, and the underbrush was thick and dense. Holly bared her teeth and growled lowly. Reginald unsheathed his sword, and his fellow men at arms did the same. Scott nudged Ryan with his staff, who then quickly drew his own dagger.
Ryan had been lost in daydreams for the better part of the day, and the sudden action had left him confused. Gripping the blade with all his might, he warily peered into the woods. He noticed a large black form moving slowly at first, and then it flew towards the path.
“Wha-what!” was all Ryan could say before the beast leaped onto the path, knocking the standard clear from Peter’s hands. Holly barked once and lunged for the beast, but the bone white antlers of the black monster threw her aside.
A stag! Scott thought, but the beast was much more. Its fur is black as night, and it has a crazed look in it’s eye. This is no natural creature!
Reginald began commanding the group forward, but the few of them were too appalled to move forward, and instead stumbled back towards the destrier upon which Reginald rode. The creature before them was horrifying; with loose bits of flesh hanging from its belly. The maw was unlike any that they had seen, a skeletal fixture wrapped in tight black skin and hair.
The beast stood between Ryan and the rest of his company, and he stood his ground initially. The brute halted for a moment before lowering it’s antlers and charging the green clad explorer. Ryan spun and ran, hearing the faint calls of his friends behind him. Empty oaths to slay the creature came from the soldiers, and Scott sent encouraging cries of “Run!” into the air.
As his boots pulled him forward, Ryan couldn't help but grow angry. After all his time spent wandering, life was relatively uneventful. In a split second, this monster had harmed his pet, separated him from his friends, and threatened his life.
And it will regret those actions, Ryan thought, his hand gripping the dagger with a newfound rage.
There are many more photos on Brickshelf, including a more clear image of what I like to call the Shadow Stag. Will Ryan survive this encounter? We'll just have to see!
C&C welcome.
