The air around us was thick,
choking wet almost. Avin seemed not to notice, aside from shaking his feathers a few times, but I was definitely beginning to feel the chill setting in, sapping at the strength in my muscles. That was another reason why we had to press on as quickly as possible - Avin and his peculiar brand of undeath wouldn't make him return somewhere else, he would be able keep operating even when he should have died.

I however, was still concerned with mortal constraints like that, even if I had long since passed from. The normal state of the flow of life. I might be able to come back when I perished - but I still felt it, felt the pangs, that creeping, aching cold that was far worse than what was around us. That impossible chill would rob me of just a little bit of my inner Flame, sapping my Soul. I did not want that to happen - I hated the regression in my mind whenever I went even slightly Hollow. So finishing this before it got cold enough to actually injure or kill me was high on my list.

Then Avin spotted something. My eyes were trained on the ground, trying to follow the trail of blood, while he watched for other dangers. Or, apparently, signs that we were in the right track. When I swear the massive claw mark in the tree, I felt a thrill run through me. Even now,
even I who in my world had done his best to escape the damn able cycle of the Flame, even I craved more Souls. More Souls meant more power, and I needed my power back. I had been lax, careless, and their damn champion found me and cast me down.

And a beast that could leave such a mark with what looked like casual ease? Oh, it had to have plenty of Souls, it just had to. I could help the villagers, and myself, in the same act. I drew in a deep, deep breath, filling my lungs with the chilly air.

"Good eye, Goodman Avin." There was no shame in complimenting others on a job well done. Even those backstabbers had understood that. I followed the bird man, as he followed a thickening trail of clawed trees. I thought it was interesting as I looked at the trail. At first I hadn't noticed it, but closer, continued inspection showed something rather strange.

Each tree that we passed that had been struck with a claw - had only been struck the once, a single claw biting into the wood and tearing a gouge out. It might not be anything remarkable - if we weren't hunting down a Treant, a creature known for hiding amongst the trees. I paused in my steps a moment as the thought crystallized in my mind.

"Goodman Avin, a word of caution. There's something else in these woods with us - something hunting the treant as we are." As we walked through the trees, I strung my bow, muscles straining to bend the massive length of wood to my will. It was a powerful weapon, but one that required all of my strength right now to draw and shoot. I pulled out one of the massive arrows - a spiraled twist of iron that was closer in size to a javelin than an arrow - and nocked it to the string.

I don't know if Avin saw it before I did, if I saw it before he, or if we saw it at the same time. But I know, we both saw the beast. It was not the treant we were hunting - no, this was some kind of demented boar, an enormous creature easily the size of a large carriage. Strewn across its body were thick plates of bone - obvious defenses against those that would try to harm it. Jutting from its forehead was another bone plate, that ran down its nose, with a large, wickedly hooked spike of bone protruding from the center of its face. The horn was dripping with sap, and coated with wood - this, this was the beast that was hunting the treant, as we were.


And it had found its prey. Long, spindly, bark covered fingers were clasped against a wood coated trunk, as a demented face, coated in leaves and twigs, snarled in pain. Where the boar was massive, this thing was tall,
easily fifteen or twenty feet in height - perfect for hiding its face amongst the upper branches of trees. Its moss covered face was twisted in a rictus of anger, as sharp leaves swirled into the air around it - and shot towards the boar.