The Hunt Set In Motion

There is a large city on the coast. Large walls surround tall and small buildings alike with thousands of people moving through the busy streets attending to their daily lives as normal. Some are hard at work on large docks which service incoming ships while other try and sell commodities and food to passersby. Everything is quite normal in this city. But for every light there is a shadow and that is where we will be looking.

In many of the cramped alleyways there was a man in heavy robes with a hood covering his face. Many would say that this is suspicious but in this city many of those that were down on their luck or homeless donned this type of garb. It was much easier for those that were doing questionable business to slide under the nose of those in authority.

The man continued down the alley until he came to an old wood door that had a sign board above it. On the sign was two tankards with a big rat between them, he looked around one last time before opening the door and stepping inside.

Noise was the first thing to greet him, yells, laughter, and other sounds one might find in a bar. But it became quite for a moment when many of the bar occupants looked over to see who had entered, then it was back to the noisy atmosphere.

The man looked around till he found a table he was looking for and went to go sit down at it. Once there he greeted the others at the table.

"Hey, seems like you got us one of the better tables in the house this time." (Man1)

"Well, it did not come easy, we had to throw some others out of it first, you know how it is." (Man2)

As the guy pulled out a seat and sat down among the others there he looked around.

"They won't be giving us any trouble, will they?" (Man1)

"No, I made sure of it." (Man2)

"Good, I got some info on a possible target, it could really fill our pouches if we play it right." (Man1)

"Well, do tell. Hopefully, it is better than the last information ya dredged up because I am not spending another day in the castles prison, I'll tell ya that." (Man3)

"Hey that was not my fault. The guards were not supposed to be there when we were doing the job. Anyway, I just happened to hear about a possible monster wave, as well as an unknown creature that made a party of 4 flee without a fight." (Man1)

"That is something but what does that have to do with us?" (Man4)

"For one there is the cage fights at the docks they are always looking for new challengers and monsters, then there are always requests here for strange oddities from the expanse a few days travel from here, what better oddity than a newly found dangerous creature!" (Man1)

"So, what I am hearing is that you want us to go to the expanse, just the four of us, to track and hunt down a newly found monster which four people from that ow so precious adventures guild could not subdue and then somehow pawn it off to a noble or have it fight? You have really lost it this time." (Man2)

"Well let me explain further, it would not be just us. I have some friends that I can cash in a few favors with which can make our group go up to twelve for the duration of the hunt as well as getting something to house whatever this creature/monster is. Apparently, it's no bigger than a large wolf. If no noble will pay top price for it, we can always just throw it in the ring and have it win us everything back!" (Man1)

"That is only if we can capture it and transport it back here safely, there is also the problem of getting it into the city as well. No one in their right mind would allow a monster in the city legally." (Man2)

"Come on most of my plans work out in the end, although some of them can be a bit screwy and not end up the best for us. But I have never led any of you astray." (Man1)

"Ok, I am fine with this plan of yours, nothing is really going on at the moment and there are no jobs that pay well at the moment either. One last question before I am all in, what about that wave you first mentioned?" (Man3)

"Ah yes, there were reports of multiple rare leader variants of monsters in the closest expanse and that guild is going to send out investigation squads to find out if there is a wave coming or not. But before that happens, we will go in and get this unknown creature before anyone else does." (Man1)

"You say this so confidently like there is no issue of everything going wrong." (Man2)

"Just trust me on this one. We won't be short on money for a while that's for sure." (Man1)

The men at the table continued to discuss their seemingly brilliant plan all the while drinking and eating their fill. They were trying to keep what they were saying to themselves but could not help being a bit too loud when it came to their remarks, they had going between them.

A rumor has a lot of power and once it gets around it is hard to contain it. Soon enough in the days ahead, many groups not associated with any guild made their way toward the expanse weapons in hand wagons filled with supplies, cages, and chains ready to ketch something no one had seen before.

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Back at the edge of the dying forest . . .

Finally, out of there, man am I glad to see this much green again. I think I will look around a bit before heading straight back to my spot. Hey what is that . . .