Chapter 91: A Monster Among Us, Part Four

The moon was hidden behind the thunderclouds that night, and a loud crack of thunder later, rain fell. Roy felt the raindrops falling on his hand, and then he pulled his arm back. "It's raining." And then, as if on cue, the tents and carriages were buffeted by the rain. The raindrops sounded like loud drums, and the northern gale blew at the tents, threatening to uproot them at any moment.

Then things got worse.

"There's a situation." Roy went out into the rain, and Letho followed. Their shirts were drenched in an instant, but they didn't have time for that. One of the troupe members was screaming in the distance, but his voice was almost drowned out by the rain. The duo quickly went to him. "What happened?"

"A-a monster attacked us." The man was breathing heavily, his face pale, but he managed to hold Letho's hands. "You have to help us, Letho! You're the only one who can do it!" He was shivering uncontrollably, obviously shaken to his core.

"Where's everyone?"

"Eveline, Kantilla, and the other guys went after it. They were headed to the swamp. T-they told me to hold the fort."

Roy looked into the distance, but the rain and darkness was stopping even him. He could only see twenty feet ahead of him, so going after them in these conditions would prove unwise.

"Calm down." Letho calmed the troupe member with Axii. "The rain started not long ago. Did you manage to see the monster? What did it look like?"

"It was too dark, so I didn't see it clearly, but its eyes looked feral, like a cat's. Or a wolf's. And they gleamed."

"I see. Where'd Alan go, then?"

The man frowned. "I didn't see Alan, but I saw Art and Arri flying east."

"We'll be back soon, so stay here and don't go anywhere," Letho said.

"I'm counting on you guys."

***

The duo strode into the darkness, their boots squelching against the ground. Letho was carrying Gwyhyr, while Roy was holding his crossbow. Neither of them had a torch, for the moonlight was enough light for them to go on.

"Is he out of his mind?" Roy was frustrated. "Why'd he pull this stunt on a night like this? I thought he was supposed to be the troupe's guardian. What if his members got hurt?"

Letho replied calmly, "He must've realized we found him out earlier. This is just a trap."

"And we're walking right into it."

"He'll come for us if we don't. And he won't be friendly. We should take the bait and see what he's up to."

They went ahead, crouching and hiding in the rain. A short while later, they saw the flicker of a torch ahead, and they heard the voices of the members who'd gone after the monster.

Right when they were about to rendezvous with the troupe members, an owl appeared before them. It cooed for a moment before perching itself on Roy's shoulder. Its wings were wet from the rain, so it couldn't fly well. It raised its fat wings and pointed to the left.

"This is Alan's owl, Arri. Is she giving us directions?" Arri heard Roy's mumble and nodded at him with an uncanny show of human intelligence. Then she opened her wings and stood up to bow at them, much to Roy's surprise.

"Is she bowing to us? You're such a lady, Arri."

Arri covered her face with her wing sheepishly. "Whoa, she understands human language. Alan's more complicated than I thought." Roy eased up a bit, since Arri was trying to be friends with them.

They followed her directions for about ten minutes before arriving at a mini pine forest. The rain was blocked out by the dense foliage, and a boulder that stood at five feet sat at the end of the winding path. There, a towering figure sat.

Roy cast Observe on it from a long distance away, but it wasn't the same data he got a few days ago. So this is Observe's weakness. It can't see through a shapeshifter. No, a cursed one.

'Alan

Age: Thirty-three years old

Status: Sea Scorpion Troupe troupe master (He is the founder of Sea Scorpion Troupe. A proactive and charismatic man loved and respected by his troupe members).

Sparrow Whisperer (After an unexpected mutation, Alan possessed the ability to communicate with his pets: the falcon, Art, and the owl, Arri. Thanks to that, he rose to fame in the show industry).

You have uncovered his hidden identity thanks to the investigation.

Cursed one (He is afflicted by a terrible curse. Alan will become a werewolf on the night of the full moon and some specific nights. The slaughter begins. According to the legends, werewolves possess the evil and cruelty present in both humans and beasts, but Alan seems to be immune to that. While most werewolves are nothing but mindless killing machines, Alan's mind stays intact.)

HP: ?? (Requires higher Perception)

Strength: 13 (Wereform +5)

Dexterity: 15 (Wereform +5)

Constitution: ?? (Requires higher Perception)

Perception: 15 (Feral Instinct +5)

Will: 6

Charisma: 4 (Wereform -2)

Spirit: 5

Skills:

Wereform (Passive): Half man, half wolf. All killer. Werewolves are the kings of darkness. +5 to Strength and Dexterity, but -2 to Charisma because of its grotesque looks and body odor.

Feral Instinct (Passive): A primal instinct embedded in its genes. Grants werewolves incredible perception. Werewolves can detect murderous intent and its enemy's weaknesses. They can sense danger almost perfectly, giving them more time to dodge attacks.

Speedy Regeneration (Passive): Its cursed flesh has incredible regeneration speed and can heal minor injuries instantly. Can consume enemy flesh to heal medium injuries and recover some HP. +10 to Constitution.

Feral Howl Level 5: It can summon wolves or werewolves in its vicinity for help through a special howl.'

***

It's superior to me in close combat, but Letho's better. Roy gripped his crossbow tightly as he estimated the number of shots he could fire before Alan could come near. Two, maybe.

"So, are you Alan? Or are you a werewolf? Why did you call us here?"

The silhouette leaped down from the boulder. The moon shone on its fangs and exposed gum as it tried to grin, but all it managed was a sneer. The snout was getting in the way. "Good. Seems like you guys aren't idiots who kill monsters the first chance they get. Let's talk." Its voice was guttural and deep, and it wasn't attractive at all, especially not when it was inching closer to the duo, its body towering over them, its big claws shining coldly under the moonlight.

Arri cooed happily and flew toward Alan.