3 Blood in the air

Scarlet watch outpost 1:00 Am

It was early in the morning, two hunters stand guard at the entrance of their outpost, each wearing a crimson cloak and a mask hiding their face, each holding in their hands a spear, they where waiting for someone and they both wish to greet them, they have been standing in their post for hours now and yet they remain steadfast and vigilant as ever, at last a carriage arrived signaling the end of their vigil, it's doors opened and a man came out.

"Captain Virn... We were expecting you"

One of the hunters spoke

"Please let us lead you to your quarters" the second hunter gestures his hands to welcome him

Virn stayed silent

As they enter the outpost a line of hunters had form to formally greet Virn upon his arrival, they all stood upright showcasing their discipline and training, Virn however was least impressed

He slowly walked pass the hunters before him, glaring at each one he passes by scrutinizing them for anything he deemed a flaw "What a pathetic display" he thinks to himself, choosing to hold his tongue

One of the hunters catches his eyes however, she was young her blonde hair was tied In a pony tail, she was visibly trembling, Virn stopped and look at her directly, which only made her tremble even more, he could even see her struggling to avoid eye contact with him.

"This is Lyra Captain, she's a new recruit"

"I see... Very well then"

He continues to march inside until They make their way inside a dull room, it was bare with nothing but a simple wooden bed and cold stone,

"My apologies captain, we weren't expecting someone of.... High status to come here"

"It's fine... The hunter needs not but the most basic of amenities to do his duties" he replies with a monotone voice and a blank expression

"Indeed captain"

Virn looks at the hunter, he eyes both expressing irritation and weariness

"Uhm, W-We will go now captain.."

Both hunters exit the room with haste making sure to close the door behind him too.

Virn allowed his body to fall down on the bed, he wanted to let out groan, but he didn't have the energy to do even that, he stared at the dull and decrepit ceiling letting himself get lost in his own thoughts.

Alot had happened lately, so much information to process and Alisia's words still clung on to him like some malignant parasite blocking him from thinking straight, furthermore the young girl he saw was also at the back of his mind, her face, everything about her was familiar to him, he decided not to ponder on it any further and slowly closes his eyes and let's his consciousness drift into sleep.

In the carriage wreck site 5:40 Am

Raydon and Avery began their travel once the first rays of sunlight shone, Avery had a difficult time sleeping, or at least she tried to sleep, she could barely keep her eyes open and was almost stumbling like a drunkard, Raydon on the other hand didn't seem to be bothered and continue his stride unabated, he would sometimes glance at his back just In case Avery might have fallen asleep,

"Your gonna get left behind if your too slow"

He says

She glared daggers at him,

Raydon sighed, he looked at her trying to hide his impatience.

Avery held her back and grunted "I could barely sleep last night" she stretches a bit, trying to relieve some stress of her body

"Get used to it, otherwise you wouldn't survive the entire journey"

"Oh stop complaining, your not the one with a sore back" arguing with him was not in her Todo list of today so she tried to ignore whatever words he toss at her

A crunching and rustling of leaves suddenly emanated from the bushes nearby, followed by footsteps,

A man suddenly emerged from the dense bush, Avery was the first to notice and quickly took a few steps backward letting out a small gasp,

Raydon turned to see a bald rotund man with tattered cloths and scratches,

"What the fuck?..."

The strange man notices them and hastily tries to grab something, it took a few moments for him to pull out a knife from the unorganized mess that is his pocket

"Woah Hey!" Avery exclaimed as she instinctively hid behind Raydon

The robber was trembling his eyes where wide open and unblinking as if they where about to pop from his eye sockets, he waved his dagger at them both,

"YOU! ,Give me all your fucking money!"

Avery unconsciously had held on to Raydon in a moment of panic "I-its a bandit! Raydon we need to run!" she tries to pull him back but she couldn't move him, not even a little bit,

Raydon stared at the bandit unfazed,

He sighed " we do not have time for this..."

"Get the fuck out of the way"

Avery looked at Raydon with wide eyes as her face turned pale "w-what the fuck are you doing!?!"

The bandits eyes suddenly went bloodshot, he was bearing his teeth at them like a rabid animal " you are fucking dead!!" using all his might, he lobbed his entire body, lunging at Raydon with weapon in hand

Avery moved back and reactively tried to shield herself, and close her eyes bracing for the inevitable impact

The knife made contact with Raydon's chest and as soon as it did a strange noise was made and the weapon immediately shattered sending fragments flying across the air, Each shard reflecting the light of dawn giving them a bright orange shine

Both Avery and the bandit stood stunned, before the bandit could even begin to process the transpiring event a sound of metal striking flesh sent the bandit flying into the trees after receiving a back hand from Raydon

Avery was frozen silent, she too struggled to process what happened, she slowly looked down to see the broken fragments of the dagger,

"Annoying fucks" Raydon grunted

He turns to find Avery staring at the dirt where the dagger fragments have fallen

"Hey! What's wrong"

Avery jolted yanking her eyes from the destroyed dagger "n-nothing!"

"...keep moving"

Raydon continued to walk, the incident seemed more of a nuisance than threat to him

Avery just stood there, a sinking feeling fell on her, she wanted to think but she couldn't, she impulsively followed him

A few hours pass by

The sun was at its highest although they both won't be able to feel it's heat thanks to the trees casting shadows on the road

Both have not spoken a single word in a while, Raydon would occasionally glance at his back to see what Avery was doing and in those brief glimpses he could sometimes see her looking at him before she quickly turned her head around

She has become concerned of him and he knows exactly why but he does not dwell on it,

As they continue to walk Raydon immediately notices something, wooden walls and palisades, as he moves further more came into view, a watch tower and... People, he stops and without turning his head to face her he spoke

"You didn't mention there would be a settlment here"

She looks at Raydon confusion in her face and look at where Raydon was staring at, indeed there was a settlement in fornt of them

"I don't remember a settlement being here"

Raydon looks at her with suspicion and doubt

"...Are you sure you know where we are going?.."

"Of course!" She retorted, "it must've had been recently established"

Raydon was unconvinced

"Look... The last time i traveled these roads was a year ago... I'm sure this place only recently popped out"

"Very well" Raydon says

They continued until they entered the settlement,

It was small, only a few buildings,

Homes and stalls for merchants and unfinished infrastructure, but there where plenty of people around perusing or peddling wares and goods

"It's an outpost" Avery muttered

A woman holding a rifle approached them,

"Greetings travelers. Welcome to norkwood"

She was wearing a gambeson vest and a kettlehat,

"I don't remember a place called norkwood here..." Avery spoke

"Well this place has only been recently establish a few weeks ago, we are still constructing more infrastructure"

She turns to Raydon with a smug expression " told you".

"There is an inn if you wish to eat or take a rest" the guard spoke, pointing to the largest building in sight

She thanked her as they both entered the inn, Avery took a seat by the counter and bought a simple soup to warm her up, Raydon buys a simple bread, he doesn't have anything else in his pocket that could afford him a better meal so this will do, it was plain and almost tasteless but it was food nonetheless

Avery deliberated before taking a sip, she glance at Raydon nonchalantly eating his bread before turning to look at her soup, her face reflecting off the surface, the incident early in the morning had been stuck in her head, the dagger the bandit use didn't seem too rusty or damaged in anyway to just break, she pondered before coming to the conclusion that Raydon was simply wearing some strong piece of armor, but then again he sent the man flying with a simple back hand, she took another glimpse at him

"What are you?"

She thought to herself before ending her contemplation finally taking a sip at her meal to calm her unease.

After having their fill they both went outside, Avery wanted to buy supplies for the road before they head out, Raydon nods, as she goes to one of the market stalls, Raydon tried to lean back on one of the buildings to wait for her but overhears the gossiping of villagers, although he never indulges himself on hearing scandalous rumors, what he heard caught his attention,.

"What the hell do you think is going on out there" a man spoked in a hushed voice.

"I don't know... Quite scary isn't it? The way those poor men where killed.." the women replied .

"They think it must be an animal that did this, probably one of those giant greatwolves so the guards are combing the eastern forest where they where found," the man continued.

Raydon felt the compulsion to investigate further, he looked at Avery, she seemed to have busy herself perusing the merchandise in the merchant stalls

he won't be out for long

He slowly made his way out of the outpost and into the forest where the attack occured, soon he noticed a clearing and silently moved through the bush to perch himself in a position where he could not be spotted, there where armed men and women around the destroyed campsite, along with them are the corpses of the victims of the attacks laid out on the forest floor, covered with red stained sheets the most peculiar sight in the area however was the mass of yellow and red orbs, he didn't know what they where until he took a closer look.

They where severed heads, he quickly turn to look back at the corpses, one of the remains had it's sheet moved slightly by the wind, exposing a small but significant part of the body

They where decapitated, and it didn't seamed to be torn off rather, it was a cut cleanly.

It was not just that, he smelled something.

it was not the stench of death, it was something worse, something he was all too familiar with.

And whatever makes that foul stench knows he is here as well

Raydon quickly withdrew from his position and returned to the camp hastily.

Upon arrival he is greeted by an irate Avery

"Where have you been!" She shouted at him with an expression mixed of annoyance and confusion

Before he could even utter a single sentence she threw more words at him " I thought you where supposed to be gathering supplies not frolicking in the forest,"

He grabs both her shoulders, the sudden literal weight on her made her stiff from the shock, "Listen to me, you need to get inside!"

"W-wha-" she utters faintly before being ushered inside by Raydon into the inn,

"W-what is going on!, Your acting weird!"

"Stay where you are" Raydon pulls her close, "and whatever you do, do NOT go outside"

"Will you ever explain anything to me! You've always been so secretive and mysterious the entire time we traveled!!" She shouted at him

Raydon ignored her and looked at the window with intense focus

She was getting tired of raydon but she did not want to complain as she knows it would merely fall on deaf ears.

Eastern gateway of norkwood outpost 4:50 pm

Sun was slowly setting, the peddlers and buyers had left leaving behind a small number of people staying in the outpost.

Two guards stationed in the entrance sluggishly walking about, they didn't seem to be all that too happy

"Urgh just a few more extra hours and I can rest my sorry ass in bed," the elderly guard grunted.

"Boring ain't it?, Wish we could see some action around here," the young guard acompanying him spoke

"Becareful what you ask for boy, you barely look fit for a proper fight" The elderly guard chuckled

"Well you ain't looking so good yourself you old fossil" the young man retorted

"Either way we still gotta look out Incase those greatwolves that killed the campers might show up"

There was silence for a brief moment

Until a loud snap disrupted it

The old guard quickly stood up" What was that"

"Geeze oldman, it was just some branch snapping,"

The old guard payed no heed to his words and continued to scan his surroundings for any sign of unusual movement,

The young guard looked and laughed "scared of some stick? Your old age mustve finally gotten to you, just sit gramps, there is nothing to be worried abou-"

His voice was replaced by a loud squelching noise followed by his body dropping,

the old man quickly turned, his fellow guard was dead, decapitated, before he could even let out a scream of terror he hears another noise,

He slowly turned to see where it was,

And it was directly In front of him,

His body was wracked with tremors and his old wrinkled skin sweats like rain

He resisted the trembling on his hand and forced himself to level his gun straight at that... Thing,

And he pulls the trigger.

Inside the inn, 5:00 pm

Avery sat in one of the tables rolling an empty glass around in a vain attempt to prevent herself from falling into the void of boredom, there was no one else in the building, the innkeeper was no where in sight as well, she looked at Raydon, he was still staring outside, her earlier annoyance with him was replaced by a sense of dread,

Something made this man act in a way one would when confronted by imminent danger, she looked on until a loud bang rang outside

It was gunfire.

As soon as it was heard Raydon sprung into action.

"Hide" he yelled at her before quickly exiting the building,

Her head was full of conflicting thoughts, would she hide? Or would she not? Raydon clearly knew something she didn't, would she do as he says? or go out to see what problem he is facing?

Her pondering was cut short, a cry rang out outside the inn,

It was a guard, the same guard that greeted them, her cheery face is plastered with an expression of terror, she screamed in pain, her right arm was gone,

Avery quickly approach the exit to help the women until a sharp loud sound snapped in the air and blood splattered on the window, Avery almost fell from shock

She stopped and look at the bloodied window, she could see the female guard, on her knees and without a head

Her expression widened and her blood ran cold, she was petrified, she wanted to look away but she couldnt.

Then, it showed up.

She looked in a mix of fascination and sheer terror at the thing that had came into view.

It looked like a human only it was on all fours, each limb stretch out far like the legs of a spider tipped with a sharp claws at the end, and it's face, or what can be considered as one, was a mess of bone and white skin, it looked like as if the flesh around it's head stopped growing midway and the skull was exposed revealing two yellow eyes, it was a monster, pure and simple.

Avery looked on, mouth agape as the thing crawled it's way slowly, then it's face snapped and look at the inn, Avery quickly turned and hid from the windows to prevent herself from being spotted

the creature slowly made its way into the inn, it's claws almost touching the building until it suddenly pulled back it's Hand violently

Something attacked the creature although unsuccessful, Avery looked on once again and to her absolute horror

Raydon was outside, just across the monster staring it down.

Both him and the beast looked at each other with unblinking eyes

creature spoke In a deep guttural voice

"Ruin...knight..."