still, so motionless. They could have been mistaken for stone. Rigel didn’t envy them for it — he just couldn’t stand still anymore.
‘You can’t take your eyes off the shadows if we do,’ Finn replied, indicating the woods across the way.
Rigel was puzzled but he agreed and Finn indicated for the two men to leave them at the post. He kept his eyes on the shadows beyond the open field in the tree line, noticing the slight breeze rustle the tall grass and the leaves clinging to the branches.
‘Was that wise Finn? You obviously feel you needed to tighten security.’
‘You’re worth five men Rigel, if it tries to come through the gate, let’s just hope that we can stop it.’
‘Stop it? I thought there was something you weren’t telling me, something that would make you want to call me. So what is it?’
‘The archaeologists were working late into the night, determined that they were close to the discovery, kind of obsessed like. We were brought on just to keep others away from the site, an easy job really, but it turned messy a couple of days after they discovered the chamber.’
‘The first night it happened the diggers were coming back sporadically, whenever they tired out to be honest. We weren’t really keeping an eye on them, their whereabouts or their comings and goings. We assumed they had all come back, but we were wrong.’
Rigel nodded, encouraging him to continue.
‘It was close to midnight when someone reported the two boys missing. Then the howling started. It was deep and guttural, like nothing I’ve ever heard before.’
‘Really, Finn?’
‘I’ve been out in the wilderness for longer than you’ve been alive Rigel. I know the howls of the deadliest creatures out here and I swear this was like nothing I’ve ever heard before.’
‘What did it do?’
‘I went out the next morning, I sent out two others that I trust completely, and shut down the camp and the site and let no one out. I found what was left of their bodies. They were torn to shreds, their flesh was flayed, their insides were eaten. Buried them myself, didn’t let anyone else see the bodies, it was just fucked.’
‘So you sent the letter that day?’
‘You better believe it. I doubled the guard, spent the afternoon reinforcing the barricade around the camp and kept the diggers inside for the next couple of days. During the day there was no sign of it, but at night … that’s when we could hear it. The howling. And when we looked into the shadows almost all of us swore we could see it move, but still have no idea what it really was.’
‘So you needed me or Carina?’
‘I figured with your abilities you could handle it on your own. Maybe I’d throw in my lot with you and we could take it. But with the blonde here, it will help,’ he said with a smile.
Both men hadn’t shifted their gaze from the shadows beyond the open gate.
‘How game has it been?’
‘It tore into a man stationed here at the gate and dragged him off into the woods. His partner swears blind the creature was made of nothing but shadow and teeth and claws.’
‘What about guarding the site? The diggers must be losing their shit if none of your mercenaries are over there.’
‘With that thing out there, it’s doing that part of the job for us. I’m focused on keeping the people alive.’
‘So when are we going to take it out?’
‘I’m thinking the sooner, the better. I’m sick of having this post every fucking night.’
‘Carina and I will scout around the area in the morning, see if we can find anything. But if you are right and it only comes out at night, then I guess I’ll go hunting when the sun goes down.’
‘You’ll want to go get some sleep boy, you’ll need your rest before taking on the beast.’
‘Finn, I’m an acolyte, I can go without sleep for weeks without any ill effects. You sleep, come replace me at dawn, and if it comes at me before then I’ll have saved us the trouble of having to look
‘You can’t take your eyes off the shadows if we do,’ Finn replied, indicating the woods across the way.
Rigel was puzzled but he agreed and Finn indicated for the two men to leave them at the post. He kept his eyes on the shadows beyond the open field in the tree line, noticing the slight breeze rustle the tall grass and the leaves clinging to the branches.
‘Was that wise Finn? You obviously feel you needed to tighten security.’
‘You’re worth five men Rigel, if it tries to come through the gate, let’s just hope that we can stop it.’
‘Stop it? I thought there was something you weren’t telling me, something that would make you want to call me. So what is it?’
‘The archaeologists were working late into the night, determined that they were close to the discovery, kind of obsessed like. We were brought on just to keep others away from the site, an easy job really, but it turned messy a couple of days after they discovered the chamber.’
‘The first night it happened the diggers were coming back sporadically, whenever they tired out to be honest. We weren’t really keeping an eye on them, their whereabouts or their comings and goings. We assumed they had all come back, but we were wrong.’
Rigel nodded, encouraging him to continue.
‘It was close to midnight when someone reported the two boys missing. Then the howling started. It was deep and guttural, like nothing I’ve ever heard before.’
‘Really, Finn?’
‘I’ve been out in the wilderness for longer than you’ve been alive Rigel. I know the howls of the deadliest creatures out here and I swear this was like nothing I’ve ever heard before.’
‘What did it do?’
‘I went out the next morning, I sent out two others that I trust completely, and shut down the camp and the site and let no one out. I found what was left of their bodies. They were torn to shreds, their flesh was flayed, their insides were eaten. Buried them myself, didn’t let anyone else see the bodies, it was just fucked.’
‘So you sent the letter that day?’
‘You better believe it. I doubled the guard, spent the afternoon reinforcing the barricade around the camp and kept the diggers inside for the next couple of days. During the day there was no sign of it, but at night … that’s when we could hear it. The howling. And when we looked into the shadows almost all of us swore we could see it move, but still have no idea what it really was.’
‘So you needed me or Carina?’
‘I figured with your abilities you could handle it on your own. Maybe I’d throw in my lot with you and we could take it. But with the blonde here, it will help,’ he said with a smile.
Both men hadn’t shifted their gaze from the shadows beyond the open gate.
‘How game has it been?’
‘It tore into a man stationed here at the gate and dragged him off into the woods. His partner swears blind the creature was made of nothing but shadow and teeth and claws.’
‘What about guarding the site? The diggers must be losing their shit if none of your mercenaries are over there.’
‘With that thing out there, it’s doing that part of the job for us. I’m focused on keeping the people alive.’
‘So when are we going to take it out?’
‘I’m thinking the sooner, the better. I’m sick of having this post every fucking night.’
‘Carina and I will scout around the area in the morning, see if we can find anything. But if you are right and it only comes out at night, then I guess I’ll go hunting when the sun goes down.’
‘You’ll want to go get some sleep boy, you’ll need your rest before taking on the beast.’
‘Finn, I’m an acolyte, I can go without sleep for weeks without any ill effects. You sleep, come replace me at dawn, and if it comes at me before then I’ll have saved us the trouble of having to look
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