Chapter 13: An Encounter With A Beast In The Night
That night, the skies had grown dark, but a silvery-blue hue blanketed the land beneath the luminous moon. The shadows were softer, edged with moonlight, casting a surreal glow over the yard of Kaelor’s residence.
There, in the still of night, Kaelor stood beside Hound and the six Dreadclaw warriors. Each one bore a Mountain Saber strapped in a leather sheath at their waist. After a week of relentless training, though their weapon mastery was still rough, their strength had surged, their movements steadier, more dangerous.
The group crouched in a tight circle, eyes focused on Hound, who knelt in the center. With his clawed index finger, he drew crude shapes in the dirt, maps etched from memory and blood-earned experience.
"You asked about the Devil Forest, My Lord," Hound began, his voice low, almost reverent. His glowing eyes caught the moonlight, lending him an eerie, primal aura, one shared by all the Dreadclaws.
They could see in the dark. Not perfectly, but far better than any human could ever hope to.
"Redwood Town lies just north of the forest, at the outskirts. To go deeper, we move south. I’ve gone that way before," Hound said, his claw tracing a basin-shaped curve into the dirt. "That’s where we’ll be heading. A low valley, lush with tall grass and streams. Peaceful, almost beautiful, if not for the Direwolf army that has claimed it."
Kaelor’s gaze narrowed. An army. Of wolves.
Hound exhaled and continued. "Now, northwest of town..." he carved tiny peaks into the soil, "...you’ll find the Ivory Hills. Caves dot the slopes. They’re home to Blood Moon Bats. Nasty things. Wings like leather sheets, each one half the height of a man. One swarm can leave a dozen hunters as nothing but skin and bone in seconds."
Kaelor felt a chill. "And northeast?"
Hound’s claw hesitated, then sketched a thick grove of trees. "A red zone for me," he said flatly.
"Why?" Kaelor asked.