Almost a year had passed and with time comes change. When Winter''s Peak fell, the world did change, nothing would ever remain the same in the aftermath. The woman in his dreams was right, the world Tycon had come to know shifted in a way that he never expected. He had seen some things over the past year and yet he still found himself bewildered, confused and afraid. Though he did not show it for he was the one they called for.


    In the wake of the destruction of Winter''s Peak, the people of Sciolyn found themselves on the defensive with the sudden appearance of monsters. He no longer dealt with just common thugs or conspiring criminals, instead, he dealt with creatures that slaughtered villagers and ate their remains. That was his life now, one of a monster slayer and a reluctant savior. Trading heads for coin, one small town and village at a time in a desperate search for a single lead to another gem. Though it began to feel pointless, a waste of time. Every search led nowhere and if it weren''t for the appearance of monsters, he''d probably have given up entirely.


    <hr>


    Tycon sat at a bar on his lonesome, sipping away at some wine in an unclean class. The wooden interior felt as if it soundproofed the world outside, a small haven of tranquility with some semblance of safety. He was watching Ren, who was over by the corner, sitting in a booth and in intense conversation with a contractor. They appeared to be battling with words. Long stares, and short replies, Tycon guessed that he was trying to haggle the reward, unsurprisingly.


    They were set up temporarily in a midwestern town on the outskirts of a city called Halcyon, taking jobs and trying to keep a low profile. They always kept an ear out for word of something mysterious, admittedly he was desperate for any lead that could help him find another gem and because of that, nothing could be ignored. But they had to make coin to survive, so on occasion, they would diverge and take jobs on the side, such was their way of life.


    Ren had proven to be a valuable companion for him with his skills of swordsmanship and it became apparent that he had a way with words too. Not even the large scar that crossed his cheek took away from his charm. He admired that, the silver tongue he possessed with words like silk. He couldn''t recall the number of women he''d bring to his room on those nights when they were on the road. At the very least he was always able to get them a modest sum for their, frankly, ridiculously hard work.


    Tycon shifted his eyes back to the wineglass before him, watching himself shimmer in the reflection. He couldn''t help but feel a sense of Deja vu, he''d been here before. Looking into his own reflection within the crimson-colored liquid, a face he could barely recognize anymore, hardened and gaunt with blue eyes that felt more like ice than an ocean on a summer day. A lot had changed since Selenicar and it showed, not just with him but the world as a whole.


    He could hear the familiar rhythm of Ren''s footsteps on the old rotting wooden floor coming towards him. He took a quick look towards the sound to see Ren with a self-satisfied smirk on his face, making his way towards him with a beer mug in hand.


    "What''s the job?" Tycon asked as he watched Ren take a seat on a rickety stool beside him.


    "Typical monster, nothing special," He replied.


    "Okay, well, any idea what kind of monster?"


    "No idea. Folk around here have come to call it a headhunter."


    Tycon took a sip of wine, "I can only guess what caused such a namesake."


    Ren shrugged, "You probably guessed right. The thing eats the heads of its victims, leaves the rest to rot. Pretty grim stuff if I do say so myself," He paused to take a sip, "Old caravan was attacked a ways from here, not too far. My guess is we start there, see if we can learn anything."


    "Sounds like a plan. What''s the price for its head?"


    Ren raised his eyebrows and let out a grin, "Originally four-hundred," He stopped and pointed a thumb to his chest, "But this charming fellow managed to haggle it up to six-hundred."


    Tycon let out a half-hearted whistle of amazement, Ren didn''t seem to notice.


    "So, Tycon. When should we head out?" Ren asked.


    "We''ll gear up soon, let me finish my drink and we''ll get started."


    "Well, I''ve already finished mine," He declared, "So I''m going to check the horses, gear up and grab my book."


    Tycon had forgotten that Ren had started writing a Bestiary. He documented and studied each creature they came across, trying something new with each battle in an attempt to discover weaknesses and vulnerabilities. At the very least it kept him from asking Tycon about his home, so he couldn''t complain.


    "How''s it coming along?" Tycon asked.


    Ren''s eyes lit up at the chance to talk about his work, Tycon almost regretted asking, "Only four documented monsters so far. There''d probably be more, but we seem to keep running into the same ones."


    "This may well be your chance to document a fifth," Tycon said as he set his wineglass down and rose from his seat.


    Ren nodded, "And this is why I even stay in this profession. Knowledge is power."


    "So you always say, Ren."


    Ren shook his head and made his way out the exit, the resounding noise of the town coming in and out with each swing of the door as he left. The headhunter, a monster with that kind of nickname didn''t sound awfully pleasant in the slightest and assuming it wasn''t one they had run into before, they''d have to be extra cautious.


    He passed the burnt-out fireplace as he made his way toward the door, the faint scent of charcoal enveloped within his nostrils. A smell, nowhere near as pleasant as Ambres lavender perfume. That was something he longed for again, he often thought of her, worried for her even though he knew that he didn''t need to, she could take care of herself. He considered visiting her again but hesitated, somehow he knew that would just bring on more pain for the both of them.


    The sun hit him like a wave of fire as he stepped outside, the heat was almost unbearable, though it had nothing on the eastern desert. He shielded his eyes with his hand and glanced over at the horses that were strung up nearby. Ren was already flipping through the pages of his bestiary, a finger on his chin and eyes focused. The man didn''t even notice his approach and he began pulling his leather chest piece from the saddlebags.


    Tycon had always preferred being lightly armored, but the short attack back in Winter''s Peak had taught him to armor up a little more and so he did, a lesson learned. His black gambeson with the leather chest piece over the top was almost prime for good lightweight armor. His coat added to the thickness too and not long after being on the road for a while he had decided to get himself a shoulder-padded bandolier, that way he had more pockets and protection, though slightly restricting his movement.


    He patted his leather gauntleted hand over his horse''s mane, it tipped its head and let out a noise as he stroked it, flipping its tail. He smiled to himself and raked his fingers through the mane and gave her a pat on the neck.


    "You''re a fine steed, Nilab."


    "Whoa, shit, you scared the hell out of me," Ren shouted.


    "I''ve been here for a while," Tycon replied.


    Tycon looked out through the streets and toward the horizon. Dark clouds were brewing by the mountains in the distance, he could smell the familiar earthly scent that came before the rain.


    "Looks like a storm is coming," He said, pointing toward the distant mountains.


    Ren shifted his gaze from his book and toward where Tycon was pointing, "Shit, we better hurry before the storm washes away any tracks."


    "I was thinking the same thing."


    Untying their horses, the two men began to canter them through the streets and toward the town gate. People watched on as they passed them by, he didn''t even give them a glance, he could feel their stares upon him like a wet blanket. It was clear that Ren could feel it too as his frame tensed up.


    So much for keeping a low profile.


    "How far are we headed?" Tycon asked.


    "About five kilometers southbound," Ren replied above the clicks of the hooves.


    "Alright, let''s speed up."


    The two moved their horses to a gallop as they left the town in haste, dirt trails rising up behind them as they rode. A broken caravan was hard to miss, so he knew they wouldn''t have much trouble finding the thing. The uncertainty of what it could be didn''t bother him, nor worry him. Completing the job was the only thing on his mind, worrying about it would just cause unnecessary stress and that was the last thing he needed. He had adapted to this life and all that mattered at that moment was self-preservation.


    <hr>


    "Damn!" Tycon scrunched his face at the sickly smell of rotting corpses.


    There were six of them, three men, two women, and one child. All headless and lying in the crimson-stained dirt, feeding the earth below them as they rotted. The smell was sharp, like a mix of animal manure and rotting meat, it was a smell Tycon experienced a lot over the past year, but it didn''t make any more pleasant.


    The two were crouched down, studying the corpses and the surrounding area. The tears around their necks were jagged meaning the creature had to pull and wrestle with the heads instead of cleanly biting them off. That meant the creature they were searching for was most likely a little larger than a rabid dog. He would have concluded that it was just wolves, but wolves wouldn''t leave the rest of the bodies untouched unless something scared them off. Taking a look around, he saw they were completely out in the middle of nowhere, not a building, cabin, or camp nearby. Just the broken remains of a merchant caravan and the people who manned it, even the horse''s heads were gone.Help support creative writers by finding and reading their stories on the original site.


    The wolves ruled these woods, so it was definitely a monster that was their culprit. Question was, what kind of monster? If it were roughly the size of a wolf, he would have to guess that the creature was fast, he took a mental note of that possibility, preparing himself for the incoming fight.


    "Tycon, take a look at his."


    He walked over to were Ren was crouched, slowly circling a finger through the dirt. Before him was a footprint, it wasn''t anything Tycon was familiar with. Looking almost identical to the kind of prints a bird would leave behind, only larger. It was almost the size of two fully grown human hands, with three toes. The tracks that followed it were plentiful, meaning there was more than one creature or it ran on all fours. They led off-road and towards a forest that stood by the roadside, the trees looking watchful as they stood before them. The light didn''t carry far into the forest, only darkness consumed the towering trees that continued within the confines of the canopy.


    He considered baiting the creature out with a live animal, though they had nothing with them that they could use. He hadn''t considered that the creature would reside within a forest, he couldn''t help but feel stupid at the oversight.


    "Damn it, a forest." Ren sighed.


    Tycon brushed his long hair back with his hands, "I don''t like it either, but the brush is thick, the creature probably left behind a trail if it feeds here often."


    Ren shifted his gaze, peering further down the road, "Better get this done quick, the storm is almost here."


    He was right, the trees began to sway as the wind picked up. The last place he''d want to be during a storm is in a forest. It was already dark enough when the sun was out, the storm would only make things worse. He spun on his heel and made his way back to Nilab, grabbing his sword that was strapped to the saddle. He could hear Ren behind him doing the same.


    "Not taking your daggers this time, Tycon?" Ren asked as he fiddled with the straps.


    "No, would rather not get too close to this thing. Besides, your training has me pretty confident"


    "Can''t argue with that. Get some torches and we''ll post the horses by the trees."


    Ren didn''t have to tell him twice, having torches with them would be absolutely necessary. Once they had the horses posted, Tycon looked to the thick grass before wandering in and found pieces that were flattened by weight. Following them with Ren in tow, they entered the moist and thick brush of the forest. Tycon kept his eyes down, watching the dirt. There was a trail kicked up, the creature used the route often it seemed. He considered himself lucky. Now they at least wouldn''t get lost, all they had to do now was make it back out alive.


    As they went deeper and darkness engulfed the two, Tycon lit up a torch and held it forward. The light barely illuminated the surrounding area and he suddenly felt extremely claustrophobic. The leaves of the tall trees rustled like a large waterfall crashing into a river, constant and loud. It only got worse as the storm got closer and they were seemingly not much nearer to finding the creature''s lair.


    They walked for what seemed like forever as the wind began to grow more and more until Tycon saw something between the trees. A hill? No, there was a hole in it, a cave. A small one at that, nowhere near large enough for a grown man or elf to walk through and he wasn''t about to crawl in there. The worn trail led right to it, the roots and fallen leaves ripped apart just at the mouth of the cave and there were small drops of blood crusted over the loose dirt. Tycon knew this had to be its lair.


    Ren crouched down and held a torch to the mouth, peering in.


    "Doesn''t look like a cave from what I can see, more like a small tunnel." He said.


    "Damn, we can''t fight in a tunnel."


    Ren stood back up and let out a defeated sigh, "Any ideas?"


    Tycon stopped to think for a moment and his thoughts returned to the consideration of baiting the creature. If it were anything similar to a wolf, he guessed that they could smell blood pretty well and at the distance they were to its lair, it was almost a given that it would pick up the scent in no time.


    "I''ve got one I suppose," Tycon said slowly, removing his gauntlet.


    Ren raised an eyebrow, "And what''s that?"


    "Fresh blood."


    Ren slowly nodded as he came to the realization, "Oh, I see."


    Tycon made his way to the mouth of the small tunnel and drew his sword. Holding his hand out, he dragged the blade across his palm and balled it into a fist then opened it again, letting the blood drip onto the dirt below.


    "Ready your weapon," Tycon said, "No way of telling how long it''s gonna take to come out."


    Ren drew his sword and Tycon slipped his gauntlet back over his bloodied hand then held his blade before him in a two-handed grip.


    The moments between baiting and the monster''s emergence were excruciating, his heart thumped loud and he didn''t, for a moment, shift his gaze from the tunnel opening. The brush of the overhead leaves became almost silent as he pierced his gaze toward it, waiting and ready. Ren positioned himself on the left side of the tunnel, whereas Tycon was on the right, ready to ambush the thing as it emerged with a loud lust for blood. He''d almost let his thoughts take him when he heard it, a growl, low and deep like a rumble. Deeper than any dog or wolf and more sinister, lusting for blood not only to simply satiate hunger but for the sport of it too. He could feel it emitting from tunnel''s entrance, the dread, like the thing, carried gloom like a plague, ready to spread it.


    The crunch of the dirt within became louder and louder, Tycon expected it to slowly step out from inside but he was wrong. It shot out so sudden and fast, jumping way out of their range. The element of surprise was lost and the thing turned back to the two and he finally got a good look at it.


    It was hairless, looking like a featherless bird without wings but on all fours and long with a body like a canine. Its feet and beaked face were reminiscent of a bird, while the rest, that of a wolf. The thing growled, its beak moving like flesh with jagged teeth that sat within and a forked tongue slithered in between. The eyes were hollow, like a skull, only a void within them. Tycon had seen monsters before but this one was especially terrifying, even more so when a second one crawled out.


    The creature facing them pounced toward Tycon, its mouth gaping open, ready to take a bite of his neck. The other one went for Tycon too but a swift kick from Ren ensured that he was now its prime target. Tycon stepped aside, barely dodging its pounced attack, he felt drops of its saliva tap on his face, no, it was rain. The storm had finally made it to them.


    Shit.


    The thing was so fast that he barely had any recovery time before it came back for another attack. Tycon slashed at it but he missed, hitting it instead with his shoulder from the momentum of the swing. They were quick but small and he was confident they could make short work of them. They relied on surprise and both Ren and Tycon had the advantage of knowing they were coming. The merchants, however, weren''t so lucky.


    He took a glance at Ren to see he was constantly in motion, dodging and waiting for an opportune moment to strike. Tycon wasn''t quite as patient which would soon prove to be his biggest flaw. The creature ran at him and he swung his blade at it but just as he started the motion the creature leaped to the side, using its bird-like feet, it grasped to a nearby tree and as his blade swung through the air and the motion finished. It leaped from the tree, knocking him to the ground. Snarling and biting as he dropped his sword and grabbed its head, keeping it from biting down on his neck. He was in trouble, he could hear Ren call his name, his strength was beginning to wane and the creatures fleshy beak was getting closer and closer.


    He looked into its hollow eyes as they stared lifelessly back at him, its wild thrashing was the only thing that reminded him that it was alive, so when it suddenly stopped and he felt a warm wet liquid drop upon his face, he was confused. Then he saw it, pointing directly at him and protruding from its head. He never felt so glad to look upon steel, upon an arrowhead, but where did it come from? He could still hear Ren battling the other one until a whistling sound shot by him and then a thump as the arrow hit flesh - then silence.


    Wet, cold and tired, he lay there panting for a few moments, then he threw the headhunters corpse off of himself with a groan. He couldn''t hear Ren, his footsteps or his voice, just the sound of the howling wind and the rustling trees. Was he okay? Tycon turned his head to see him on his knees with his hands behind his head and two men behind him with their bows drawn. Ren looked to Tycon with a serious gaze, his black dripping hair swaying as he shook his head. He knew what it meant,don''t engage.


    Tycon tried to sit up but there was a woman before him, seemingly appearing out of nowhere, her brown hair was drenched and she wore armor made from an assortment of fur pelts. She said nothing and simply held him down and placed a dagger to his throat.


    "Don''t move," She hissed.


    "So these are the two who are stealing our work? How disappointing," A male voice said from behind the brown-haired woman.


    It wasn''t long before he came into view, his face was obscured by a fur hood and he wore the same similar outfit that the woman was wearing. She suddenly looked confused as she gazed down upon him and brushed his wet blonde hair aside, exposing his ears.


    "Wait," She said, "He''s an elf."


    Tycon couldn''t see the man''s expression from under the hood but he stood silent as if contemplating what to do.


    "An elf? What about the man over there?" He said pointing to Ren.


    "A human," One of the archers answered.


    The man was silent again, Tycon took a moment to look at the woman above him. She was beautiful, even adorable. Her hazel eyes were large and she had a small button nose with freckles that covered it. Her lips were perfectly red, they sat above her small, yet, angular chin. But what surprised him was when she brushed her hair to the side, revealing her pointy ears. An elf just like him.


    "Take them!" The man called, "We''ll sell the human to slavers, the elf goes to Alietah."


    The woman grabbed him by his leather chest piece and pulled him to his feet. She grabbed his sword and shoved him forward into two men who held binds that were calling his name.


    What the hell is going on?


    <hr>


    He was a prisoner of elves from the woods, that wasn''t something he''d ever expected outside of his home. The two were strung along, bound by rope and were crossing the deepest parts of the forest in the rain. For the first time in a long time, he longed for his boots to be dry. The water seeped more and more inside with every step, it felt disgusting. Ren wasn''t fairing much better, he was walking by his side lazily, exaggerating every sway his body made with each step. He almost looked like a child being made to go provisioning shopping with his mother, the thought was amusing.


    After a while, they arrived at a clearing, yet it was still dark. Confused, he gazed up above and saw bridges, homes, and shops built from wood. A whole entire town was built into the trees above, the architecture looked elegant, elven. The twigs that decorated the archways curved and spiraled in all sorts of graceful ways. Ren looked about as amazed as he did. Elves that loved amongst the wood, he never thought he''d see the day where he''d meet more of his kind within Sciolyn. Something sparked within him and for the first time in a long time, he felt like he was home.


    Shame I''m here as a prisoner.


    They climbed a spiraling staircase that wrapped around a monolithic tree and led to the town. Once above, Tycon and Ren were split apart. The freckled elven woman led him to the largest building of the town. It stood between four trees that were at each corner of the building, acting as its own frame and foundation for the most part. The dampened wood was still rock solid despite the humidity. It was clear that the elves had been here for some time. He was led through double doors that were carved into the shape of a leaf and was escorted to a large room that was reminiscent of an office. A lone blonde-haired elven woman sat, her back to him.


    "Alietah, we''ve found another elf in the forest," The freckled woman said.


    "Is that so?" She said in a commanding voice, "Leave us, Sylaina. I will speak to him."


    "As you wish," The freckled woman bowed and left the room.


    Alietah spun in her chair to face him and her blue eyes widened. He felt it too, the shock, the confusion and the awe. She rose from her seat and walked around the table and embraced him in a deep, deep embrace.


    "I''m so happy. I''m so, so happy to see you again," She said through tears.


    "I can''t believe it''s you!" Tycon said, breathless, "How did you survive? I''ve missed you so much, little sis."