Chapter Text
I stood in the cold, misty forest, the wind whistling through the trees like a ghostly dirge. The scent of pine and decay hung heavily in the air,
the only sound breaking the silence was the crunch of snow beneath my boots. I closed my eyes for a moment, the memories of that night washing over. The smell of blood, the sight of the bones and flesh,
The monster didn't get the chance to eat off. It left as soon as it came from our kitchen window. At the rising of dawn,
i took a deep, shaky breath and opened my eyes, I let my gaze harden once more,
I had sworn against the thing that had shattered my world.
The trees around seemed to close in, the shadows moving strangely in the half-light. My skin prickled with a mix of determination and uncertainty. I
will not fail tonight. Stepping forward, footsteps were soundless as I moved through the forest. Every snapped twig or rustling leaf made my nerves tingle, but continued, my senses heightened. Soon enough, I heard a low growling sound in the distance. I tensed, my hand tightening on the dagger. This was it.
I felt my heart hammered against my ribs as I moved closer to the source of the noise. The trees thinned out and I caught a glimpse of something hidden in the shadows. Its form was indistinct, a blur between the trees, It was watching me. Waiting.
Taking a deep breath, my grip on the dagger unwavering. Tonight, the debt will be paid.
While adjusting the grip on the dagger and felt the reassuring weight of the flask of lighter fluid at my side. Knowing from the past where wendigos were particularly most vulnerable to fire then a silver weapon. And having this on hand meant I could end the hunt quickly once I had cornered the beast. Without having my gut slashed open in the process,
A twig snapping behind me made my heart lurch, the sound echoing through the eerily silent forest. I silently berated myself for letting my guard down. It must have sensed my presence while using its intelligence to try and get the upper hand. It doesn't need to eat humans to survive. I only know it's part of the curse when they aren't human anymore. they like to play with their food before eating, from getting a firsthand experience.
The creature growled again, stepping into the open. It was hunched and skeletal, its Onyx claws glistening in the faint light. The ribcage is enough visible that I could stick my hand through it. It's animal-like skull looks angry those antlers that come out like it would a dear.
The eyes that lost life probably decades ago.
It watched my movements with unblinking light eyes, to see what part of me it would try to attack first. a moment of suspense before the storm.
As I slowly stepped back, my eyes darted to the deep scar on its neck. The scar I gave it long ago, searching for any sign of the wendigo's tall statue hiding amongst the trees. a low, growl cut through the silence, sending a shiver down my spine.
As the patting of the snow grew louder and the shadows seemed to reach out towards me, I tightened my grip on the dagger. It was all just for show anyway. To make it seem like i don't know the actual way to kill it. I'm not sure how far its intelligence will go. But fear still clawed at my throat, but I pushed it down, my eyes narrow with determination. This was my chance, and I couldn't afford to let fear hold me back. Not ever again,
as it crept closer, its clawed hands twitching with anticipation.
With a sudden, almost supernatural speed, the wendigo lunged toward me, its claws extended and its eyes burning with an unnatural hunger. I barely had time to dodge to the side before the creature's sharp craw raked the air where I had been standing just a moment before.
The wendigo didn't give me time to fully recover from the first dodge before it launched itself at me again, its monstrous form a blur of motion as it came hurtling toward me. I stumbled back, barely managing to stay on my feet as the creature slammed into my body and sent me sprawling to the forest floor.
The wendigo's weight held me to the cool snow. The creature loomed over me, its glowing eyes fixed on her with a chilling hunger. I struggled to free myself, but the wendigo's weight and strength kept my body pinned, the sharp claws scraping against my skin
Despite my position, I managed to bring the silver dagger up, aiming a hard shot at the wendigo's side. The dagger plunged into the creature's flesh, eliciting a sharp, animalistic howl. The wendigo jerked back, freeing me from its grip.
The creature reeled back, its howl now a mixture of pain and fury, giving me the opening I needed. While scrambling for the lighter and gasoline, my fingers trembling as I uncapped the fuel and fumbled with the lighter's striker
The lighter refused to light, the wind from north and the wendigo's struggling cause a panic of the situation making it difficult for me to get a spark. I cursed under my breath as the creature shook off the pain, its focus slowly returning to me.
The lighter finally sparked to life, the small flame dancing in her hand. Without hesitation, i splashed the potent fuel over the wounded wendigo, the liquid igniting upon contact and enveloping the creature in a blaze of fire.
The wendigo's shrill howl echoed through the forest as the flames spread over its body, lighting up the darkness. It flairs wildly, trying to bat away the fire, its movements becoming more erratic and desperate as it stumbles through the trees like a nightmarish beacon of fire.
The fire spread hungrily over the wendigo's body, the dry air of the forest feeding the flames, the crackle and pop of burning flesh drowning out the creature's guttural howls.
Finally, with a last, moaning sound, the wendigo crashed to the forest floor, the flames consuming the last of its life force. The forest fell silent once more, the only sound the soft crackle of the burning body and my ragged breathing as I stood over the defeated creature.
My body trembled as the adrenaline faded, I took a deep, shaky breath, the smell of burning flesh still lingering in her nostrils as I slowly knelt down and carefully retrieved my dagger with a thick cloth from the smoldering remains of the wendigo.
I stood slowly, my body heavy with exhaustion. The dagger felt strangely heavy in my hand as I stared at the smoldering remains of the wendigo. I had done it,
Though and the relief of that knowledge mingled with the exhaustion of the fight, making my limbs feel like lead.
I leaned against a tree trunk, my breathing ragged, as I tried to center myself. The adrenaline had faded, leaving me shaky and exhausted, but I knew I couldn't linger too long in this spot. I needed to move, to get away from the area before something else came looking for the source of the fire.
I scanned the trees, my senses on high alert for any sign of movement or danger. The fire had started to die down but still glowed in the darkness, creating strange,
flickering shadows amongst the trees. Satisfied that nothing was lurking nearby, I finally turned and began to make my way deeper into the forest, away from the smoking remains of the wendigo.
The satisfaction of killing the creature was evident. But now i needed to rest to find more monsters later that had caused the same pain to others. But it was strange.
Wendigos usually lived deep in the winters of the magnificent north. But this one was close to the city. Was it to get closer to the people and take them to feast on later? It won't matter, I took care of it, it won't harm anyone any more.
———-𖣂———-
As I make my way through the forest, the sky above slowly begins to lighten as the night gives way to the first light of dawn. The trees start to look familiar, and the scent of sea breeze and salt is carried on the wind as I drew nearer to the port.
Finally, I emerged from the trees into a small coastal village, the cobbled streets just beginning to come to life with early morning activity. The sound of gulls and the creak of masts fills the air, mingling with the sounds of merchants calling out their wares and fishermen discussing the catch of the day.
I kept my head low when walking through the busy port, the sight of unfamiliar faces and the smell of the sea filling her senses.
Knowing better than to draw too much attention to myself, eyes skimming over the various stalls and signs advertising goods for sale.
As I walked through the port, my gaze fell on a pair of girls, one with rose-gold hair and the other with brown hair. I couldn't help but pause for a moment, taking in the rose gold hair girl's beauty. I swear when she walked by the shops. The whole area just became brightened with her heavenly features and smile almost out of this world,
They were chatting animatedly, their voices a soft hum of laughter and conversation that carried on the sea breeze.
As I observed them, I noticed that the brown-haired girl was holding what appeared to be a cookbook, but upon closer inspection, the cover of the book. I read the same book. from someone who I thought was a friend that was actually a sorcerer. A witch.
As I watched the two young women, a memory tugged at the back of my mind. I had come across a coven of witches before, their spell books carefully disguised to look like ordinary items. This cookbook-spell book was a similar ploy, and it sparked a sense of curiosity and caution in my mind. But it's not really my business.. and I'm too tired to stalk around someone I have a hunch about.
No, I'm tired physically and mentally. And I'm hungry, I'm probably just being delusional. But before I made a proper decision, they were gone. I looked back to see them but they disappeared amongst the crowd,
I shouldn't follow them. Someone would catch the girl sooner or later, while continuing to walk around.
As I realized that the girls were out of my sight, shaking my head, berating myself for missing the opportunity to investigate. But I needed rest, so I decided to head back to the inn.
The walk was a little longer now, and as I thought about it more, my mind was filled with thoughts of the strange sight that had caught my attention and the spellbook-disguised-as-cookbook that the girl had been holding.
Making my way over to the inn, my muscles started to protest the long hike from the forest. The building was modest, but clean, the sign above the door advertising a reasonable rate for a night's stay, with the added bonus of a warm meal and a soft bed. I didn't need much, just a place to rest and perhaps a hot bath to soothe the ache in my muscles.
The inn's interior was cozy and homely, with lowlights casting a warm glow over the polished wooden floors and comfortable furniture. The air was filled with the soft hum of conversation from other guests, mingling with the rich aromas drifting from the inn's kitchen. The innkeeper, a small old lady with a perpetually cheerful smile, greeted her with a friendly nod.
I politely gave her a small smile in return. I already had asked the woman that I would be staying for a month a few days ago. When she asked why. I just told the elder I had family up here. People believe in the magic of the magnificent north. But not the monsters that were said to be legends or myths.
I dragged my feet to my room and collapsed on the bed, exhaustion finally catching up to me. As I lay there, my eyes closed and her breathing slowed, my mind cleared. As I fell into a deep slumber that afternoon. Also the sleep I hadn't had in months.