The trail was pretty easy to follow, these guys were not stealthy at all. The couple of times where we did lose their trail Freki, even though he was a golem, somehow had the ability to sniff out the trail. They had a big head start but going by the mess they were leaving around, finding dead birds and small animals with arrows in them and just left to die as gruesome as it was, the bodies left started to get warmer so we knew that we were gaining ground.

Me and Aura both had dark vision but Missy did not and with the skies being too cloudy to rely on the moons, we decided to keep going until it got too dark for Missy. When night fully set in we decided to make camp on a small hill, not making any fire just in case the guys we were pursuing could see. Which apparently was a good call cause only ten minutes after we made camp by building a few makeshift beds with some branches and leaves to stay off the damp ground, we saw what looked like a campfire light up a few miles away on another hill.

“So this is what I suggest we do, you two girls get some sleep for a few hours. Me, Freki, and the Wolves will keep watch. I'll wake you up in a few hours and then we can sneak up to them and attack them an hour or two before dawn. It's when they would be the most tired.” Missy and Aura begrudgingly went to sleep.

Once I was sure that they were asleep I moved off to the side a bit and called Freki over. “I know you can understand me, I want you to watch over the girls, I promised Sissy I would take care of this and I don't want the girls to see this.” At that, I could see Freki bow his head once then trot over to the girls and stand watch.

Taking the skeletons I started moving to where I saw the campfire. Once we were a bit more out of earshot Alpha moved up next to me. “I know why you did it, but you know you can’t protect them from this right? They will have to get used to fighting and combat.”

“I can't protect them from fighting and combat no. But this won't be that this will be a slaughter, no quarter given. I know that you are under my command but I’m going to give you all a choice as well. You can go back to watch over the girls if you want.” I told replied to Alpha.

“We are with you all the way, wolves hunt together. Besides you would be useless without us.” And I heard a slight chuckle from the rest of them.

Thinking to myself I definitely needed some more male company in the group as all these women would be the death of me. We started moving again. Before long we could hear singing and cheering from the campfire. Once we got in close I could see that there were four of them. Two seemed to be asleep and judging by how drunk the other two were they were probably passed out as nobody could get regular sleep with all the commotion going on. I knew that these must be our guys, as they seemed to be drinking from wineskins singing very badly and they had some ferrets in a small pit with their tails lit on fire.

Pulling back a bit a came up with a quick plan. “Alpha and Beta you two subdue the guys that are asleep or passed out. Me Gamma and Delta will take on the two that are torturing the ferrets. If you can try and put out the flames as soon as the two go down. Don’t think they will put up much of a fight. Gamma and Delta, take the spears from the other two. We will start with you throwing the spears at them to start the encounter, after which we all rush in.”

Alpha and Beta then moved over to the other side of the encampment. In that strange moment of clarity people get before going into battle I facepalmed, only just now figuring out that the names also had meaning in wolf and werewolf society. Once we were all in position, the group around the fire being oblivious, I gave the order to attack. Gamma and Delta had both picked the same guy to throw the spears at. As they were not really meant for throwing only one hit with a glancing blow. At that, we all silently charged.

The guy that was hit with the spear pulled out his sword and went at the skeletons. The other one being drunk was still a bit taken off guard when I rushed into him swinging my sword at his neck, but some instinct kicked in and he was able to just dodge out of the way. Quickly grabbing his sword he yelled at me “Who the fuck are you guys, nobody comes out this far.”

Having a quick look around and seeing in that small space of time Alpha and Beta had subdued the two sleeping ones, and were now moving swords drawn to help the other skeletons. “Doesn't matter who I am, apart from the person who doesn’t like bullies or people who torture animals.” And with that, I moved in again on him and we traded a few quick blows and strikes back and forth neither of us able to hit the other, but I could tell that as the battle went on he was drunk and already getting tired.

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The skeletons had knocked the third guy unconscious, and Alpha and beta had gathered up the thrown spears and were now advancing to flank me. I waved them off. “This one he is mine.” And I bared my fangs. “Maybe it's time for getting a taste for my first blood.”

At that, I saw the guy's pants getting wet and he dropped his sword. “No please have mercy, we were only having some fun,” I told Skeletons to tie him up, and quickly check on and release ferrets. They thankfully didn’t seem to be too hurt and afterwards quickly ran back into the woods.

Then I had the skeletons use the wine and adding more wood to the fire to build a much bigger bonfire. Giving them a good look now two were humans one was an elf and one a half-elf. Then had I had them strip and tie the guys to a set of trees. Putting myself between them and the fire I had each skeleton pick up a burning branch, stand next to a prisoner, and as menacing as I could. “Now the ladies here don’t like liars. So each time you lie one of your friends will get burned.”

Over the next hour, a few screams were heard in that clearing waking up animals for miles. But I did find out that they were a relatively new adventuring party that came up from maidens rest. After doing some basic questing and filling their packs with trophies. They found out that they liked hurting things that were weaker than they were. So for the last month, they had slowly made their way here burning shooting and torturing as many creatures as they could.

Now hunting to make areas safe or for food I could understand, but doing it just to inflict as much pain as possible went way too far in my book. After hearing a few stories that made it hard for me to keep what I ate that day down. I stood in front of each of them in turn and said. “I might not have any land to call my own yet, but as you are not in any jurisdiction at the moment I am your judge, your jury, and your executioner. I will show you mercy you do not deserve, as if my friend Sissy was here you would suffer a fate worse than death.” And with that and a single gesture, I had the skeletons take off all their heads at the same time.

I cut the bodies loose and threw them on the fire. The heads I stuck on poles and set them up on one side of the camp. Telling the skeletons I was too tired to head back. I had three set up watch while I sent alpha back to the girls. About three hours later they woke me up when Missy and Aura came storming into the camp.

Aura running at me gave me a hug, stepped back slapped me in the face, then went back to giving me a hug again. “Don’t you ever run off like that again. When I woke up and saw you weren’t there I panicked. Good thing Alpha showed up a few minutes later.” Looking over her shoulder I saw Missy eying the bodies and the heads, and I saw her mouthing a quick thank you to me.

“Well, you can let me go now.” Which Aura did blushing a bit. I then explained that I knew they were safe enough with Freki and that I had to do this by myself. After hearing what sounded like a cough behind me. “Well me and the Wolves, they did most of the work to be fair.” I then told them what I found out of where they had come from, sparing most of the details of what they had done.

“Let's make camp here, this time I will not run away, I've had a few hours of sleep and as I can see best in the dark ill wake you girls at daybreak and we will head back to where we left the cart.”

Now that I had some time and not feeling dead on my feet I had a look at the notifications that were blinking on my hud.

<2 path points gained>

With that, I brought up my character sheet.

Name: Drakon

Race: Half-elf (Revenant)

Class: Necrolord

Level: 2

PP: 2

Stats:

Str: 8

Dex: 5

Sta: 9

Int: 11

Will: 9

Cha: 10

HP: 180 (1.8 HP/min)

MP: 180 (1.8 MP/min)

Skills:

Light armor (1)

Medium armor (1)

Sword (1)

Riding (1)

Paths available:

Revenant LVL 1

Zombies LVL 1

Heavy armor

Skeletons LVL 2 (New)

Spirit of the bear (new)

Command Lvl 2 (new)

Looking at the new paths one took my eye, Spirit of the bear. As it didn't have a level and figuring it sounded cool that was the first path that I unlocked. As soon as I did that what a ghostly vision appeared before me. It looked like the bear that we found earlier in the day.

I somehow heard him speak in my mind.

“You honor me, is there a name you want me to call you?”

And a new ability showed up on my hud.

After that he walked over to the fire and laid down next to it, leaving me to ponder my next ability. Hoping it wouldn’t bit me in the ass this time I went with taking revenant.

Having a quick look I saw that the only change was now Revenant LVL 2 being added.

And with that, I took a spot sitting next to Tobias waiting for morning.