“Love, wake up love…. Seriously, this can’t become a habit. Ryan, you there?” groggily he woke up to Fury’s mental prodding. “Huh?” wasn’t the most coherent statement that ever issued out of his mouth and the lioness wasn’t impressed.

“You can’t go passing out on us every time you mess around with your cultivation. Seriously, it’s the third time already and the second time in potentially hostile territory. Can’t become a habit.” the ball of fur scoffed at him. “Honestly, I don’t know what you’d do without me.”

Ryan gave his answer some thought before he admitted “You’re right. Just didn’t expect that to happen. I’ll refrain from messing around outside of base. I’m sorry, I put us at risk. Won’t happen again.”

Satisfied that he was properly repentant Fury left to scout ahead, trusting Ryan to get moving on his own. Ryan inspected himself thoroughly. Besides a burgeoning bruise on his hip and a slightly sore nose he’d come out of this latest spill without blemish. To his great relief his shield must have protected him from the dreaded road-rash which was just splendid. Happy that he was fully functional he set off after his bond at a jog entering a light meditation but keeping his senses emgaged.

It didn’t take the duo long until they could lay eyes on Otjiwarongo. Something about the skyline bothered Ryan while they stopped at the crest of the hill heading down into the shallow depression the town called home. It wasn’t until he unpacked his binoculars and took a closer look that Ryan cottoned on to the fact that several of the larger buildings and the water-tower had been flattened. It was the lack of the latter prominent feature that had bothered him about the skyline he realised. Glassing over the town didn’t help Ryan find the underlying reason for the destruction but he did indeed find what he came here for. Smack dab in the crisscrossing swathes of destruction sat an Ascension Obelisk.

Ryan deliberated for a minute and sent a report to Michelle indicating that he had found an Ascension Obelisk in Otji but that a significant portion of the town had been flattened. He ended his report by indicating that he’d scout town in person to figure out what happened.

“Just be careful.” the short reply to his report popping on his internal view reminded him that the Guild relied on his ability to portal them to the new base. Resolving to take the utmost care Ryan had them head obliquely off the road to approach town on an angle screened by a little hill on the southern outskirts. Discussing the destruction with Fury didn’t shed any further light on the issue because they only eliminated some possible causes. It wasn’t fire, nor wind, nor was it movement of the earth as the destruction was too localised, too linear. Their quiet fear that it had been caused by a humongous monster seemed unlikely as well. What manner of beast could flatten buildings so thoroughly?

The approach behind the hill took a while, the two taking care to move as stealthily as possible. In Ryan’s mind it was indeed fortunate that the wind was blowing in their faces and carrying no trace of their presence into town. The somewhat rotten stench the wind carried was less than pleasant though. The melange of sewage, decaying meat, rotten foodstuffs and the stink of fermenting vegetation were further signs that something was wrong. The bush surrounding town was quiet, suspiciously so. Only the sound of the wind and the subdued chatter of smaller critters intruded upon the stillness.

It only confirmed Ryan’s opinion that some seriously bad shit had gone down and judging from the aged feel of the smell it had been quite a while ago. Ryan was not looking forward to meeting the conductor of this orchestra of destruction but resigned himself to the need to figure out what had happened. Once again glassing the town from the more proximate location on the hill, Ryan still hadn’t the slightest as to what caused the paths of destruction. The closest section of destroyed buildings contained mostly residential homes situated slightly east of their position and just beyond the outskirts. He decided that having a closer look at the debris should be fine as whatever had destroyed the town couldn’t have done so quietly and he would certainly receive fair warning should any similar destruction be headed his way.

Fury took the lead once more, ranging ahead under the cover of her refractive shield. Ryan was still approaching the debris, carefully edging around the corners of standing structures when “It smells like rotten river water and there’s large clawed tracks and some kind of drag-marks in the middle” sent a jolt of recognition through him.

“Shit, it’s a croc. Fury, come back now.” Ryan wasn’t willing to take any further risk. The mental picture of the tracks she had sent him sent paroxysms of fear through his body. Ryan had always been comfortable with the dangers of the bush but crocodiles he feared. And loathed, but mostly feared. According to his mother that was only logical. The way she told it he was barely a toddler when his uncle had taken him to the crocodile farm in this very town and he had witnessed, at the closest range, how a croc had snagged the arm of a warden feeding the cold murderous beasts and twisted the entire thing of. He had been screaming for hours after the event and suffered from nightmares for more than a year afterwards. His limited herpetophobia was thus entirely reasonable.

The narrative has been taken without permission. Report any sightings.

As soon as Fury was within range he immediately Shifted them back to the hill. Crocodiles were ambush predators and even if they usually ambushed prey from the water he had no intention of gallivanting around town when a crocodile the size of a bus with unknown mutations and abilities lay in ambush somewhere in said town. Or god beware, maybe more than one gigantic crocodile made the town its home. For over an hour Ryan carefully scrutinised every inch of the town. The dull ache behind his eyes from staring through the lenses of his binoculars eventually forced him to drop the search and he rubbed his tired eyes. He had earlier sent a situation report to Michelle and asked that William call him as soon as he had time.

Shortly before the sun touched the western horizon promising a fiery spectacle in farewell the mental prod of an incoming connection disturbed his tireless vigil over the town. Accepting the connection he greeted his little brother with forced enthusiasm: “Hey Will, how’s it going over there? Everyone still alive?”

“Yeah, all’s good here. A little birdy told me that you’re sitting scared on a hill afraid of an iddly piddly crocodile.” his brother mercilessly teased him. A smile tugged at the corner of his mouth as the old joke between the two was revisited. “Little bro, I’m sorry to tell you, this croc isn’t so piddly anymore.” he replied in earnest. “It’s the frikken size of a fucking bus judging by its tracks. And I have no idea where the fucker is hiding. Town has been dead quiet the entire time we’ve been here.”

“That’s not good. Is it?” the Guild leader asked. “Why’d you need me to call you? What’s your plan?”

“I’ve been sitting here and thinking about it. It’s way too risky to send anybody into town unless we can lay eyes on the croc first. It’s gonna be dark soon so pointless on doing anything more today. I’d like only Miguel, Johannes and either yourself or Mike to help keep watch tonight. Two-man shifts and no fire, food or anything else in that vein. Camp cots and sleeping bags plus gear only.” Ryan started laying out his proposed plan of action.

He continued. “Tomorrow morning, after sun-up, Miguel, Fury and I will circle around town. Make certain there’s no outgoing tracks. Be shitty if that thing roams the area. If it’s in town, as I suspect it is, it’s probably laying low somewhere and digesting its humungous meal. Probably won’t need to eat for months after it cleaned the town unless its mutations fucked its metabolism.”

With a bit of hesitation he went on: “The next step is the problem. How attached is Johannes to his pets? He have any disposable pets? I haven’t talked to him in a while but remember most of his zoo was bonded.”

“You want to send in a sacrificial lamb? That’s cold bro.” William joked. Ryan felt relief at the tone and asked: “So, good news? He has some pets he’s not closely attached to?”

William chuckled; “You’re gonna laugh, but actually he tamed a small herd of sheep day before yesterday. Beats me how they survived until now. They’re all low level and, hear this, identify as Meek Sheep. There’s about forty of them and they listen to his commands. Katrina butchered an old ewe on its last legs yesterday and the darn thing didn’t move a muscle as she slit its throat. Damned spooky it was. Anyways, so that sacrificial lamb plan shouldn’t pose a problem but I’ll confirm with Johannes just to be sure. Give us fifteen minutes and rustle up the portal so we can join you.”

“Sure. And William…”

“Yeah?”

“Thanks, I’m really glad I don’t have to do this alone.”

“No problem brother. You know I’ll always have your back. Right?”

“Yeah. Thanks.”

William, Johannes and Miguel filed through Ryan’s portal as soon as it was up. The three were quiet and Johannes coterie stayed mum with them. Miguel scanned the surroundings with a slow pirouette before he asked in a subdued tone: “Safe to talk?”

“Should be.” Ryan replied. “But we should keep it quiet. No need to take unnecessary risks. Winds in favour and I hope it stays that way.”

William held up a thermos; “I brought some coffee. Suggest you and me take first watch followed by Johannes and Miguel.”

“Fine by me. Miguel and I will head out once the sun is up.” Ryan replied as the group quietly settled down on the hill. Johannes sent his nocturnal pets out in a screen around the site and settled down on his cot, asleep moments thereafter. Miguel stayed for a bit, watching the last remnants of the fiery demise of their local star with the pair of brothers in companionable quiet before he headed off to bed too. Ryan and William settled their camp chairs back to back, keeping a watch on the area. With Fury coiled on his lap and his brother quietly at his back Ryan focused extending his sphere of awareness around the hill, quietly questing for any intruders that could pose a threat. William likewise remained silent. The night was dark and the now waxing moon shed only the scantest light on the featureless grey bush, sounds would probably the first warning they’d receive of any approaching threats so the brothers remained silent together. It was a comfortable silence, born of many similar silences jointly experienced over various hunts.

Their watch remained uneventful, boring if not for the fact that the other was present. Lying in vigil with his younger brother reminded Ryan of better, more innocent times and he fondly recalled all the nights he had spent similarly. Fury was sleeping soundly and the soft purring snore was immensely calming. It would have put him to sleep under any other circumstance but in the here and now only underscored the tranquillity of the brothers’ vigil. With a heavy feeling close to sorrow Ryan roused himself to wake Miguel and Johannes when his Interface notified him that their watch was over.

Lying on his cot and watching the stars Ryan was content. Life wasn’t so shitty after all, it still had its good moments.