True Monsters – Chapter 7 – Setting Traps
The thrall wolf looked forwards, along the forest trail. Its limited brain noting the lack of audio stimulus. There was no apparent sound, but its nose caught an alien smell. Something it could follow. There were no voices telling it what to do. A place existed in its mind, waiting for the master’s voice. Expecting the masters will to command it. For now it would hunt, it would serve it would grow strong. Until the time when it would be told what to do, by a vampire.
Independent thought was forced upon this creature, by circumstance. It was not in its nature, it was away from the pack. It urged to have the comfort of its siblings, or its vacant masters. It was a scout, it had to find food so that the pack could grow. Two legged prey was in the forest. It could pick up the oily sent used to waterproof clothes. It could see the tracks from boots. The beast had enough perception, to realise that its quarry. Was not moving very quickly along the path.
The trail was there, the thrall wolf followed the trail. It was a creature with some level of intelligence, its instinct expected an ambush. The wolf noted a scrap of cloth, smelling vaguely of blood. The beast followed along a row of bushes. The two legged prey had stopped for a second, leaving heavier indents in the mud. The trail moved along a rocky area that was created from a mountain slide years ago. The thrall wolfs instincts kicked in, it check with the other scouts howling sending out a signal. It waited a few seconds not too far away from it, several hundred yards to the right there was others answering howl.
Confident that more of its siblings were close by, the thrall wolf moved forwards. There were signs of the two legged prey in the area. It had been biting into a tree stump, with its iron toothed tools. The wolf noted another strange smell, human but not quite. The thrall wolf looked around it, its nose shifted the wood shavings. The wolf followed on round a twist in the trail. The wolf suddenly yelped as the ground opened up beneath it.
It was its view changed as it fell, it could see air up in the sky. The moment seemed to go so slowly. The wolf fell, twisting round with a reflexive action. The layer of twigs and dirt, that covered the pit trap, seemed to evaporate beneath the beast. The fall abruptly sopped and the wolf howled in agony. Wooden spikes punctured the wolfs lungs. It could feel the air going out of one lung, its stomach legs and neck were also pierced. It howled in agony and clung to life. Then it howled a warning.
It would not go quietly, the more the beast tried to twist itself off the spikes, the deeper they were imbedded. After ten seconds of blood loss pain, the wolf saw a human wearing dark leather standing over the pit. The wolf growled at the two legged prey, but it didn't react. The man held a shovel in his hands. He brought it down on the wolfs head. One powerful strike leaving only blackness behind, a tinder box lit the remains on fire.
Two hundred yards away, a second scouting thrall wolf was searching. Following along a game trail, it had seen some signs of two legged prey. It only met with confusion, the prey seemed to have walked backwards and forwards over this part of the trail. The prey had been deliberate, the wolfs mind was not sharp enough. It could not put the two together and draw implications. It noticed a different set of tracks, more two legged prey.
It pushed down the trail, a twig about a foot off the floor of the trail snapped. A thin twine rope counter balance against a weight was released. In a fraction of a second, a twine noose pulled tight. A large hunk of wood freshly cut tried to reach the ground. The thrall wolf was unexpectedly dragged to the side, moved round pulling it from its footing. Up into the air it went, acting as a counterbalance. The wolf was surprised as the cord gripped its leg tightly it hung there.
It snarled and tried to wriggle out of the trap. It tried to twist round, to chew its way free. The wolf missed on the first try. The creature was determined, it violently shifted round. It tried to chew on its leg where the noose had it tightly gripped. The wolf was hit by an arrow in its centre of mass. The wolf yelped in pain, it was sent spinning round. The force of the next arrow was enough to send it spinning in the opposite direction. A few seconds later the wolf was hit by a third arrow in the neck. It tensed up its muscles, it tried to paw at the wound to get the arrow out. Still spinning the creature seemed to suffer a final fit. Howling snarling and convulsing as a fourth arrow struck the beast, it spasmed dead.
From the same group of scouts, another thrall wolf was hunting. It was on the trail of something far more promising, the prey seemed to be small frail but smelled of magic, tasty. The wolf could almost feel the taste of mana infused flesh on its lips. It salivated at the prospect, as devouring one such as this would boost its own abilities. The beast smelled oil from sheep's wool and the scent of linen. It didn't know what such things were but associated them with two legged prey.
The beast noted the tracks big boots but a small stride. The beast in its enthusiasm almost missed something. It paused noting a second set of boots with far deeper treads, it proceeded more cautiously. There was a thin branch across the path, the slightest touch from the thrall wolf and it snapped. The wood released a peg that released something else. The wolf dodged the nose, flying off missing the wolfs legs. However the trap was rigorously constructed, the cut trunk used as a counter balance fell across the trail. It knocked the thrall wolf down stunning it. Crushing into its spine, pining it to the floor.
The beast shook its head and growled it couldn't feel its back legs. It tried to move again and again, there was no response from its hind limbs. The wolf growled in irritation. It tried to crawl forward, it tried to crawl out from below the log. As it pawed at the earth nothing happened it couldn't generate enough traction. It became desperate it tried to call out, to the masters that were not there. It tried to attract the pack it started to howl, that was cut off by two words “fire bite”. Then there was blackness.
The final wolf from the scouting group regarded its prey, stuck up in the tree. The two legged prey seemed confident. The wolf could wait for days, until the two legged prey got desperate. Either the prey would run or fall out of the tree. Once the prey had stayed up there and faded away dyeing, denying the pack there meal. The wolf could wait, even though the ground was damp and oily it would wait for days.
David sat in the tree regarding the wolf below, it looked back at him with a hungry snarl. There would be no others joining it. It did seem a waste of oil but there it was. David drops a simple wooden torch onto the ground below him. The oil instantly sprung alight with a quick flash of light, and a roaring burning sound. The wolf rolled on the floor to put out the fire. It only succeeded in coating its hide in more burning oil. David moved onto another branch on the other side of the tree. He stepped down using a platform, onto the ground. The wolf yelped and rolled around in the fire, he drew his blade and skewered the unfortunate creature.
Ten minutes later David arrived at a clearing in the wood. David turned to Martin, “that's four of these beasts for hours’ worth of effort each”. Martin shrugged “I only have one level in the woodworking skill, it is enough for these crude traps. It takes me time to make these preparations”. David patted him on the back. “I will admit all of these were easy kills, but at this rate it will take weeks to reduce their numbers”.
Martin looked about, “this is a first step you know it just a prelude. A pack this large needs to feed often, wild boar deer wild goats. These scouting wolves break from the main pack, they are always active and will be missed. We will get a reaction, we will be able to lure the beasts into a killing field that we have prepared”. Vivian and Alice entered the clearing.
David looked at him “you seem far more confident today, than you did yesterday”. Martin grinned “three reasons, one they are not being led by a vampire. I checked with the priest to confirm we can’t feel the presence of something higher up the food chain. The dread thrall wolf is on its own its intelligence has limits. Two I now have access to the blessings, that I unlocked yesterday when I reached level ten. Three we have prepared ground, to negate most of the wolfs advantages.
It removes our weaknesses, even if we don't win we will kill a lot of them. The next group or the survivors can win.” David patted him on the shoulder, “your pep talk needs some work. Take a couple of levels in bard, maybe public speaking proficiency”. Martin shook his head, there was a howl in the distance. The four adventures headed off to the outskirts of the Forrest to lure the wolves in.
The villagers had been quite busy that morning, several of the militia had stood guard. Farmers dug out pits and laid other surprises. They had retreated an hour or so ago. The thrall wolves moved through the undergrowth. Talking with the locals, the adventures had been able to determine that the pack was a bit too large. The dread thrall wolf could not control all of them. A few would always be a bit too enthusiastic. Now the party was ready to begin the process of dismantling these un-lead monsters, before the bulk of the pack got there.
Ten wolves too eager for the hunt charged into the clearing. They were not showing the slightest hint of caution or forethought. They were probably the youngest of the pack. They had blood lust in their eyes. They bared there fangs anticipating the meal, that they were hoping to partake in. David looked at them, he spoke too Vivian, “we have to be quick before the rest get hear.” The wolves charge into spiked pit traps that the villagers have left for them.
It was more like a trench sixteen yards wide with a few gaps. There were numerous screams and growls. The trench was also filled with oil there was a torch left burning, Vivian quickly set the oil on fire. She used a cheap iron arrow wrapped in oil soaked cloth. The beast’s angry bellows intensified as they panicked. They thrashed about, some of the beasts crawled out of the traps maddened with rage, and half didn't.
Martin casually strode over to the creatures, at this range his abilities were most effective. He drew one pistol and loosed an overload shot. He used a focus boost to aim it, a wolf dropped dead as the two lead balls drilled into its head. A second pistol emerged from his coat, another wolf inexplicably found two new vents in its skull.
Martin drew his throwing knives at this distance he could not miss. “Wrath” the thrall wolf briefly glowed white as the knife struck, then it dropped dead. “Wrath” a second wolf turned to run, but it fell like a puppet with its strings cut. The third wolf bunched its muscles, prepared to jump over the blazing trench to get away. “Wrath” it made it about a foot before it collapsed down. Martin ran over and pulled his throwing knives free. He then started to roll the wolf carcases into the burning trench. David gave him a hand hauling them into the fire.
Martin started to re-lode one of his pistols. He paused for a second, his eyes flashed his body seemed to twitch ever so slightly. He grinned as he stood there, reloading his second pistol after his level up. Vivian looked at him, “at this rate it won’t be long, before the monsters are running in the other direction.” Martin shrugged, “they are not that sensible”. David and Alice shared a look as they stood on the side lines. She shrugged “I have to save my mana” David considered his options, “I might need to get some sort of ranged attack”. They all froze for a fraction of a second. They heard the very loud very angry sound howling. Then the sound of something coming through the woodland, with a lot of things following them.
Alice was now wearing a padded cap and a padded vest. It was very weak armour, but combined with her enchanted ring and robe, she now had a bit of an armour class. Alice started to jog “we better move quickly to the next area.” The rest of the group nodded and headed off. They moved closer to the village and its thick wooden wall. Vivian wondered aloud, “why didn't the village try those sorts of traps”. David shrugged, “not sure, perhaps they were too worried about walking into their own traps”. Martin offered his own insight, “They could have been too busy with the rats”. Alice remembered the condition of the village, “More likely they didn't think it was worth the effort, until now.”
The Dread thrall wolf alpha and ten more thrall wolfs came into view. There was a large tree close to the group. A convenient piece of lumber had been left propped against it. Vivian disappeared up into the branches, with David following very closely behind. Alice joined them as second later, with Martin helping her up. Martin disappeared into the tree a few moments later. He was just quickly enough to escape the jaws of a lunging thrall wolf.
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The Dread thrall wolf looked almost smug, content its prey was cornered. It anticipated the meal to follow shortly. While the thrall wolf thought that it had the advantage, it was not quite so. In the tree they had stored supplies. Vivian had another quiver with twenty iron arrows. They were borrowed from a local hunter. Alice and Martin had a nice platform, where they could take pot-shots at the thrall wolves. Their prey would not be able to respond, David had a torch and three clay pots, filled with oil ready to go.
The area below the tree was another prepared killing ground, they began to whittle down the targets below them. David threw a jaw of lit oil that smashed and engulfed one thrall wolf. It was not enough to kill it outright, but it was badly injured. Martin shot down with both his pistols, targeting the Dread thrall wolf. The creature seemed more surprised than anything else.
The shoots pierced its thick hide, because on the last level that Martin had gained, he had acquired a new ability. With his pistols it allowed him to penetrate past 15 points of armour. It was a useful ability, higher level monsters had armour vastly disproportionate to their lower level counterparts. Vivian sent a power shot down onto one creature, hitting it in the leg and crippling it. Alice targeted one thrall wolf, she peppered it with four fire bite spells in quick succession. The homing bolts of fire caused the beast to howl in pain and screech up at them in frustration.
The alpha wolf looked at the group of adventures. It targeted David as he was the closest, it tried to leap at him to snare him with its jaws. David looked very worried as the best shot through the air, only to miss him by less than a foot. He responded by throwing another oil filled jar down. The flaming vessel hit the alpha thrall wolf on the side. It shattered in a spray of pottery and a bloom of flam. Set on fire the wolf immediately began rolling round on the ground, to put the flames out.
Martin loaded one of his pistols, he used focus to get a precise shot off. He hit one of the smaller thrall wolves in the head. The creature went down stunned, it got back up again a few moments later. Martin thought he had missed hitting anything important. He realised that the way it wasn't standing straight, it had been badly hurt. Vivian let lose a second adrenalin power shot into the same wolf. It was skewered through the centre of mass and collapsed dead. She had normal iron arrows, she sent shot after shot of. The rest of the thrall wolves darted about, she still managed to wounding one more. She was keeping her remaining steel broad-heads in reserve. Alice lost sight of the wolf that she had previously been targeting, it ducked round the tree. She switched targets and hit the wolf previously burned by David, two fire bite spells finishing it off.
The alpha had finished rolling around, to put out the flame. It was angrier from David's flaming oil. It targeted Vivian, it tried to jump up to get her. She hit it in the side with an adrenalin power attack, knocking it off course, she moved up to a higher branch. David got his last flask of oil, he lit it and sent the oil flying into a group of three wolves. Two moved out of the way but the third was not so lucky. Martin used a focus shot to hit the same wolf finishing it off with his pistol. The wolf that Alice had originality been targeting, re-appeared around the tree. She hit it with three more fire bites, killing it dead.
The alpha targeted each member of the group, they all climbed slightly higher to avoid its jumping attacks. Martin pulled out his throwing knifes, he targeted two injured thrall wolves. He let lose a barrage of focus throws, putting three aimed attacks into the head of the first wolf. Followed by three into the second wolf, dropping them both dead.
Vivian started to target the alpha wolf exclusively, putting a power attack into its side. Then using one regular attack after another. Alice started to sling one fire bite after another at the dread wolf. Its hide was soon covered in burn marks, no less than eight fire bites hit it in a row. David was out of oil flasks, the best he could do, was to bang the flat of his sword against his shield. Making a noise that was certainly irritating the giant wolf below.
The large beast was angry, it opened its impressive maw and grabbed the tree. The adventures noted it was trying to bite through trunk of the tree. David looked down “there is no way it’s that strong”. The tree creaked and lurched as a cracking noise could be heard. The adventures looked at each other, Vivian commented “we should have got a bigger tree”. David gripped the tree more securely. When Martin levelled up he got access to several blessings, not only a third use of wrath. He reloaded his pistol and took aim touching his holy symbol. There was a brief white glow “divine retribution”. The attack hit with four times the damage of wrath. It was enough to stop the beast, for just a second.
Alice targeted the beast with one spell after another. She hit it with five more fire bites, exhausting her own mana and half the mana in her staff. She was precariously close to running out, then collapsing form overwhelming mana exhaustion. Vivian put two power shots into the side of the beast. Even though its flesh rippled at the impact, it seemed to shrug them off. The alpha kept attacking the tree trunk.
Alice decided it was now or never, she used her trump card. The mana potion she had been keeping, since she was dispatched from the mages tower, it went in one gulp. It tasted expensive like a high class sugary treat. A sweet mixed with ground up crystals. The sugar might have been a preservative, within seconds it restored 120 points of mana. Alice could hold that much mana, she felt the excess evaporate from her body. She single mindedly kept slinging the same fire spell at the beast below. Over and over again, the damage would eventually pile up as she kept slinging her spells. Vivian released one more power shot into the creatures hide. She was down to her last few remaining good steel arrows. She was running low on adrenalin, one more power shot and she would be ready to collapse exhausted. She would keep firing until the last arrow.
Martian checked that both of his pistols were loaded. Using a rope he dropped out of the tree, on the other side from the thrall wolf alpha. He landed onto one of the few remaining from the pack of creatures. The purge blessing could be used to instantly and painlessly, remove the thrall taint from an individual. It could also be used to purify a diseased animal so the meat was good for consumption. Now that Martin had access to it he had a far better idea. Holy symbol in one hand he slapped a thrall wolf “purge”.
He turn one thrall wolf into a normal wolf. Its mind was freed from the thrall taint, its thoughts a blank page. The other thrall wolves were confused for a second, then the remaining pack turn on it. Martin had chosen the one uninjured wolf, as his target. It did well fighting back then dyeing, taking two of the other already wounded thrall wolves with it. The last thrall wolf took a look at Martin looked at the alpha, then bolted back into the woods. Martin charged towards the alpha, one pistol out. The blessing “guardian angel” sprang up, blocking the wolfs attack. Martin emptied two overload shots, into the wolf and ducked around the tree.
He used his last bit of focus to activate a blessing “holy aura”. Even standing a few feet away from the dread thrall wolf alpha, was hurting it. The beast did not like holy damage. Martin was temporarily slowed, as the mental exhaustion of depleting his focus hit him. The beast chomped down on Martin, twisting his left arm. He still held his holy symbol, which was now pressed to the wolfs flesh. The wolf let go of Martin as his holy symbol burnt it.
Vivian hit the beast with her last arrow, it was boosted with an adrenalin power shot. She almost blacked out in tree, but she had wedged herself into the branches so wasn't in any danger of falling. Alice had continued to pepper the beast with spells, thought the holy aura had somewhat de-powered the last two. The aura also sapped the effectiveness of all magic, the magic that was inherent to the thrall wolf and the magic directed against it. David had used this time to drop down form the tree. He hit the beast in the side it with three consecutive power strikes, causing something in its side to crack.
The beast bleeding burn and punctured like a pin cushion, took stock of those confronting it. Martin with his mallet in his good hand, ready to swing. David fresh to the fight shield in hand and the mage ready to sling more fire spells at it. The alpha thrall wolf ran back into the woods to lick its wounds. David shouted out, “oi come back hear you bastard I'm not finished killing you!” Vivian's exhausted voice floated down from the tree. “Don't push your luck”, none of the adventures wanted to take the risk of perusing it, after they had a moment to think.
Martin pried his holy symbol, from his bent left hand and put it away on his belt. He looked up at Alice, “do you have any mana left?” “Yes I can manage three more spells, before I exhaust myself”. Martin nodded, “could you manage one or two spells on my arm, it’s not in a good shape”. She nodded, David helped Alice down from the tree. She used her touch healing spell twice on Martins arm, to straighten it back out and give him the full use of his hand. He thanked her, then set about reloading his pistols. David was still trying to figure out how to get Vivian down from the tree, when the level up process began.
Martin was barely phased, as his eyes seemed to glow. He continued to re-lode his pistol. His fingers didn't even flinch, as he continued with the smooth practised motion of reloading, “twelve”. David had enough time to sit down below the tree. He found it more comfortable this time he wasn't sure why, his eye glowed his body locked up violently. He scream with the pain, his body twitched as his body hardened. The power in his fingers grew, he could feel his new grip strength “level 9”. Vivian was resting in the tree branches, she felt herself shaking her eyes glowed. She screamed her muscles altered. She had shaken herself lose from the tree. Now she was pitching forwards, she tried to will her muscles to respond. Then she was falling straight onto David. There was a dull thud, as the two of them connected Vivian murmured “level 9”. From beneath her David murmured somewhat muted, “you’re getting the first round I caught you”.
Alice lay down on the ground, she watched Martin recover his throwing knives. As he went about his business, she went through the same ritual. Now at level 7 she had the knowledge of the grater touch heal spell. It would heal her entire body in a single application. She was specialising as a healer, in a group that already had two competent ranged fighters. She was shaken awake by Vivian, who seemed to have gathered up a few arrows. David sat next to her cleaning off his sword, then oiling it and sharpening it. David dragged the last thrall wolfs remains onto a pile. He set light to it with his tinder box and some twigs. Vivian using her own bow to prop herself up. She helped pull Alice upright and handed her the mage’s staff she had put down.
Alice hugged Vivian, “I am amazed that we are alive. How come we levelled up?” Vivian looked at the nine dead wolves that Martin was burning. “We got some xp for defeating it, even if it got away. Some experience came from the rest of the pack.” David jovially slapped Vivian on the shoulder, “well we didn't kill that thing yet, but we did kill a lot of its pack. They are nowhere near as dangerous now, best we don't stay out hear though. Where was the rest of the pack?” Martin turned to him, “I thought I told you, the sheriff arranged for the hunters from the village to leave some false trails. The rest were on the other side of the forest, it split them up.”
Vivian looked at Martin, “I spoke to the sheriff last night. I believe that the dread thrall wolf can heal quickly. That is if they can feed on a large amount of meat.” Martin pointed to the pile of burning carcases, “which was amongst the reasons we burn the dead thrall wolves”. Alice looked at them for reassurance, “so it won’t be able to heal that amount of damage quickly, unless it can get a good meal vary fast”. Vivian grinned, “Those things are cannibals aren't they? So it might end up eating the rest of its pack, or select members to heal itself. Either way the group gets weaker”.
Martin nodded, “yes a possibility, I am honestly not sure what's going to happen. It might go for its own litter. That things going to die or we are, I make that promise.” Alice tapped him on the back with her staff. “Just say that it’s going to die.” The group headed back to the village. David looked at Martin, “I saved your sorry ass from that thing. It would have ripped your arm off and swallowed it”. Martin retorted back “if I hadn't gone down to fight it, the monster would have chewed the dam tree down”.
Vivian was using David for support she grinned, “We are going to drink half a barrel of ale tonight just because we can”. Alice looked sheepishly at them, “anyone know how much a replacement mana potion is”? It got David thinking as they walked, “do they do potions to replace adrenalin as well”? Alice grinned, “yes but I'm told they taste, like old socks and pickled mushrooms”.