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Lost Resources

Being summoned by the Heir for a specific task was not unusual by now for this unfortunate group. It was not like they could really protest the matter either. All of them acknowledged that it was either do the work as assigned or leave. And leaving the Hamlet was easier said than done. Oh sure, the carriage was available to any and all that either wished to leave or that the Heir dismissed from their services. Yet, it was the simple truth that no one here at the Hamlet really had anywhere else to go. So the quartet murmured their acceptance of the Heir's orders and set off into the poisoned woods with the morning.

"What are we looking for again?" Aela asked as they trudged through the Weald, the air full of a strange miasma musk like carrion.

"Something called the 'Shrieker'." Caillot answered, his nose wrinkling with faint disgust at the smell that would likely only be faint for them, given their lack of the enhanced sense of smell he was currently cursed with thanks to Rir.

"Sounds nice and quiet." Vesli sighed, Rir complaining at the smell he currently had to suffer and the piercing shrieks he envisioned.

"It robbed the Heir." Bird tilted her head, "Strange. How would monster get into town and out?"

"It's just as likely that our esteemed leader wants something it has and made up the story of being robbed to 'motivate' us." Vesli scoffed, feeling safe to say such things outside the hamlet and with his stalwart party "Perhaps hoping we would be further motivated in the hope of earning their favor."

"No, tell us how you really feel?" Aela snorted, "I mean, it's not like the Heir has ever knowingly sent anyone to die before or lied to get what they want." Before anymore comments could be made, a loud cry echoed through the trees of the Weald.

"I think we found our target." Bird pointed out, pulling out her knives as the cry sounded close.

"Bird." Vesli gagged as his comrade looked offended at his reaction.

"Am I repulsive?" Insult soured her voice.

"No, a bird." He pointed towards where the sound had come from, "It smells of death, of decay and disease. And it sounds big."

"Then let's hunt." Aela twirled her weapon about as they all approached the area from where they heard their target's cries. Peering around the tree, they saw a bird, a raven easily the size of a carriage and rotting as if riddled with the plague, fleshy pustules bulging from its back. A multitude of eyes looked about in every direction from its vein riddled misshapen face. It stalked about the floor of the Weald, occasionally regurgitating a putrid stream of bile filled with bones.

"That thing looks fast but not durable." Aela broke down, their barbarian an experienced hunter, "look at its body, the thing is as diseased as anything I've ever seen. It will probably try to fly away if it can't win fast enough."

"What do you suggest then?" Caillot whispered, fiddling with his skull totem.

"Vesli and I will break its wings." Aela decided, "Veci, keep it distracted and blinded with whatever mixtures you have in your bag. Caillot, cut off its escape and keep us in fighting shape." Rir let out a soft growl in agreement as he took form, claws digging into the soft soil. The air was tense for a moment before Rir charged, letting out his bestial roar as the Shrieker squawked in surprise, flapping to avoid being rammed in the chest by a charging Abomination.

"Don't let up!" Aela shouted, charging up beside him even as Bird's bombs exploded with bright flashes of light, the bird shrieking with agony as its collection of eyes were blinded by the bright flash. With a cry, it vomited a deluge of foul-smelling bile, the liquid burning on his skin. His roars of pain eclipsed the piercing cry of their hunt.

Aela hurried to take point, swinging her glaive with a yell as Bird rushed to Vesli's side, pouring a new mixture onto the burning bubbling muck that was the monster's bile.

"Duck!" Caillot yelled, the sound of wood cracking and dirt shifting filling the air before Vesli felt the wind as something large came flying toward them. Following his friend's order, the three of them threw themselves to the ground as an oak tree, dirt still falling from the roots, flew overhead, the branches grazing the bird which had tried to copy their action.

Seeing it stagger, Rir leapt, landing on its back and sinking his fangs into the parts of the wings that had not yet begun to rot. The Shrieker cried, rearing back as Rir's teeth savaged its wing. "Hang on!" Aela shouted, swinging her axe at the other wing, the blade hacking deep into its joint.

The threat of death, however, was a dangerous motivator. Crying out, the avian monstrosity snapped its head forward, slamming into the soil as Bird barely dodged the downward spear like thrust. Then without warning its attacks changed direction towards the axe in its wing.

Aela was unable to dodge the flailing head as the beak slammed into her, sending their Hellion flying back into a tree hard as she slid to the ground.

It was more than Vesli was willing to stomach. Letting go of the wing in his grip, Vesli began clawing at the beast's face, practically climbing the eldritch horror till he got to its beak where he began to claw and pull.

Bird staggered back from the blood frenzied Rir as he snarled and clawed, heedless of the terrified and agonized shrieks of their prey. One clawed hand reared back and slammed down, five talons piercing four eyes and a patch of diseased flesh, gripping tight for purchase as the other began to pry at the beak, held only by rotting flesh. Flesh that tore under the righteous fury of Vesli and Rir.

Together, in their anger, they ripped the upper beak from the Shrieker, blood dripping from its base as they slammed it into the throat of the monster, sending the body collapsing like a puppet without strings, falling face first to the weald floor.

Vesli and Rir did not see it fall, did not care. The group then rushed to the side of their friend, caring only to know if Aela was alright. Vesli became the man once again and let out a sigh of relief at seeing that Aela was still breathing. The Hellion groaned, coming around after Bird wafter something under the other woman's nose. "By the Spirits, that thing hit hard," Aela managed to get to her feet. They were surprisingly intact after this encounter. There was a screeching noise, and a rush of wind. Four pairs of eyes turned to see the Shrieker flying off into the sky in a rush of black feathers. It did not seem to care that its wings had been savaged earlier, taking to the sky with limbs that simply should not be supporting it into the air anymore. But then, this was the Hamlet, and nature here had been twisted into something obscene.

"Explains a lot." Vesli sighed. It had been more interested in getting away than facing the party than fighting them. Therefore, this short vicious encounter was all it would provide them. Perhaps some other ill-fated group would be sent to finish it off. Or perhaps the Heir would continue choosing groups like theirs that would only succeed in chasing it off. Either way, the nest was unguarded. They went over to inspect it, and sure enough, a collection of trinkets littered the bottom of the branches. Most, if not all, had suspicious red stains on them. Vesli's eyes went skyward, seeming nothing but clouds. That Shrieker thing was a scavenger. These 'stolen' trinkets were likely looted off former comrades whose bodies now filled the graveyard.

"How obscene" Caillot murmured. The other three nodded in agreement and the trinkets of the forgotten dead were carefully gathered into a pouch. The party showed what respect they could to these remnants of lost souls. There would be no more to give once the items had been returned to the Heir. The trinkets would be unceremoniously cleaned and handed off to new owners with nary a word of who had had them before or the fates that befell them. With silent glances at each other, and careful assessment of Aela to ensure she could walk, they started the journey back into the Hamlet proper.