It has come to my attention that I neglected to put a disclaimer in the last chapter, so I have modified this one to hopefully make up for that.

Disclaimer: I don't own Don't Starve or any of the characters (x2)

The bitter chill of winter wind swept through the snow-covered plains with the subtle bite of a thousand icy daggers. The wicked fingers of silent cold whipped across snow and ice, stealing the breath from any living thing unfortunate enough to be caught in its path. Everything save a small herd that milled about in the middle of the gust.

Standing tall and unperturbed by the frigid air were several hairy creatures that distantly resembled buffalo. They meandered around, blinking lazily as they foraged for food. Their tough hooves made short work of patches of ice while their coats of fur blunted any assault from the raging wind. As they dug up the frozen grass buried beneath the polar blanket, their gaze drifted unhurriedly across the plains. There was no real need for them to be vigilant. They were larger than most predators, and few things were blatantly stupid enough to try bringing one of them down.

"That one there. With the broken horn." Wilson whispered, partially buried in snow as he took shelter behind the remains of a dead tree. The air was brutally cold, but the thought of food and warmth kept his spirits up. "It's hanging around at the edge of the herd. If we lure it away enough, then we'll be set for at least a few days."

"Is sound good." Wolfgang replied, attempting to whisper but only really speaking at a low rumble. "Hair cow look like tasty dinner."

The scientist nodded back with grim determination. It was a risky plan to pick a fight with something that looked like it could kill them just by sitting on them, but they were in dire need of survival supplies.

Shivering and pulling his grass-woven cloak around himself tighter, Wilson began edging forwards. He had to move slowly. If the whole herd spotted him, then his plan would be in jeopardy. As quietly as he could, he dragged himself over the miniature rises and dips in the snow.

"Just a bit closer…" He muttered to himself. He was now around ten yards away, upwind of the beast and still remained undetected. "Lure it out… Let Wolfgang whack it over the head a few times… Easy. Nothing simpler."

He regretted those words almost as soon as they left his mouth.

Half an hour later found Wilson and Wolfgang dragging the heavily bludgeoned carcass of the beefalo through the snow and back towards camp. Though they'd managed to bring it down, the victory had come at a cost. They were almost unrecognizable as human to an outside observer.

Slushy mud was splattered all over Wilson's body, coating him in a mixture of grey and brown colors. Several large hoof prints dotted the organic casing, with one prominent imprint over his left eye which was swollen shut.

Wolfgang hadn't been spared either. He walked with a heavy limp, slogging through the snow despite his numerous cuts and bruises. One vicious kick had left his voice several octaves higher for a time.

Finally, for reasons that they'd agreed never to speak of, both men bore the heavy stink of manure. All in all things had gone about as well as could be expected.

For the longest time, the only noises that either of them uttered were grunts of exertion as they struggled to drag the large creature behind them. Wolfgang did most of the work, but Wilson still managed to strain himself nearly to the point of exhaustion.

After a long silent struggle, the two were suddenly almost blown off their feet by a particularly powerful gust of wind. Huddling down to take shelter from the gale, Wilson looked up to see the sky turn an unnaturally dark color. The wailing windstorm continued for several moments before dissipating as quickly as it had begun.

"That would probably be Abigail." He commented, not really expecting an answer. Wolfgang nodded in response, too tired to do anything else.

The group had spent the better part of a week in this place already. It was a harsh world to try surviving in. The constant cold mixed with the lack of any easily accessible food was wearing them down little by little. Were it not for Willow's fire staff, they would probably have already perished from the unforgiving conditions.

Abigail's flower had recovered far faster than it had outside the doorway. Whether this was because she was growing more accustomed to breaking through to them, or because Maxwell had changed something to allow her back more quickly Wilson could only guess. Wendy had set numerous bird traps in the hopes of capturing one of the elusive blue flyers to act as a sacrifice for her sister's arrival. From the looks of things, she'd been successful.

Another ten minutes of walking brought the battered, weary, and nearly frozen pair of men stumbling back to their campsite. Sure enough, a familiar ghostly apparition was hovering about, seeming to stretch her incorporeal limbs while her living sister cleaned up the mess that had been made.

"Hey, you guys are just in time." Willow greeted, looking up from the moderately sized bonfire she'd been attending. "I was just about to start- whoa! What happened to you? You look like you got into a fistfight with a building and lost."

Wilson shuddered. Right now, the last thing he wanted to do was relive the experience he'd just been forced to endure.

"If anyone ever tells you that wild cow creatures are slow and harmless, you have my permission to punch them in the mouth." He replied.

"Right…" She replied, turning her gaze to the beast they'd been dragging with them.

"Wow." Willow remarked, genuinely impressed. "That thing is huge! It could keep us fed for a week."

"It had better." Wilson said, scooping up a handful of snow and using it to wash away some of the less stubborn debris on his person. "It'll take at least a week for me to recover from that mess."

Wolfgang slowly made his way over to the fire, not saying anything as he shed his crown and dropped the club by his side. The scientist couldn't help but feel a twinge of concern at the state he was in.

Going without food had been hard on all of them, but none more so than the strongman. After just a week of heavily rationed supplies, he'd lost a considerable amount of weight. At this point he could only barely hold his weapon in both hands which he'd otherwise been able to swing about easily. While still very thick, his musculature was deteriorating far faster than was natural.

"What's going on in that twisted head of yours?" Willow asked, elbowing Wilson lightly to get his attention. "You aren't looking too great."

"Well, I did get trampled by one of the ugliest bovines I've ever seen." He said, earning a raised eyebrow in return. "But that isn't the issue right now. I've been thinking… maybe worrying is a better word… have you noticed strange things about us?"

Willow scoffed, giving him a half-amused and half-"you're just figuring this out now?" look.

"Strange?" She repeated. "Well, let's see. We've got a little girl who communes with the spirit of her dead sister, an avid pyromaniac, a scientific expert who can create things that defy all logic including his own, and a giant man-child who can't talk in complete sentences but still managed to bring down an army of tribal pig-men. I think strange may be an understatement at this point."

Wilson chuckled lightly at her honest reply. Putting it that way, his question did sound more than a bit silly. Still, there was something serious on his mind.

"True, but that wasn't what I was talking about." He began. "It's more of a situational thing. For example, look at Wolfgang. Can you honestly say it's normal to lose that much weight over such a short period of time? We've all gotten a bit skinnier, but he looks like he's been starved half to death."

She frowned, seeing the sorry state that he'd been reduced to after only seven or so days. Still, she seemed a bit skeptical.

"Sure he's a bit worse off than I'd expect, though maybe that's just the way he is." She offered. "I thought that he was just a glutton before, but he may actually need to eat that much. Wouldn't something like a… I don't know… heightened metabolism or something cause it?"

It was a possibility, but it didn't feel quite right. A metabolism that high didn't seem natural.

"Maybe." He conceded. "But that isn't the only thing. Take Wendy for example; she has an apparent sixth sense for things that are bordering on Ma… M… Mag… ugh, bordering on non-science. That isn't something that has an easy explanation."

The fire starter gave him an odd look as he stumbled over the word that he simply couldn't bring himself to use. Shaking her head, she gave a shrug.

"She and Abigail are twins right? And aren't twins supposed to have some sort of connection? Maybe being connected to her dead sister has something to do with it, or maybe she's just used to being around weird things. She does look like the kind of kid who would have grown up in a haunted house after all."

Wilson took the opportunity to sit down, resting his back against the partially frozen carcass behind him. He wanted to agree with her and say that he was just being paranoid, but he just couldn't.

"What about you?" He asked at last. "There was the incident in the forest. How exactly do you explain that?"

"You mean the one I hardly remember and get a migraine just trying to think about? You'll have to tell me on that one. I can't give my opinion on something I know nothing about."

"Fire sprung up from nowhere Willow! You turned into a living inferno!" He said, more harshly than he'd intended. Blowing out a sigh, his head leaned back into his furry pillow. "It's not just the world that's messed up, something's happening to us. Something that I don't understand. I want to just blame it all on Maxwell, but I don't even know if this is his doing or not."

She watched him silently for a minute or two. He didn't meet her eyes as his own gaze was focused on the sky but he could feel that she was starting to get unsettled.

"Listen." She said at last. "Maybe there is something crazy going on, but worrying about it right now won't help us. How about we start carving this thing up and get it cooking? That sound like a good idea? I'm sure it would be easier to think on a full stomach."

Willow offered a hand which he hesitantly accepted. With one strong pull, she brought him to his feet where he dusted off his pants. Wilson couldn't deny that the idea of eating something substantial for the first time in days was an appealing concept. Of course they had to skin and gut the thing first, and there was only one tool they had with them that was suited for such a task.

"You're getting that look again." Willow warned, prodding him in the side. "Didn't I just say not to worry? If we've got problems we'll deal with them when the time comes. Right now we just need to focus on staying alive."

"I know, I know." He assured. "It isn't that. It's something else. How about you get the fire nice and hot? I'll start on this… eh… cow thing and we can get cooking."

The prospect of making a larger fire instantly brightened her mood.

"Sure thing." She said. "I'll start piling on the logs. Be sure to give Wolfgang an extra-large helping. I think he needs it."

Wilson nodded even though she'd already turned away. Suppressing a shudder, he reached into his coat and drew out his knife. He'd done all he could to avoid looking at the cutting tool since his last encounter with it.

The more he examined the blade, the less at ease he was with holding it. Before his estranged self had decided to make some 'modifications', his knife had been starting to dull. Now, it bore a keen edge that looked brand new and had stayed perfectly sharp even though time should have worn it down.

And then of course, there was the gem.

By this point he knew full well that the gems were linked to unnatural powers. There had been a gem in Wolfgang's amulet, a gem in Willow's staff, and it wouldn't have surprised him if there was a gem in the divining rod. The one in his knife however, was different from the others.

The amulet had erupted in a massive burst of light, nearly blinding those who'd been watching. The staff also brightened when activated, though it was much less of a sudden burst and more of a sustained display. His gem however, was doing the opposite.

The other two had given off light as they were activated. This one seemed to get darker. The purple depths of the jewel had taken on a new sinister appearance as they shunned the light and drew in the shadows. Even during the height of the day it still refused to brighten even the smallest amount.

It was building up to something, Wilson could tell that much at least. He didn't know what was going to happen, and in all honesty he didn't want to know. He would be perfectly content if it never became anything other than an ordinary knife.

Shaking his head to dispel the worrisome thoughts, he turned back to the body of the beefalo. It would take a long time to carve this thing up properly. If nothing else, he'd find out whether or not the never-dulling-edge could stand up to thick animal hide.

Wendy typically had a very practical attitude when it came to survival. She wasn't above doing things that others considered revolting. When Wilson had announced that they were going to turn the animal skin from their dinner into new, warmer clothing, she hadn't so much as batted an eyelid at the concept. It was the logical thing to do after all.

Now however, several days later when they'd finally managed to turn the heap of flesh into something resembling clothing, she was starting to have second thoughts.

"Well? How do I look?"

There were a lot of ways she could have answered that. Very few of them would have resembled anything complementary.

"Wilson…" She began, doing her best to avoid showing her growing distaste. "…Why did you sew the horns into it…?"

The scientist looked down at his newly made hat, frowning as he did so.

"Mostly just for the sake of using them." He said. "Why? What's wrong with having a pair of horns on it? I think they look cool. Don't you?"

You look like the worst Viking ever.

Wendy was thankful that the dark of the night kept her expression largely hidden. Sitting near the edge of the firelight, she was only partially illuminated.

"It's… unique…" She offered slowly.

Wilson smiled, apparently misinterpreting her halting comment as approval.

"Don't worry." He said. "There's still plenty more of that thing to go around. I'll get started on a hat for you in the morning. I've even gotten a few ideas for other things to keep us warm. Picture this: a handheld stone that could retain the warmth of a fire over long periods of…"

Wendy nodded automatically, toning out much of his rambling words. So long as whatever he had planned for her didn't resemble the mound of ugly that he now wore on his head, she'd be content with it. She might be willing to help cut open something as disgusting as a mutated cow and even eat the tasteless, stringy, substance that was supposedly meat inside, but freezing was a more appealing option than wearing a hat like that.

"Hey! Mister genius man! I'm feeling a bit tired so would you mind taking first watch over the campfire tonight?"

Willow's voice interrupted the scientist's lengthy description of the nature of whatever invention he'd started thinking up. Blinking several times as he remembered where he was and what he was doing, he turned to give her a nod.

"Oh, yea sure." He said. "I'll do that. It should give me plenty of time to work out the kinks in my idea, maybe even get a bit of sewing done for the rest of the clothing we need."

The fire starter gave him a thumbs up before slumping down next to the fire. Wolfgang was already asleep. He'd improved a bit at first when they'd had a large amount of food from the hunt, but now that their supplies had started dwindling again he'd deteriorated as well. It was a disturbing thing to see, and another reason, along with the threat of wearing a cow hat, to get out of this world as soon as possible.

Wendy settled down in her own sleeping spot, using her pack as a pillow and drawing her own grass suit around herself tighter to help stave off the cold. Abigail took up a station nearby, offering a small amount of light though sadly she couldn't give any warmth to go with it.

Breathing out slowly, the girl let her eyes close and her mind start to drift. As she did so, she slowly became aware of a sound just on the periphery of her senses. She ignored it at first. Whatever it was, it probably wasn't all that important. It should go away after a while.

She got her first sense that something was off when the sound didn't simply go away. If anything, it got louder the longer she waited. Thoroughly annoyed by the thing that was determined to keep her awake, Wendy began concentrating to try and find out exactly what it was.

The more she focused the more she realized that it wasn't exactly a sound she was hearing but more of a feeling. Tiny tremors that echoed through the earth, getting progressively stronger with each passing moment. A knot of unease began to form in her stomach as she became more and more aware of it.

It was a steady rhythm, almost like the beating of a massive underground heart. She struggled to make sense of the odd sensation. It was something familiar. She couldn't quite put her finger on it, but she knew that it was something she heard often. As it got even stronger, realization suddenly struck her with the force of an oncoming train.

Footsteps.

Wendy was bolt-upright in an instant, startling Wilson with her sudden actions.

"We need to move!" She shouted. "Right now! We can't stay here!"

"Eh? We is leave now?" Wolfgang asked groggily, slowly awakening from her sudden outburst. Willow also got to her feet with concern on her face.

"What's wrong Wendy?" She questioned. "Did you have a bad dream or something?"

"Listen! Just listen!"

The nearly frantic tone in her voice must have made them understand that this was more serious than some childish fear. All three of them fell silent and did as they were told.

At first they didn't seem to notice it, but that changed quickly. Confusion and worry mixed on their faces as they detected the ominous sound.

"Please tell me that isn't what I think it is." Willow begged, looking around timidly at the shadow-smothered landscape. "Is there something out there?"

"N-No, can't be." Wilson insisted, shaking his head. "Something large enough to make an impact like that couldn't survive in a place like this. It would have to-"

His voice was suddenly drowned out by a massive chorus of panicked bellows. The wails of frantic beefalo echoed through the air only to be cut off with a massive crash that could be heard for miles around.

For a moment, there was silence. It didn't last long.

All four of the survivors felt panic grip them as a deafening roar shook the trees, reverberating through them like a verbal storm. It was a dreadful sound, low and heavy, being forcibly projected from some massive cavernous chest. They didn't need to be told that whatever had made the cry wasn't friendly.

"That sound bad!" Wolfgang shouted, trembling as he donned his crown and hoisted up his hammer. "What we do now? Where is there to go?"

"Stay by me!" Willow urged, ushering the group around her. "I can use my staff to make a light. Stay close, we need to get going before that thing gets here."

"Too late…"

Wendy's breathless remark brought a prickling sense of dread to the group. Turning to see what she was seeing, they were greeted by something out of their worst nightmares.

Wilson's mouth dropped open as his eyes took in the sight. A massive silhouette stood against the dimly moonlight night sky, towering above their feeble little camp as though they were nothing more than insects.

He could only stand there watching in terrified awe as am enormous limb was raised and began falling directly towards them.