— Abraham Grimveil, “Facing the Darkness: A Hunter’s Manual,” page 117
For weeks now, Emily had looked across Star Lake, and seen the Dainford Estate on the other side of it.
It sat on the gentle slope of the mountainside and was just high enough to have an overview of the town. From a distance, it looked considerably grander than any of the other buildings in Cresthill Valley, like a small castle made of bricks and shingles. Emily wanted to see it closer, but she didn’t have the time to do so.
For weeks now Emily had seen it from afar, but she had never ventured over to get a closer look.
That is, until today.
She followed Mina along the long, paved road that wound around the bank of the lake. It led them past the brick fence framing the property, and into the carefully curated garden that sprawled in front of the estate.
“What are we doing here?” Emily asked.
Mina let out a long, annoyed sigh as they ascended the short flight of steps to the entrance. “The Mayor wants to speak to me.” There was a resentment to her tone.
Emily frowned. “So… why am I here?”
Mina shot her a sideways look. “Because there’s a monster lurking near Cresthill, and I’m going to show you how to hunt it.”
Emily’s heart skipped a beat. A monster? Lurking somewhere around here? She knew she’d have to come face-to-face with a monster one day, but she wasn’t expecting it to be so soon. She wondered as to what kind it could be. Something small? Big? “What kind of monster?” she finally asked.
“That’s what we’re here to figure out. Once he tells us where it happened and anything else that may be important, we’ll go look for clues.”
“So he doesn’t know either?”
“He’s seen more than we have. Doesn’t matter if it’s as faint as a smell or an uneasy feeling, whatever he has to say could help us figure out what monster we’re dealing with.” Mina knocked on the front door, and after a few moments, it creaked open to reveal a housemaid, a stern-looking woman dressed in a crisp, dark uniform. Her sharp eyes landed on Mina, and she paused. Her expression shifted to one of annoyance. Then, she stepped aside to let them in.
“He’s on the balcony,” she said flatly before turning away.
Emily barely had time to take in the grandeur of the foyer before Mina was already moving forward, her boots clicking against the polished marble floor.
The inside of the estate was even more lavish than Emily had imagined. Crystal chandeliers bathed the space in a warm, golden glow. Dark wooden paneling lined the walls, interspersed with oil paintings of stern, noble-looking men and poised women.
They climbed the staircase to the second floor, their footsteps muffled by an elaborate, wine-colored carpet. The air smelled of aged parchment, wax, and the faintest trace of pipe smoke.
“Pay attention to what I ask him,” Mina said, leading the way down a long corridor, stopping before a set of double doors that opened onto the balcony. At a small, circular table sat a man dressed in a fine, dark suit, a pocket watch chain glinting against his vest. His silver-streaked hair was neatly combed back, and his beard trimmed. A book lay open in one hand, and a glass of amber liquid resting beside it.
He didn’t acknowledge them at first, finishing the last few lines on the page before finally lifting his gaze. His eyes settled on Mina, his mouth curving into something that might have been a smirk if it weren’t so devoid of warmth.
“Miss Grimshaw,” he said in a rich and grizzled voice, aged like the whiskey in his glass. “You’re earlier than expected.”
Mina crossed her arms. “Figured I’d get this over with.”
He looked at Emily, and his brow arched. “And who’s the half-pint?”
She bristled. “I’m Emily.”
Mina barely glanced at her. “My apprentice.”
The older man let out a short, humorless chuckle. “Apprentice? You?” He leaned back in his chair. “Didn’t think the day would come when anyone but Jonathan and that shameless blacksmith would want to spend time around a vampire.”
Mina’s eye twitched, but she let his comment slide. “So, where did it happen?”
Lord Elric Dainford tilted his head slightly. “You’re dodging the proper introductions, as usual. Emily, was it?”
She nodded stiffly.
“It’s always a pleasure to see a new face in our community,” he said, tipping his hat, but his voice made it clear the sentiment was purely obligatory. “I’m Lord Elric Dainford, the mayor.”
“And I’m… well, the apprentice.”
“That I can see.” He set his book aside, crossing one leg over the other as he leaned back in his chair. “Now, let's get down to business.”
“A monster, right?” Emily asked.
“Precisely. And at a most inopportune time, as always.”
Mina’s eyes narrowed. “An attack or a sighting?”
“An attack. However, fortunately, this is not the case for any of our citizens. The shepherds by the southern pastures found several sheep from their flock mutilated this morning.”
Emily winced. “Mutilated?”
“Torn apart,” he said casually. “Nothing more than heaps of blood and bones.”
“Did the shepherds hear anything?” Mina asked.
Lord Elric Dainford shook his head. “Not a bleat.”
She folded her arms. “And you’re certain it’s a monster? Not a pack of wolves? Or a bear? Maybe a joker with a twisted sense of humor?”
“No man can do what happened to those sheep.”
Mina’s expression remained the same. “You’d be surprised.”
He chuckled humorlessly. “No man in this valley can do what was done. Except, perhaps, you. But I know good and well we’ve already given you your monthly donation of sheep’s blood.”
“Sheep's blood?” Emily asked, looking at Mina, but before she could open her mouth to explain, Emily realized it was a stupid thing to ask.
“Vampires need blood to survive, Emily. Where it comes from doesn’t matter.”
“Regardless,” Lord Elric Dainford continued, waving his hand dismissively, “the shepherds came to me before dawn, and I went down to see the carnage myself. A horrid sight. Still is, I imagine. I instructed them to leave the bodies untouched until you could investigate.”
“How thoughtful of you,” Mina muttered.
Lord Elric Dainford chuckled. “I am the thoughtful sort.” He took a sip from the amber liquid and sighed. “And let me tell you, this attack comes at the worst possible time. The sheep are nearly prime for shearing.” He turned his gaze to Emily, who straightened under the sudden attention. “You are familiar with our town, no?”
“Um… I’ve only been here for a month or so.”
He smirked. “Well, you see, Emily, we take great pride in our woven fabrics here. Our sheep graze only on grass grown from the purest soil, tended with care passed down through generations. Our wool is softer, stronger, richer than any you’ll find elsewhere.”
Emily nodded politely, though looked toward Mina, uncertain how to respond. Lord Elric Dainford wasn't looking for a reply though, that much was clear in how he spoke. He rambled on, as though savoring the sound of his own voice. “The Tailor uses our wool exclusively, crafting garments that fetch a high price in neighboring towns, and even infar-off retailers in Peccatum, Elkvale, and Brozegr?d. Our real estate holdings ensure that Cresthill Valley remains independent and unbothered by the politics of the wider region. We thrive because we are better, in skill, in product, and in tradition.”
Emily stared off at the shape of the mountaintops. She wondered how long he would keep talking.
“No doubt,” he continued, “if those money-hungry swine from Peccatum ever found their way down here, they’d tear our fields apart. They would level our homes, and raise ugly factories in their place. The scent of iron and smoke would poison our land. That is why it is imperative that monster problems are resolved quickly. If our sheep are threatened, our wool is threatened, and if our wool is threatened—”
“—then so is the valley,” Mina finished dryly, cutting through his monologue.
Lord Elric Dainford smiled thinly. “Exactly.”
Mina exhaled slowly, her arms still crossed. “Well, if the creature only took a few sheep, rather than slaughtering the entire flock, it suggests something.” She glanced at Emily, then back to Lord Elric Dainford. “It wasn’t killing for sport. It killed because it was hungry. If it was a large pack, or a creature killing for sport, it would have taken more, if not all of them. So we're likely dealing with a single creature, or a small pack. Four, maybe five at most. And given our region and the prey, it’s safe to assume we’re looking at a beast, not an insectoid.”
Emily frowned. “But if it’s just hungry… why would it stop at a few? Why not eat as much as it could?”
“Because it isn’t stupid. Creatures that survive know better than to overhunt. Take too much, and there’s nothing left next time. It takes what it needs, and it moves on.”
“Or it plans to come back,” Lord Elric Dainford said softly. “When it’s hungry again.”
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“Which is why I’ll look into it. Tonight.”
Lord Elric Dainford smiled. “Good. The sooner the better.”
Mina turned and gestured for Emily to follow her.
“Oh, and Mina, do be sure that this little side project of yours doesn’t distract you from your responsibilities.”
She glanced over her shoulder. “I’m providing enough.”
“Might I remind you that you're part of this community too? The agreement remains: your expertise and service, in exchange for blood and lodging. If you fall behind in either, then I cannot guarantee your place here.”
Emily looked between them. Her chest tightened at the tone of Lord Elric Dainford’ voice. He had to be brave to openly threaten a vampire like Mina. Or stupid.
Mina didn’t give him an answer. She continued on, and Emily hurried after her.
The sun was too bright today.
Mina’s wide-brimmed hat shielded her face, but the sunlight still pressed against her skin. It cast shadows beneath the barn’s overhang and along the four-and-a-half-foot stone fence that circled the pasture. The top was jagged and uneven, capped with a split-rail fence for added height. It was sturdy and reinforced, sure, but still, nothing a determined predator couldn’t scale.
The surviving sheep huddled together at the far edge of the pasture, being watched over by one of Cresthill Valley’s two shepherds. They were bleating, and baaing so loud and frequently it was impossible to ignore. Across the bloodstained grass, the mutilated corpses lay scattered.
The air smelled of blood, rot, and something else. Mina inhaled deeply. Dog. Not the ones that the shepherds used. It was more musky, and wild.
Emily silently walked beside Mina. Her breathing was a little quicker than usual, a little too shallow. Nerves. Mina didn’t blame the girl. Emily was inexperienced, but so was she when she first started out. Her master had thrown her headfirst into the fray, giving her nothing but her bare fists against monsters twice her size, and without an ounce of knowledge beforehand. Then again, she had powers Emily didn’t. Enhanced speed, strength, sight, and smell. She had an advantage. Emily was still a girl, one who had only just recovered from her malnourishment, and gotten a grasp on magic. Though she was still terribly skinny, she looked significantly better. Less like a walking corpse and more like a human of flesh and blood. Getting her involved was still the best way to train her. She needed the girl strong, capable, self-reliant. It would be safer to let her merely observe the hunt, but there was no better practice than getting hands on, and the girl could handle a gun well enough. Mina understood her role well enough. As Emily’s instructor, it was her job to help her arrive at the ‘right’ conclusion to a problem on their own, rather than being told what to do. She needed to strengthen Emily’s independent problem-solving and critical thinking. She wasn’t always going to be there to protect the girl, afterall. But how she could teach her here without holding the girls hand… Mina wasn’t sure.
For now, she needen’t worry. They needed to first figure out what kind of monster they were dealing with, she could plan her approach on teaching Emily to hunt after that. Walking her through the steps for the rest of the hunt seemed like the easiest way to go about doing it. She needed to start now though, make her observations more verbal. She wasn’t used to transcribing her thought process, but she would have to so Emily could learn.
Mina slowed her walk, motioning Emily to her side. “Take note of the fence,” she said. “Stone base, reinforced with wood. Four and a half feet. Good for keeping sheep in, but not so good for keeping monsters out.”
Emily nodded and scanned the fence, though Mina wondered how much of it she actually saw.
They reached the fence where a small group of shepherds lingered. One of them, a man with deep-set eyes and a weather-beaten face, stepped forward. He looked tired. His hands were stained with dirt and blood.
“Remember,” Mina said to Emily. “pay attention to what I ask him.” She stepped to the fence, nodding to the shepherd. “You were here this morning?”
He gave her the same expression half the town did. “Aye,” he said with a nod. “We all were.”
“What time did you leave the flock last night?”
“Just after dusk. Pen was closed, and the sheep were settled.”
Mina looked over the stone wall fence. There were no obvious signs of disturbance. But whatever came through wouldn’t have left marks if it didn’t need to. She hadn’t seen any on the outskirts of the wall as they walked past it, but that was only one side. With the forest not far away, the monster likely came from that direction.
“And when did you find them?” she then asked.
“First light. We come early. Before the sun’s too high, and before the morning mist has time to fade. And… well.” He didn’t need to finish. The smell had already said enough.
Mina nodded. “And you left them out at night to roam?”
“One of the new farm hands didn’t lock the barn proper. Musta wandered out.”
“Mhm… Anything strange before that? Anything odd with the flock? Unusual noises at night? Any of the sheep show signs of nervousness?”
The man hesitated, brow furrowing. “No… I mean, they’ve been skittish lately. But we thought that was just the weather turning. Or…” He trailed off, shrugging. “Could’ve been anything. They didn’t bolt. And nothing’s gotten into the pasture before.”
“Alright then,” Mina said. “Keep them in the barn tonight, just to be safe.”
Emily hesitated before trailing behind Mina as she stepped out onto the pasture. The bodies lay scattered. Flies were swarming the open wounds. Several sheep were little more than scattered bone and flesh, their bodies ravaged so thoroughly that Mina could barely distinguish one corpse from another. But two lay separate, untouched in the sense that they were still mostly intact. They bathed in a large pool of blood and secreted a smell so pungent it made Mina’s nose wrinkle. The smell of rotting animal carcasses was a unique smell, to say the least. Any carcass for that matter smelled, but it was always the animals that got to her the most. She never understood why, but it was something about the fumes they secreted on death that rubbed her the wrong way, not like in the way human corpses did.
Emily gagged behind her. She turned away, hunched slightly, as though afraid she might be sick. “Oh gods,” she choked. “What the hell? How does it not bother you?”
Mina crouched beside the nearest corpse, her coat brushing against the blood-soaked grass. It was one of the only sheep left partially intact, and strangely, there were no tracks around it. No sign that anything else was here aside from the sheep, whose back was a mess of torn flesh and shredded muscle. The gouges were deep but clumsy, as though whatever attacked had been more interested in keeping the animal down than killing it. Blood matted the fur, congealing in thick, dark patches beneath the open wounds. The fatal blow came from the neck. Something had taken a large bite out of it, shattering the trachea and leaving bits of bone fragments in the red muscle.
She pressed two fingers along the torn edge of the neck wound, feeling for how deep the wound was and from what direction. The wound squished as her pointer finger was swallowed up in the mushy red skin. It was soft, almost like dragging her finger through cold mashed potatoes. She pulled it out and blood ran down her finger.
“Emily. Come here.”
She flinched. “Do I have to? Can’t I just… watch from here?”
Mina didn’t even look up. “Examining the corpse is part of the process. You’ll learn more from the body than the ground it died on.”
There was a long, tense pause. Mina could almost feel Emily’s discomfort. But after a breath, Emily crouched down beside her.
Mina glanced at her. “What do you see?”
Emily’s nose wrinkled. “Blood. A lot of blood.”
Mina waited.
Emily swallowed, her eyes darting across the gore. “And… more blood?”
“Look closer.” She traced her finger along the jagged neck wound. “Here. See this?”
Emily’s face was paled, but she forced herself to look. “I… I wish I couldn’t.”
“It’s a bite. Look at the size of it right here. And here. The teeth marks are jagged, but they’re all aligned properly. We can tell the jaw was smaller because of the circumference of the bite here, see. So, what does that tell us?”
“That… the monster was small?”
Mina nodded. “And look here.” She turned the corpse over. “The claw marks here, here, and here, are shallow. It rules out talons and elongated claws. And because of the size of them, we can tell they came from smaller claws. The creature wasn’t trying to kill with it’s claws, it was trying either trying to pin down the sheep or slow it down. The fatal wound came from the bite.”
“So… it’s definitely a smaller monster?” Emily asked, breathing a small sigh of relief.
“Not quite.” Mina sat back on her heels, wiping her bloodied fingers on the grass. “Larger monsters are slower. Easier to avoid. Smaller ones are faster. Harder to track. Harder to shoot.”
Emily groaned. “Great. Just what I wanted to hear.”
“Claws are indicative traits of beasts, but they’re not exclusive. It was likely a quadruped.”
Emily blinked. “What’s that?”
“A creature that walks on four legs. A predator that kills quickly, eats what it needs, and leaves the rest. Seeing as there are at least a dozen dead sheep, I’d say we're looking at a pack creature. Likely canine.”
Emily glanced toward the huddled, frightened flock, then furrowed her brow. “But how did it get in?”
Mina led Emily toward the edge of the pasture. “It would have had to jump the fence.” She led her along the length of the stone wall until she found what she expected. Claw marks. Scratched into the stone. They were faint but unmistakable. Mina crouched, tracing the gouges with her fingertips. “They came from this way.” She nodded toward the dark line of the forest beyond the pasture. Then her gaze fell to the ground. In the grass was an odd patch of fur. She plucked it free, holding it up to the light. The tuft was grayish, and coarse, and carried a strange, acrid scent that almost disappeared beneath the overpowering stench of the sheep carcasses. It was the same scent she’d caught earlier when they first approached the pasture.
“What… what is that?”
“The last piece in our puzzle.”
Emily tilted her head. “We… we have all we need?”
Mina nodded. “Mhm. It’s a Sangrevoro.”
Emily stared. “A… what?”
“A Sangrevoro. Canine-like monster. Mangy, skinny, but deadly. Hunts in packs. Light on its feet, hardly leaves tracks behind. Small, fast. Average claw size, powerful jaws.”
“W-Wait, how do you know?”
“The clearest sign was when Lord Elric Dainford said the sheep hadn't made a sound. Sheep aren’t quiet animals. And the shepherds live close enough that they would’ve heard a commotion. The monster wouldn’t have killed all of them fast enough either. The only way it would have been able to keep all the sheep quiet is if it took away their ability to make any noise at all.”
“What do you mean?”
“Sangrevoro can emit a field of silence. Anything caught inside it except them can’t hear a thing. It’s how they hunt. No footsteps, no growls, no cries for help. Nothing.”
Emily took a deep, shaky breath. “Okay. So… they just… make things silent?”
“They don’t make the victim silent. They make the entire area silent. You wouldn’t even hear them coming.”
“... but if you couldn’t hear anything, wouldn’t you know they’re coming?”
Mina held back a smirk. “You know what I mean. They're dangerous. “
“So… what do we do now?” Emily asked hesitantly.
Mina looked back toward the field. Know she had to make the decision. What was the best approach for this? Putting Emily against a pack would be too risky. The girl was experienced, but not that experienced. If she could isolate one or two Sangrevoro for Emily to take out on her own, that might work. Luckily, she knew how Sangrevoro packs behaved. They were strategic, and she could use their tactics to her advantage.
“They’ll be back tonight,” Mina said. “We’ll wait for them. Use something to lure them in.”
“Like bait?”
Mina nodded.
“Where do we get that?”
Mina stared at her, watching as realization slowly spread across her face.
“Woah, woah, you’re not using me as bait.”
“I didn’t say you.”
“Why are you looking at me like that then?”
“I’m waiting for you to figure it out.”
“Figure what out?”
“What we’ll use as bait.”
Emily glanced around. “Uh… not me, please.”
Mina slumped her shoulders. “Look around, Emily.”
She scanned the field, her gaze finally landing on the sheep. “Oh.”
“If we keep the sheep locked in the barn tonight, they should be safe. The Sangrevoro already have their scent, so they’ll return looking. They’ll try to find a way in. They’ll come from the forest, and circle the barn, testing it for a way in.” She pointed at the hayloft doors. “We’ll set up in there, wait for them to show. They have a strategy if their hunt doesn’t go well. Any of them end up injured, and they’ll emit a signal to the rest of the pack as a warning. They’ll flee, try to lure the attacker to a spot where they can all ambush them. Usually, thats where the Alpha will be waiting.”
“Alpha?”
“Always one with a pack. Strongest of them, bigger too. Bulky, fast, powerful. We’ll use the rifle, shoot one of them from afar. They’ll try luring me into a trap.”
“Wait, you’re going to go after them? Even though you know it is a trap?”
“They can’t do anything to me.”
“What about me?”
“You’re staying put, and observing what you can. I don’t want you getting involved yet. You’re not ready.”
Emily crossed her arms. “Okay, I may not have killed a monster before, but I can handle myself.”
“We’ll see.” Mina ushered Emily back toward the barn. “They won’t be able to scale the walls to the hay doors, so as long as you’re up there, you’ll be safe.”
Emily bit her lip as she glanced nervously toward the barn. “You’re sure I’ll be safe?”
“I’m sure. As long as you do as I say.” Mina couldn’t help but wonder if this might just work. She was truthful to Emily, but she had kept one detail from the girl. When the Sangrevoro send out their cry for help, the pack would change their objective, all but for a few of them. Some would stay behind, and return to the scene of their hunt to get their prey while their attacker was away. If she were to leave Emily on her own, no doubt one or two Sangrevoro would linger behind for her to finish off. She just had to hope Emily wouldn’t do anything stupid without her supervision.
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