Arthur didn't notice when he fell asleep but as he opened his eyes, the sun was already up but it didn't give him relief, knowing the beast was still lurking.
Under the forest canopy, thick branches tangled together like knotted rope, blocking most of the light. Only a few narrow beams broke through, spotlighting patches of moss and rotting leaves. The air was cold and damp, filled with the smell of wet bark and old dirt.
Arthur stepped over a fallen log and noticed that it had deep, uneven claw marks running across the wood , it looked fresh as it was still sharp at the edges
He crouched down, running his hand along one of the grooves. Bits of wood flaked off beneath his fingers.
"Fuck yea clues" he muttered. "Hehe you're not far."
He looked around the forest. The silence was heavy. No birds. No insects. Just wind brushing through the trees.
He straightened up, "Why the fuck is it so quiet, it must have ran through here" he said quietly.
Arthur's eyes narrowed and scanned the area. Spotting a faint paw prints leading off the trail, pressed deep into the damp soil. It looked like the Dreadmane had retreated this way after their last fight.
"I got you now" he muttered, following the tracks. "Alright then… let's finish what we started."
Arthur had tightened his grip on Lacrimosa and began walking, slow and steady, the forest around him growing quieter with every step.
He followed the trail of broken branches, disturbed leaves, and paw prints as he threads along the forest.
While walking Arthur's boots slid and caught himself on a root before tumbling face-first into a puddle of questionable color.
"Graceful as ever," he muttered. His arm still ached from the fight, but the bandage had held. Barely.
Arthur stopped as a sharp, coppery scent hit his nose. 'Fresh blood?'
Arthur pondered for a bit before muttering "Should I... lick it?", squinting like a detective. "You know, like in those books where the detective guy tastes blood and says something dramatic like, 'I'm close to the beast's trail."
He paused, looked around to make sure no one was watching, then sighed.
"Nope. what am i fucking idiot? That's how you get cursed. Or tetanus. Or both."
Arthur straightened up, brushing off his coat like he hadn't just seriously considered licking monster blood off the ground.
"I'll just follow the footprints like a normal idiot," he muttered, and marched on. While following the trail a little farther, he heard a low growl.
Instinctively Arthur dropped low, crouching behind a thick bush. He peeked through the branches and there it was.
The Dreadmane crouched near a stream, licking at a wound on its side. Up close, Arthur noticed something odd. Its thick black fur was matted and wet, stained with blood and mud.
One of its back legs trembled as it stood. The Dreadmane wasn't just bleeding from where he struck it from before. It had fresh wounds. A bullet hole near its side, still oozing dark blood and a few shallow cuts across on its body and face.
'Someone else had fought it recently.' Arthur thought, 'looks like im not the only thats hunting this thing'
A grin had begun to rise at the corner of Arthur's lips. "So… it hasn't fully recovered yet," he muttered,
Arthur weighed his options. 'Should I wait for the other hunters? But i'll risk losing this beast and plus they might be so welcoming in splitting the bounty'
Arthur exhaled slowly. "Screw it. I'll take it down now before it recovers, time for some payback"
A faint glow flickered to life in his palm Light Conjuring: Illumination.
The glow burst outward, a sharp flash of white that lit up the trees and stunned the beast where it stood.
"Feels nice right hehe" As Arthur sprinted towards the beast and when he got closer, He once again opened his hand and pointed it towards the beast.
As a blinding flash lit up the forest, gold light bouncing off wet rocks and shallow water. The Dreadmane roared, stumbling back, one paw raised to shield its eyes.
Arthur now was able to close the distance between him and the beast, Lacrimosa in both hands. His boots splashed through the creek as he brought the blade down in a heavy arc, straight into the beast's shoulder.
The steel bit deep as the Dreadmane shrieked, its paw swiping wildly. Arthur ducked low, narrowly avoiding a blow that would've crushed his skull. He rolled backwards dodging the attacks, catching his breath. His heartbeat thundered in his ears.
The beast immediately recovered. The Dreadmane's head snapped up and shook its head. Its eyes glowed with that same unnatural red, as he looked at Arthur full of hate. It snarled, foam and saliva dripping from its jaws.
Arthur stood up, thinking what he should do next 'fck how is it still this strong even after all that damage' he thought. 'Gotta slowly wear it out and accumulate all that damage''
The Dreadmane charged.
Arthur ran to meet it.They collided and clashed with the beast's claw. Arthur ducked under a swipe, slashed across its ribs, then jumped back before it could counter. The beast spun, tail whipping out that caught Arthur in the ribs and sent him tumbling sideways.
"Ghh—son of a bitch!" he wheezed, sliding through the grass. Arthur pushed himself up, coughing. His shoulder was bruised. But he grinned anyway.
The Dreadmane wasn't about to give him time. It charged once more, foam spilling from its jaws, its mane matted with sweat and blood. Its breath came in deep, guttural huffs as it barreled toward him.
Arthur then used "Veil of Grace." and the pain stopped just like that. His breathing steadied, muscles tightened, and gained his strength back. In a heartbeat, his body was back to fighting shape.
Arthur raised his hand and the Dreadmane flinched, thinking a flash of light would light up once again in Arthur's palms, but no light came
"Gotcha!" Arthur yelled while laughing.
He lunged forward, feinted low, then twisted his sword upward right into the beast's jaw. It roared in pain but Arthur didn't stop. He slashed again, then again carving a deep line across its neck. Black blood sprayed the rocks.
The Dreadmane staggered. Arthur pressed the attack with one more swing, and Lacrimosa buried itself in the creature's chest.
The beast froze. Then it collapsed, the weight of its body thudding against the earth like a felled tree. Arthur stood over it, gasping, soaked in the beast's blood. Arthur then stopped activating the Veil of grace, Arthur then felt the pain he once got.
The creek trickled behind him and the rustle of wind through the trees. He fell to his knees, letting Lacrimosa clatter to the ground.
"Well. That was horrifying, and how am I supposed to bring this thing back to the town" Arthur muttered as he seriously thought of what to do with the dead beast.
He took a deep breath and stared up at the canopy above. The leaves had started to shift in the breeze, letting strips of light fall over=. One landed on the Dreadmane's still body. Arthur stood there watching the beast bleed out, his mind was wandering.
Then— click.
A sharp mechanical sound, familiar and distinctly not from nature, broke the stillness. Arthur tensed, hand instinctively sliding toward Lacrimosa.
"Easy there, friend," came a voice—smooth, with a peculiar accent. "If I meant to shoot you, I'd have done it already."
Arthur sat up slowly, eyes narrowing. From between two trees, a figure stepped into view. The man wore a long gray duster coat. His boots were cracked brown leather, caked in old mud.
A black tricorn hat sat on his head, tilted slightly back, revealing tousled chestnut hair and a few days' worth of stubble. In his gloved right held a falchion sword while in the left hand, he held a flintlock pistol polished, ornate, and pointed towards Arthur.
Arthur blinked. "Okay now, calm down man I don't want any trouble," he said, voice hoarse. "Hmm, from the looks of it you're the other hunter that wounded this dreadmane?"
The man grinned, flashing white teeth under his dusty mustache. "Well now now, no need to be so tense" lowering his gun.
He then strolled forward, stepping over Dreadmane's corpse with barely a glance. "Name's Ainsley. Ainsley Cobb, wanderer by nature and drinker by necessity."
Ainsley offered a quick, theatrical bow, then gestured with the flintlock. "And you, sir, just robbed me of a paycheck."
"didnt think anyone else would be willing to take on the bounty" Arthur was relieved but also was being very wary of the stranger that had just shown himself.
"Damn straight." Ainsley holstered the pistol, flicking open the chamber with ease. "Got the posting in Lornwick three days ago. A nasty creature heard it mauled a merchant, two lumbermen, and a bard. Can you imagine? Bastard interrupted a ballad. No soul."
Arthur let out a weak laugh, finally pulling himself to his feet with a groan. "Well, sorry to ruin your bonus, Cobb."
Ainsley gave a low whistle, circling the body with the casual confidence of a man inspecting a fine steak. "That's a clean kill. Real clean and you took it down all by your lonesome"
Arthur nodded, trying not to look as sore, while lowering his weapon.
Ainsley chuckled. "Well, however you did it, I'm impressed. Not many folks walk away from an encounter with a Dreadmane. Most end up... well, less walk-y."
He leaned down to look at the beast's face. Ainsley squinted. "Well, I guess it was you who tagged this thing first. When I set my trap, it already had a few nasty cuts on it." he muttered before looking at Arthur.
Arthur nodded in response "it tried to ambush me yesterday, but i was able to hold it down somehow"
They stood in silence for a moment, only the sound of water trickling nearby and the quiet drip of blood from the Dreadmane's fur.
Breaking the silence, Ainsley asked "Name?", tipping his hat back slightly.
"Arthur," he replied. "Just Arthur."
Ainsley replied "Well, Just Arthur, what say you and I haul this beauty back to town and split the bounty?"
Arthur hesitated. His body still ached all over. The fight had taken more out of him than he wanted to admit. He looked down at the Dreadmane's corpse, then at Ainsley, who was already stretching his arms.
Arthur let out a slow sigh. "Alright deal, But as you can see, I can barely move. You'll have to haul it yourself for now." He rolled his shoulder with a wince. "I'll help once I get a bit of strength back."
Ainsley chuckled, resting his hands on his hips. "Sounds like a plan,"