FSE

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"To the hunt!", Venn called, raising a cup in toast.

"And many more!", those gathered at their table answered in discordant chorus.

Holis drank swift and greedy, the need to put their last battle behind them her prime concern for the moment. Though it seemed to quench her thirst as it flowed down her throat, soon after she felt dry as though it'd never been there to begin with. Strangely apt for their hollow celebration.

"This day we do away with the veil of firsts. Stand and state your names for all to remember.", Venn called with a wave of her cup, then got up herself. "I am Venntris Setrik. I've nine beasts slain to my name, and participation in thirty two hunts, during which a hundred and two monstrosities met their end.", she announced, then took a hardy gulp of her drink and sat down.

Next rose the grey and brown wolfess, her arms and torso currently covered in bandages peeking from beneath her loose shirt. "I am Iaktala Rolt. I've two kills to my name. I've taken part in one hunt, during which eight beasts met their end.", she announced, then took a swig of her cup.

As the procession of boasts proceeded around the table, Holis sunk back into her own mind. She hardly felt like celebrating. Her cup was now empty, and she couldn't seem to get a refill. Her own boast would seem particularly empty without booze.

She looked around the faces at the table - some looked proud to be there, some indifferently staring off into space, others morose as her. In particular she noted how Dreiti, sat next to Ren, merely observed her cup sadly.

"Can you help her?", Holis asked towards Ren.

"Oh. Of course.", Ren said, then picked up the cup and put it up for Dreiti to drink from.

The armless ewe nodded and took a sip, at which point Holis realized the entire table was staring at them.

"What are you doing?", asked Fellis from across the table.

"Helping Dreiti.", Holis said, looking rather adamant.

"Who?", Iakta asked critically.

Holis felt at a loss to explain herself. She'd forgotten of their adamance to banish the names of those who fell on their first outing, but all the same she did not wish to accept it.

"Dreiti.", Ren now repeated for her.

It was at that point that Holis heard Fellis give out a horrifying gargle. As though fearing to see what she expected there, Holis hesitated to turn and look at her, but then finally did just that.

Fellis's headless corpse sat there, twitching obscenely as blood seeped over the table and inside the cup before her. Above stood Venn... except it wasn't her exactly. Her body was hers, but her mouth was like that of a tsilch, split into four and filled with razor sharp teeth. Holis looked towards others in question, but soon realized they were all tsilch-mouthed as well.

---

Holis woke with a start, her entire being shivering in shock as she struggled to determine what was real. She felt threatened, as though her life was really in danger, even once it began to settle in her mind that it'd all been a dream. Or at least in part. Real memories had crept into her nightmare, she realized, though it was difficult to determine which parts were just that.

Regaining focus of the present, she began to assess where she was. It was dark, and she was lying upon a bed. Not her own. Of that buck she'd met before. Cathhan. That wasn't a dream, was it? She'd met Cathhan of the Hated Sons and he... simply used her. The feeling between her legs certainly seemed to confirm it. She'd welcomed it at the time, but she wasn't certain what to think of it now. All she knew for certain was that she was deathly thirsty, and so with trembling hands, she reached around the nearby cupboard, finding a jug with some liquid. Greedily she chugged it down with only a quick sniff to confirm it wasn't some less benign liquid. It proved to be plain water, sweet as honey to her parched lips.

She sat there in contemplation for nearly an hour, occasionally further quenching her thirst as she pondered why she'd been so content with being so degraded. She began to wonder if perhaps she felt she'd deserved that much after so many of her comrades failed to make it back and then weren't even granted the dignity of proper memorialization. All they'd done was bring their bodies back, and even that wasn't much of a mercy, as they were only returned to be sold as meat to the less discerning butchers. She herself had been lucky, both to have been blessed with enough fortune to afford greater protection than her comrades, but also not to have been more targeted by the beasts during their encounter. So much of that day had come down to luck, she had to wonder how little a difference could've meant her life.

Just then, the door to the room opened, light streaming inside from behind a figure standing at its threshold. An oil lamp soon activated, revealing the one entering to be the room's owner.

"Finally awake.", Cathhan noted. He was dressed in the red and black of his band, a splendid tunic of subtly patterned silk upon his shoulders. "Feeling better?", he asked.

"Somewhat.", Holis said, rubbing the sleep from her eyes. Still holding the jug of water, she started to drink it down some more. "Need to pee, though.", she noted.

"Chamber pot's in the corner.", Cathhan said with a wave of his hand.

Holis nodded and got out of bed, unsteady of step as she approached. It was somewhat off-putting to be watched like this, even after all they'd done. "Going to watch?", she asked with some annoyance.

"If it bothers you.", Cath said with a smirk and turned away.

As Holis crouched down and began to do her business, some thoughts of the last day crossed her mind. "How did we meet exactly?", she asked.

"Hm? Well, you were already pretty intoxicated by then. I was standing by the bar, you came up and grabbed me by the balls.", Cath explained with a sense of cheer.

Holis raised a brow. That sounded very much unlike her. Then again, she was in a different state of mind the other day. And perhaps she still was.

"You talked of how you killed a tsilch with your group. I thought that was pretty impressive.", Cath said with a smile. "Weren't making that up, were you?", he asked teasingly.

"No.", Holis said with a mild smile as she finally closed the chamber pot and walked back to the bed.

"After a couple more, we went up here, and well, fucked.", Cath said in a matter-of-fact manner.

"Did I enjoy it, at least?", Holis asked with a tilted brow.

"At first, anyway.", Cath said with a rub of his chin. "By the time I'd finished, you fell asleep.", he said, finding the situation rather entertaining.

"Great.", Holis said in a deadpan tone. She'd risked a pregnancy for the sake of some terrible sex. "Don't suppose you'd show me a proper time now, hm?", she asked.

"Afraid I'm not up to it for the moment.", Cath said, sounding somewhat regretful. "Got a hunt coming up. Kind of sours my thoughts.", he said.

"Even for one such as you?", Holis asked in disbelief.

"Even I.", Cath said with a morose smile.

"God. It doesn't get easier, then.", Holis said, rubbing her forehead as she recalled her nightmare.

"To some extent it does. Just never routine.", Cath said. "No matter your experience, there's always that dose of luck you need to make it back.", he said. "You might not see the spiker that sends a needle through your eye. Or the bagger that swallows you up. Some things are just beyond your control.", he went on, his words bringing some less than pleasant images into Holis's mind.

"Hope we both make it back, then.", Holis said.

"As do I.", Cath said with a renewed smile. "Stay sober enough and I promise to give you a proper bedding then.", he added with a suggestive grin.

"Will try.", Holis said with a subtle smile of her own.

"For now, however.", Cath began as he approached the side of the bed where she yet sat naked. He then abruptly leaned in and took hold of her under her back and knees.

"Hey!", Holis protested as she was lifted off the bed.

"I'm taking you to meet some friends.", Cath announced.

Holis immediately went red in the face. "What? Hold on, not like this!", she protested, one hand now reaching underneath her rear to cover her hole while the other pressed against her breasts.

Cath answered her no more, and they went out the door onto a semi-occupied corridor.

"You prick!", Holis screeched, terrified to be pulled out into the open like this.

But Cath continued to ignore and carry her down a flight of steps and into a bigger tavern room. He seemed to take a quick look in search of someone, then began to walk there, all the while Holis could only continue to cover herself in abject horror. Her one compense in all this was that she hardly stood out among all the whores walking about in the nude on their own. Even a couple of the male patrons seemed largely unconcerned with clothes at times. More surprisingly, among them she spotted one of her fellow Sky Songs, Ren, presently getting plugged from both sides. Holis very much hoped she did so willingly.

"What you got there?", Holis heard a voice ask. She turned to find they approached a table lined with the black and red of the Hated Sons, the various assembled faces overjoyed at the sight of her nude form.

"This... is Holis.", Cath said as he placed her on the table. "She's a huntsman of the Sky Songs.", he announced. Left on the table with her bare butt resting on the rough wood, she could only glare at the buck in anger.

"Oh! I've heard of them!", one among them, a fox shouted in faux-delight. "All-women band. Pretty ones, apparently.", he said with a sense of joy. This one Holis recognized as Joskur, renowned for his aim with all weapons ranged, and had earned a kill with seemingly every such weapon imaginable, from a stationary cannon, through guns, bows and spears, down to simple thrown rocks.

"Does she speak?", another, a great black horse asked. This one was Korthus, known as a powerhouse of a man who'd killed three beasts by hand alone.

"Just a bit shy.", Cath said with his typical smile. "Say hello, Holis.", he said towards the doe.

"I'm not meeting your friends with my cunt to the wind.", Holis said sternly, only to be met with laughter. She then felt a poke at her side, then another at the hand covering her groin. Her face couldn't possibly grow any redder. "Stop!", she hissed.

"Alright, enough.", Cath said with a laugh and pulled her off the table and onto a chair. At the very least she could now cover herself easier. "She's got a biter to her name.", he said, giving her a pat on the back.

"Hah! Well done, girl!", Joskur said. "Like 'em tough, eh, Cath?", he then asked.

"You know me, I'll take any that's pretty and spreads their legs.", Cath said with a laugh. Holis very much hoped he was just posturing among his peers. She hardly liked being viewed as an easy fuck. "And well, she's not my property. You're free to try your luck as well.", he then added, at which Holis raised a brow, to which he gave her a reassuring wink. Apparently he wanted her to get some today, even if he could not provide it.

"Uh, thanks, but I'm a bit tired.", Holis insisted.

"Not what you said five minutes ago!", Cath argued and slid a mug of some alcohol in her hands.

Holis gripped the cup with shivering hands. She'd just gotten over a hangover, and she would now be getting herself into another one. She spared a quick glance at the men around the table, seeking one other than Cath who would be pleasant enough to her eyes. Among them she noticed a brown wolf, looking quite disinterested with the goings on and staring morosely at his drink. He was unknown to her, and for some reason she would've liked to get to know him. Perhaps because he seemed to be feeling similarly concerning the situation, or so it appeared.

"Come, girl. I'll show you a proper rut.", Korthus then said and rose to his hoofs.

Holis sighed to herself, the horse's approach towards courtship hardly appealing to her. Yet as she saw him near, his imposing form closing in on her with audible thuds accompanying his step, it sent her heart aflutter. She looked up at him from her seat with a sense of unease mixed with some excitement. Finally, she figured she did indeed want that rut, and that the big male before her may've been the one to deliver it. One as stocky as him would be a first, at least.

With a conceding roll of her eyes, she reached out and grabbed Korthus by the balls. He flinched, entertainingly enough, yet she kept her grip soft, merely getting a feel for the twin firm bumps upon his crotch. The horse smiled down at her, and began to undo his belt. At that moment Holis realized he actually meant to do it here, in front of everyone.

"Wait, hold on. Can't we take this to a room?", Holis asked.

"I don't mind an audience.", Korthus said just as his prick and balls sprang free. They weren't exactly proportional to the size of his bulk, but may've still been slightly larger than those of the buck. He then took her and hoisted her up on the table, then began to fondle the doe's breasts.

"Ah.", Holis sounded out in response to his rough handling of her tits. His hands began to flow up and down her body, her entire form contorting in response to his brisk touch. It proved somewhat exciting, though hardly pleasant on its own. This continued until Korthus felt ready to use a different appendage. "Ngh!", she suddenly moaned as she felt her cunt stretched open by the horse's meatstick.

Steadily the large male inched his way in the quivering doe, each thrust sending waves of pleasure through Holis's being and bringing their bodies closer and closer together.

"Unh! Uh! Um!", Holis began to yelp excitedly. Being brutally ravaged like this was proving much too pleasant for her, though likely it was because of how pent up she'd gotten. Slap after slap of the horse's balls against her rear she squealed in delight, the fullness she felt seemingly so long-absent from her eager cunny. Steadily she neared her peak, until finally, she went over that long awaited edge. "Ah!", she squealed, unable to contain her ecstasy. Her entire body continued to quake and writhe chaotically in response to the wild influx of pleasure. "Ah, fuck!", she gasped out as the brunt of it began to pass. Though the horse wasn't finished yet.

Korthus's pace only seemed to hasten, his efforts still feeling quite pleasant, even if not as much as moments earlier. But before Holis could reach a second climax, the horse suddenly tensed up, his movements growing slower but more firm as his prick hardened as much as it could before it began to eject spurt after spurt into Holis's eagerly awaiting cunny.

"Ah.", Korthus groaned as he slowly pulled out of the nude doe. Just as he finished and wiped himself off between her thighs, a rag suddenly flopped onto Holis's groin.

"Wipe yourself off. Don't want Krak's prick juice dripping all over the table.", commented one of the other Hated Sons, a hyena she didn't recognize.

Holis blushed even more but began to comply, wiping down her slit in an effort to keep the excess semen from spilling onto the table. It'd hardly help her chances of avoiding a pregnancy, but at this point she wondered if she'd even live long enough to notice the effects. In any case, there were always poisons she could ingest to end such troubles.

"Mind if I get dressed now?", Holis asked with resounding sarcasm as she slid off the table. Cath smirked, but then nodded.

"Wouldn't you like to share some stories before you leave?", Joskur asked.

"Not with tits to the wind. Not that warm here.", Holis argued and went after Cath, who already made his way towards his room.

Along the way, she lingered on her thoughts of these legendary huntsmen. She couldn't say for sure whether she was disappointed they hadn't lived up to expectations, or because they were exactly what she'd expected of huntsmen. Regardless, this was their world, and she would have to adapt. Though not without clothes.

---

"And that was it. Eight of the shits dead. Four of ours.", Holis concluded, glumly gulping her mead. She'd also downed a plate of carrots and salad with bits of meat she'd been graciously gifted, and after a day's worth of sleep, it was very welcome.

"Not bad.", Cath commented.

"For women.", Korthus said dismissively.

"Well, those are some pretty severe losses given the circumstances.", Joskur admitted.

"Might want to consider a different commander.", Cath suggested with a nod.

"Not like there was much of a choice.", Holis said with a frown.

"There's that.", Joskur said with a shrug.

"Here's to those that lived.", Cath said, raising his cup.

"And to those that fight on.", Joskur added.

"And those that take up whoring instead.", Korthus commented.

"Have some respect, Korthus.", spoke up the lupine Holis had trouble recognizing earlier.

"I don't respect weak men and I'm not about to show respect to a bunch of quivering cunts that can't fight.", Korthus said. "Not the ones that put Holi here in danger, anyway.", he added with a conceding raise of his brow.

Holis smirked at this. Even a prick like him held some respect for her work. Or at least wished her well in her endeavours.

"At the very least they can serve as meat.", Joskur commented. This brought Holis's spirits back down again, the term 'meat' bringing unwelcome associations to her mind. Their dead hardly deserved to end up as they had, even if the city took in any and all forms of nourishment it could procure. Even the carcasses of beasts, often of little nutritional value or downright poisonous, were brought back to be cut up, cooked and eaten. And though she knew the Reddened Fork and Dagger to be above the practice of serving their own, she couldn't help but look upon the plates of mince meat with severe distrust.

"Sure. Just have them be shielders.", Korthus commented.

"Hey!", the wolf protested. "Next time I'm making an easy route to your dumb ass.", he grumbled.

"Well, shielders are there to take hits.", Joskur noted.

"I've plenty kills to my name, so we do some damage as well.", the wolf said humourlessly.

Just then, Holis felt a hand grab at her shoulder. She turned to find Ren, standing there dressed and looking rather concerned. "Y' coming to the drill?", she asked.

"Drill?", Holis asked, genuinely dumbfounded.

"Did y' black out yesterday?", Ren asked with a tilt of her brow.

"Uh, yeah.", Holis admitted. It didn't help that she was now tipsy as well.

"Well, come on.", Ren urged.

"Run along, girl.", Korthus said with a cheery wave of his arm.

Holis frowned, but argued no more.

---

Their little gathering felt considerably smaller that day. Though they'd lost less than a quarter, only half of their original numbers were now present. At least two among them who hadn't been injured failed to show up. On the other hand, a fair number of them had found themselves some armour to keep themselves alive, though a lot of it seemed ill-fitted to its wearers. The helms would make it harder to tell who was who in the heat of things as well, but that hardly mattered next to what weapons they held. They'd marched out not two hundred paces away from the outer limits, finding themselves a small clearing surrounded by trees.

"This day we train from dawn till late afternoon.", Venn announced. "We ready ourselves for greater prey, and I intend you to be better prepared.", she went on. "Me, Wendris and Lekret will be taking part this time, but we will also be taking part of the pay. The split will be worse, but with our numbers lessened as they are, you'll barely notice it.", she said, gesturing towards her two companions as she did.

Holis struggled to remember which was Wendris and which was Lekret, their introductions thoroughly vacant from memory. The equipment they received was somewhat different this time around. The halberd given to Holis was attached to a longer pole, the shield bearers received spears to use one-handed instead of swords, and the shooters received larger hand cannons with stands to brace them on. It was immediately obvious they would be going after beasts more durable.

"In three days' time, we hunt sohlits, also known as funnelers. They're big, strong, and revolting to behold.", Venn announced, then pulled open a piece of parchment containing an image of the horrifying creature.

Holis's heart skipped a beat at the sight. She knew these creatures all too well. Their heavy suckling breathing, the creaking as they moved, the endless black of their sunken eyes, the weight of their step. Most of all the screams of their victims, and how they grew unnatural and muffled as they went down the creatures' thin mouths.

"At 2 storeys tall, they're thin, grey and tree-like. The name stems from their long, thin eyes and mouth, through which they suck you up alive.", Venn explained. "You do not want them grabbing you. They get you in their mouth, you're good as dead.", she added. "Expect a pack of two to four. Above all else, keep an eye on where they are. Don't let them surround you.", she instructed. "Now let's do some practice. Circle around that tree and position yourselves as though it was a funneler.", she then commanded.

Her two lieutenants took ready first, the panthress holding up a shield and spear, the other a halberd. Venn herself had a stand cannon at the ready.

"I would very much hate to see any of you die to these things, so pay attention.", Venn said. "Shields, you make some noise and draw one in and distract the others. Polearms, stab and swing at the one that gets drawn out when it isn't looking at you. Shooters, hold fire and look for situations where it seems like someone's about to get nabbed. Fire at center of mass and keep moving to maintain distance. Noise may draw them towards you.", she instructed.

Holis couldn't help but feel like the polearms would be taking the brunt of the risk this time around. Everyone else seemed meant only to distract whilst they would be doing the killing. She could hardly complain, however. Though she held a dread for the grotesque creatures, she also felt a deep need for some semblance of revenge. These were the monstrosities that'd put an end to her calm rural life, that'd murdered most of her kin, their friends, their servants. Many a sacrifice had been made to get her where she was, and soon she would find it repaid in whatever foul blood flowed through those grey veins.

---

"To the hunt!", Venn called out as she raised a toast.

"And many more!", those gathered around the table shouted in answer.

They were all tired, soaked in sweat and grime. Yet at the same time they felt a certain bond after their three days' training. That bond would be put to a terrible test the next day, Holis remembered.

"Head back on your shoulders?", Iakta asked as she sat by the doe.

"Uh. Yeah.", Holis said uncertainly. She was rather surprised to see the wolfess rejoin them after she'd been absent from training.

"Hope you keep it for tomorrow.", Iakta commented.

"What do you mean?", Holis asked.

"Don't want you getting wasted and grabbing dicks like some whore again.", Iakta said humourlessly.

Holis frowned. "Not like I'm the only one that got some.", she said with a shrug. "And not like it's any of your business. Maybe you could use some.", she added.

Now Iakta frowned. "I would prefer that we not appear whores.", she said.

"Last I checked, the other huntsmen have no issue fucking around.", Ren interjected.

"That's different.", Iakta argued, crossing her arms. "Just be sure to stay sober for tomorrow.", she said.

"I will if you do.", Holis said.

"How's the injuries, Iakta?", the brown mutt Trellis then butted in. She was the crossbow shooter that also carried throwing knives, Holis remembered. Next to her sat Nedreth, a lapine shooter.

"Good enough to fight.", Iakta assured.

"Not good enough to train with us, though?", a grey wolfess named Zerith asked. This one had been a shield bearer much like Iakta.

"Needed some time.", Iakta said with a shrug.

Suddenly Holis felt a hand on her shoulder. It was Venn, standing over her with the white wolfess Tesket.

"Do you mind if Tesket here gives you another look?", Venn asked.

"Huh?", Holis asked, clearly confused.

"Just let her touch you.", Venn said.

Holis shrugged and nodded, baring her forearm to the white wolfess. Tesket placed her own hand upon Holis, then froze up for a while. As before, she then released her and whispered something to the tigress. Venn seemed to contemplate her words in consternation for a while.

"Thank you.", Venn said towards Holis, then ventured away with Tesket in tow.

"What was that?", Zerith asked.

"I have no idea.", Holis said.

"Death sight.", Iakta said.

"That's a death sight?", Nedreth asked, instantly growing pale.

"Pardon?", Holis asked.

"People who can see how you die.", Iakta explained.

"Huh?", Holis asked, likewise terrified of what that might've meant for her.

"Some would say their predictions actually seal your fate.", Ren interjected in somewhat of a daze.

"As though anyone could verify that.", Iakta said dismissively.

"Why are they so secretive about it?", Holis asked.

"Cause you don't want people attempting to dodge their fate.", Iakta said. "Makes all sorts of fuckery happen you'd think improbable. Stray rounds flying through walls, beasts crawling out cargo containers, mistaken stabbings. Drops a load of shit on everyone around.", she explained.

"God.", Holis uttered.

"God ain't saving you from fate.", Iakta said. "Don't even know when it will occur. Might be tomorrow, might be forty years from now.", she added.

"Why's she finding out about our deaths, then?", Ren asked.

"Fuck knows. Not like she can prevent any of it. At best can die a different way sooner.", Iakta said.

"Quite a sobering thought to know your death is set in stone.", Nedreth noted contemplatively.

"Everybody dies. If you want to die a certain way, feel free to slit your wrists.", Iakta said, seemingly growing annoyed with the line of conversation.

"Don't be such a cunt.", Trellis grumbled.

"Then stop whining.", Iakta said. "Not like you know how you'll die.", she added.

"And you do?", Ren asked curiously.

"Yes.", Iakta said, bringing silence to their part of the table. "Stabbing. Some dagger.", she said.

"Damn.", Holis muttered.

"That's all you know?", Zerith asked.

"Seems plenty.", Iakta said. "Not gonna be some beast, at least.", she said.

"Hard to imagine someone stabbing you.", Ren noted.

"Not at all.", Trellis interjected. "5 minutes talking and I already want her stabbed.", she said.

Iakta rolled her eyes at this. "You worry how you die.", she said.

Holis remained silent throughout the rest of the conversation. It was indeed quite shocking to know the way she would die was already known. Stranger still was how Venn asked to see her death a second time. It raised suspicions she wasn't certain with whom she could discuss. It made her wish the Hated Sons weren't presently away on their own hunt.

---

Marching through the bogs at a pace unsteady, the Sky Songs did their best to maintain formation as they navigated the rough and muddy terrain. Though it was noon, the cloudy skies rendered the area dark and gloomy. Seemingly an ideally fitting environment for the grim work that awaited.

"Eyes and ears on alert, we near the described area. Great One show mercy.", Venn called out from the rear, thumbing her forehead and snout as she did. Though this time she marched among the shooters, they were still at the back, well away from immediate danger.

The trees around them seemed to have grown more and more vine-like, as though terrible figures frozen in place and overgrown with foliage. Holis couldn't help but wonder what dangers other than their designated targets lurked these woods. Many a time she felt as though she saw silhouettes shifting and moving out of the corner of her eye, yet they seemed to elude any finer inspection. The soundscape within the bog likewise seemed to grow ever more concerning, with sounds of hissing and gurgling emanating from places unknown.

"What's that?", Millith, the reindeer halberdier, asked urgently.

"What?", Zerith asked.

"Thought... probably nothing.", Millith concluded.

"God.", Zerith muttered. "Don't scare us li-aAAAGH!"

At that instant, one of the trees began to writhe and move, just as another's hands reached out and grabbed at Zerith. She almost fell as she scrambled out of the way, the large creature's hand swiftly turning to grab at the next available target - the mutt Betri.

BRACK!

A deafening shot rang out just as the funneler was about to grab hold of Betri. The beast stumbled away, a great iron round having struck it in the upper torso. Though it seemed mortally wounded and seeping black, it still pushed on.

"Move! Fall back!", Venn screamed. She'd been the one to fire first, and she did well to follow her own advice, carrying the heavy gun as she went.

Everyone followed by example, though the maneuver proved somewhat more difficult within the bog than it had been in open terrain in a normal forest. Holis, meanwhile, had her own problems falling back. Their thin, elongated limbs and the sucking sound of their breathing sparked memories of her prior encounter with these abominations. She was overcome by fear and lust for vengeance alike. Yet she couldn't allow herself to wantonly charge at the beasts. That'd jeopardize not only her own life, but those of the company as well.

As they repositioned and rallied into formation, under guidance from Wendris and Lekret they began to form loose half circles around the two beasts, all the while the shooters took up positions further back. The shield holders began to bang spears against shields in an effort to gain the attention of the two large beasts. It seemed to work, as they slowly lumbered towards them.

Given the opportunity presented, Holis leapt in and swung her halberd sideways at the wounded one's leg. It lodged itself at thigh level, and seemingly refused to budge. The beast's bark-like skin proved almost as tough as actual wood. Yet as it then attempted to turn, its leg gave in and it toppled to the soil below with a seething hiss coming from its maw. At seemingly the last second, Holis managed to pull away with her black-stained halberd in hand, just as the funneler's digits reached out towards her. That was too close, she thought, a cold sweat running down her back at the thought of those root-like fingers coiling around her.

At that point, Millith leapt in with her own halberd, its sideward arc landing the axehead right in the funneler's neck. It wasn't enough to decapitate it, but the beast immediately grew immobile and limp, its limbs twitching and writhing without order. By any available measure, it was dead.

BRACK! BRACK!

Another two shots rang out, though only one seemed to have met its target, turning the great beast in place by its shoulder. It directed its freakish eyes at the gunners, who in turn raised their stands and began to run towards vantage points less dangerous. That was when the third of their kind made its presence known.

"Gah! Agh!", screamed one of the gunners, the rabbit called Nedreth, who'd run right into the dormant giant. She could now only writhe as the beast took her by the torso, effectively immobilizing her.

"Ugh!", one of the shielders cried out as she was kicked towards a tree, just as another fell to a punch that turned her shield to splinters.

Flailing from danger to danger, Holis couldn't decide which was more pressing. Seeing Millith charge at the recently injured one, she directed herself towards the other, just in time to see its funnel-like snout expand.

"Ah! Ah! Aaagh!!!", Nedreth shouted, her scream turning ragged as the beast enveloped her starting from the head.

Holis ran in from behind, prepared to stab at the creature along with Zerith, when suddenly it spun around with a backhand swat. Though she tried to duck, the strike still hit her, and for a while the world around turned into a whirlwind of pain and confusion.

"Urgh!!! Ouuurgh!", the screaming continued, sounds of rending bone and cartilage punctuating the rabbit's descent into the beast's foul maw.

Shaking out of stupor, Holis rose to her knees, finding herself once more bereft of helm and bleeding from her brow and left ear. More concerningly, she found her halberd snapped in half.

"Ough! Blough...ogh!", Nedreth's muffled cries continued, growing ever more warped as the last of her feet disappeared down the monstrosity's mouth.

Holis stormed at the beast with her half-broken halberd, determined to end its rampage. But before she could even reach the creature, she found it collapsing under the onslaught of Wendris and Lekret.

BRACK!

Another shot sounded out, this time sending the funneler swiftly falling onto its back. It seemed to yet writhe in movement, but only for a moment before the mare sent a halberd through its head. And with that, it was dead.

Holis paused in her hasty approach, taking a moment to look towards the remaining funneler, only to find it already dead by the hands of others. It was all over so quickly. In a sense, she yet hungered for blood.

"Fine work, everyone.", Venn called out, her sword already out in anticipation. As she moved off to begin her bloody ritual of stabbing each and every of the fallen, Holis thought she heard something.

"Mf... Oom!", she heard, coming from the last of the funnelers. Was... was Nedreth still alive?

Holis resumed her approach with renewed intent, her halberd abandoned in favour of her dagger. Looking over the carcass, she noticed a stir within its gullet. Though it seemed unlikely, the rabbit could've still been alive. She had to try and save her. With a stern stab, she cut into its torso around the neck, then began to slice downwards.

"Wait, stop!", Wendris called out.

"She may still be alive!", Holis insisted as she continued to cut through, sawing and wrenching through the layers of hardened tissue. Among all the black blood that spilled out around, she began to notice movement, of something... something red and pink? It began to seem as though she was truly doing something terrible, but she could not stop. Not until she saw... an eye?

"Gh! Ngh!", the thing before her gurgled out through orifices malformed and covered with misplaced sinew, hair and teeth. What lied before her did not look like a sentient being, and despite its attempts at clinging to life, it did not appear it would remain alive for long. "Grh... ghl!", it continued to attempt to speak, its terrified gaping eye seemingly seeking help.

Holis wanted to scream at the sight, but instead continued to stare at it in horror, a series of discordant thoughts and feelings racing through her head faster than she could process. She found herself paralyzed in shock.

"End it!", Venn shouted angrily.

Holis's trance was broken as Wendris's heavy halberd landed on top of the accursed being, red gushing from the newly formed wound as its eye rolled off to the side, then seemed to freeze. It was dead.

"Move. Go help the wounded.", Wendris said as she stood in between Holis and the dead thing that seemingly used to be Nedreth. Seeing little response, she then shoved the doe away, sending her shuffling away in a stupor. "You stay back.", the mare then said towards Ren as she neared.

"You alright?", Ren asked, trying to look in Holis's eyes.

Holis felt like anything but, a sense of sickening realization coming over her at what she'd seen. She pushed the goat aside, fell to her knees and threw up.

---

The way back proved particularly gruelling. Holis had become numb to everything. All the speeches, gratulations and promises of great pay to both the victorious and the fallen felt more hollow than even their first. All she'd managed to register was that they'd lost Nedreth, Zerith got her arm broken, and that Betri's back was damaged. The mutt girl had to lie in the cart, paralyzed from the waist down, and there was no telling if the city healers could help her.

This should've been a triumphant vengeance against the creatures who'd ruined her life, something that'd bring her a sense of closure to a tragedy from so long ago. Instead it merely deepened the horror of her loss. Though she wished to resist the thought, it ever invaded her mind.

This was what happened to all who fell victim to these abominations - a woefully slow, horrifying and likely painful death, during which they lost all shape, yet continued to live on in agony. The idea that this was what befell her family, friends and some servants made her shiver uncontrollably, a sense of dread coming over her at the realization that she'd not even been aware of the true terror of their end all this time. It drove her mad, and she could not stop thinking about it.

"You alright?", Ren asked once again as she marched near. "Y've been rather silent.", she noted.

Holis couldn't argue. She hadn't felt like speaking, and still didn't. Try as she might, she could not find the words to convey the cacophony of anguish she felt. All she could speak of was what she saw.

"She was...", Holis began, trying her best to find proper description. "What remained of her... it still lived, somehow.", she said in a voice quivering.

"What?", Ren asked, her eyes likewise widened in either shock or confusion.

"It looked nothing like Nedreth. And yet it was her. What remained. Malformed and putrid.", Holis said, the memories put to words bringing unbeckoned tears to her eyes.

Ren fell silent for a while, her expression likewise troubled by what she heard. "Try not t' think of it.", she suggested without conviction. "Death ain't ever easy. Not with th' shit we face.", she added.

"How can such horrors exist? Why does the Great One allow this?", Holis asked, bereft of sense for all she'd witnessed.

"I d'know.", Ren said, thumbing her forehead in Holis's sted. It was bad faith to call upon God without show of humility, Holis knew, yet couldn't bring herself to care. "Best I can say is tha' we can make sure there's a couple less in the world. An' God is with us.", she said, once more running a thumb over her forehead and snout.

Holis wasn't quite satisfied with this answer. She would require words with a clergyman to potentially clear doubts from mind. And perhaps a good amount of booze to dull the memory of this day.