>>6065087Helmod explains that his son was chosen for communion by Hrolf himself. The seven years he spent as Hrolf's sacrament, as his source of youth and life, were, at least, painless. The rites do not admit the lambs to suffer, it ruins the potency of their magic. It was the sight of the pale, dry body of his son, like a shriveled husk of discarded snakeskin, that robbed Helmod of his sight. He swore from that moment eternal vengence on the Surmanni, and for fifteen years he plotted and waited, watching one rebellion fail after another. He had hoped the oracle would at last reveal to him some path to his desired end, but her words have instead extinguished his last hope, by the requirement of something completely impossible. What this is, Helmod will not say. He was to pass along the oracle's prophecy to the head of the last bit of resistance that remains against the Surmanni occupation, but he sees little point to it now. It was all for nothing. He failed to protect his son, and now, he has failed to avenge him.
He weeps until the bloody tears begin to fall again, and you sit beside him, listening to the wind whistle through the alleyway. Finally, you get up and tell Helmod that you cannot leave him here. If he wishes to die, he can do so in civilization, where there are more comfortable means, but you'll not let your reputation as an escort be sullied by his stubbornness. He is astonished by your reasoning, but in the end, has no choice but to acquiese. He does, however, demand his silver back, as now your job is technically not yet over.
"That's the spirit," you say, and happily hand him back the coins.
Descending the mountain is a much easier task than climbing it, and the village walls are already visible by end of the first day. There are, however, some disturbing signs you encountered on the trail. Near the tree on which you encountered the babwyns, is an enormous mess of blood and gore. The stones and the walls are stained red. Yet, there is no trace of any bodies. Only the clubs the babwyns had wielded and strange, long quills, as black as coal, stuck in various places in the dirt. There are enormous paw prints among them, as if of a gigantic cat.
You are so rattled by the sight that you do not wish to stop until you reach the village, but Helmod is exhausted and you are forced to make camp for the night. It is near midnight when you see it, a silhouette of a four-footed animal, taller than a man, with a long, segmented tail ending in a barbed knob. It has seen your fires, and though a half-bowshot away, it is racing toward you with tremendous speed. It will be upon you in a few seconds. Something about it seems unnatural, as though it were something that should not exist.
What do you want to do?
>Run, leaving Helmod as bait for your escape>Run and hide, hoping to take it by surprise when it goes for Helmod>Stand and fight, hoping to injure it enough to make it flee>Write-in 