Notes on Monster Hunting

by Chad Retterath

  “So, what do we do?” asked Heff.

  “This creature obviously hides. We can’t just walk around and find it,” said Henli.

  “Beatrice and Teke will take charge of this hunt while I communicate with the governor and get everything ready to leave when we finish this. Go to them first with questions.”

  “Should we pack up?” asked Widdy.

  “No, no. I’m just getting the new equipment and supplies for when we’re ready.”

  Teke stood up and waited until everyone looked at him. “Beatrice and Fourth will cover the pier and the beach, which includes talking to fishermen and any merchants or soldiers present. First and Second will go outside the wall to the beach and the hills to search everything we can. Third, sorry, you get to walk the rest of the city. Make note of anything. Footprints, smells, scratches on the walls, droppings, food scraps. Ask anyone anything. We don’t know what we’re looking for, so anything will help. Questions?”

  Nobody asked anything, so Teke nodded a silent dismissal. I rallied Fourth together and ordered them to grab what they need from the cart outside. Skrale walked up when they went out and smiled.

  “Stop by the blacksmith on your way to the pier.”

  We stopped at Treik’s shop just a few short blocks from the inn. Palon came in with me because he was excited to look around, even if it was only quick. Treik looked surprised, but excited when he saw me.

  “Ah, Beatrice. I’ve been waiting.” He waddled over to a chest in the back and grabbed a long object wrapped in a blanket.

  “My sword?”

  He nodded. “Indeed.”

  Treik carefully unraveled the blanket until the sword sat exposed, held up by his two hands. The pommel was smaller than my old sword and it looked like a large, golden walnut. Soft leather strips were wrapped up the hilt until the crossguard, which was golden and had a slight upturn to it. Polished metal of the blade reflected the lantern light within the shop. The blade was mostly ordinary, but the whole thing looked thinner than any other sword I’ve had.

  “Go ahead. Pick it up.”

  The leather wrappings were soft on my palm. The sword was light, hardly a burden on my arm.

  “This is incredible,” I said.

  “It’s made from the finest metal I have. Skrale told me your old one broke. You won’t have to worry about that with this blade.”

  Palon stood behind me and poked his head around my shoulder.

  “I want it.”

  “It’s too small for you.”

  I looked at Palon, who was wearing random pieces of armor that didn’t match with an axe hanging from the belt around his waist. The mismatched armor made him look lopsided.

  Treik cocked his head while his eyes looked over Palon. “Palon, yes?”

  “Yes?”

  “I have repaired armor for you, but it won’t be done until tomorrow. I focused on the sword first.”

  Palon scratched his head. “Thank you?”

  “Skrale ordered it,” I said.

  “Really?” Palon looked over his current armor. “I thought I’d just wear this until I bought new stuff.”

  “You look ridiculous,” I said.

  “You really do,” agreed Treik.

  Palon looked down at his clothes. “Probably, yeah.”

  I talked to Treik while he grabbed the scabbard and ensured it all fit properly. Palon looked around at weapons until I was ready, then we joined everyone else. And everyone else just wanted to see the sword.

  “You have to wait until we get back to the inn.”

  “That’s stupid,” said Kully.

  Kully, Ralet, and Groose went to search the beach and the street above. I took Palon with me out on the pier, all the way to the docks where the fishing boats and larger ships floated in the water. Birds flew around, yelling at each other with their terrible cries. The rotting fish smell was even stronger out above the water.

  I walked past, down to the edge of the dock. The water danced with small waves that rocked the fishing boats.

  The war galley is gone, probably recently departed because nothing has moved in to fill the space. It seems like a weird time to pull soldiers and guards away from a city, even if there is a war going on. Palon is checking the small fishing boats and talking to the few fishermen in the area while I’m just sitting on the edge of the dock.

  Tips on commanding: Let other people do the work.

  Palon’s footsteps in armored boots shook the boards of the dock. Each step approaching behind me felt like a giant was shaking the whole dock.

  “Nothing here,” he said.

  “Alright. Let’s group up with everyone else. See if they found anything.”

  Back on the beach, Ralet was kneeling in the sand with a hole dug in front of him, Groose was sitting on the wall with his legs dangling a few feet over the beach, and Kully was using a stick to poke at something just around the bend.

  “Any luck?” I asked.

  Ralet scrambled to his feet and jogged over.

  “Nothing. Not even any sign of the body you found before.”

  I squinted and leaned to the side to look at the hole.

  Ralet blushed. “I was bored.”

  “What’s Kully poking?”

  Ralet looked over his shoulder and studied Kully. “Kully,” he shouted. “What are you poking?”

  Kully looked over, waved, dropped the stick, and started walking to us. Groose got ready to jump off the wall.

  “Groose, do not jump,” shouted Kully.

  Groose crouched on the wall and looked down at the sand. “Is it because of my side?”

  “Obviously,” I said. “Find another way down.”

  He jogged over to some stairs and joined back with us.

  “I think it was just a pile of seaweed. I didn’t want to touch it with my hand.”

  “So you used a stick?”

  Kully nodded.

  “It sounds smart to me,” said Groose.

  “Well, let’s head back. There’s nothing here.”

  We found Skrale at the inn with a crab that had been freshly cracked open on a plate sitting on the bench beside him and a map spread across the table. I walked over with the squad following behind me like puppies.

  “Hello,” he said as I approached. “Find anything down there?”

  I shook my head.

  “Maybe another squad will.” Skrale grabbed the plate of crab and lifted it up. “Everyone come join me.”

  I sat beside him with Ralet on the end of our bench. The other three sat across from us.

  “Anyone want some crab? I think I’ve had my fill of seafood.”

  Groose’s hand was immediately in the air.

  “Just don’t get any on the map,” said Skrale as he handed the plate across the table.

  The paper map covered the whole table. A few colors covered most of the map and lines of blue and brown ran all over. The last map I had seen was of the county I grew up in. This map looked entirely foreign. Nothing looked familiar.

  “What’s this map of?”

  “Here. Well, this is the kingdom of Tullinbran,” he said, pointing at the yellow area that dominated the middle of the map.

  Groose ate the crab as fast as he could with all of his attention focused on pulling the meat out. The rest of us watched Skrale draw lines and mark where we’ve been and where we are now.

  “Here’s the forest with the wraiths. Up here near the river is Grendlehorn where the ornisect was. Even further up where we cross the border in the north is where we killed the gozzen.”

  “It doesn’t look far when you see it on a map,” said Ralet.

  “Do you have a map for anything before the gozzen?” I asked.

  “I did, but I must’ve lost it a long time ago. I only found this map today at a store nearby. It might not even be accurate, but it’s something to work with.”

  “So Geziksan is here,” I said as I poked the city on the bottom of the page. “Judging by how far the map shows we
’ve traveled in Tullinbran, getting to the far east coast would take twice as long as it took us to get from the border to here. So where are we heading next?”

  “We can’t go further south, obviously. So, it’s east or north.”

  “Didn’t the governor say there’s a war going on in the east?” I asked.

  “Yes, so north will be the best option until the war finishes.”

  “War?” asked Ralet.

  “Tullinbran is at war with someone. We don’t know the details.”

  “Are they winning?” asked Palon.

  Skrale and I both shrugged.

  “Oh,” said Skrale. “Can I see the sword?”

  I patted my waist to see if I left the scabbard on, but I didn’t and I never do. Ralet noticed and leaned over to our packs and grabbed the sword. Skrale pulled the blade partway out and nodded his approval.

  “You have the best sword in the company now.” He turned it over in his hands and felt the grip. “Don’t break this one.”

  The rest of the company didn’t arrive until after dinner was served. They all rushed to grab their food before even thinking of reporting what they saw. All of us in Fourth and Skrale had already finished eating, so we watched Widdy and Orkin fight over the last bread roll. Everyone was so hungry that the food, despite being a bit cold, was gone in moments. They devoured all of it then hit a point of complete exhaustion. Lopuk fell asleep on his plate, which still held a pool of gravy. Others wandered off to their rooms or found chairs to relax in around the main room. Teke grabbed a stool and carried it over to the end of our table.

  “Nothing. Third is beat from walking up and down the hills in the city all day. We didn’t find anything outside the walls. Some animal remains, like a squirrel or something, but it just looked like it was eaten. Arecaopods, gulls and hawks flew around. Nothing smelled unusual. No tracks. Guards and a hunter we talked to hadn’t seen anything.” Teke paused and scratched his cheek while he turned his eyes to me. “Do you really think it’s a creature?”

  “I do.”

  Teke nodded. “Tomorrow, I’ll take First and Second outside again.”

  “Fourth can walk the city this time and Third can go check the beach and pier,” I said.

  “I’ll let the messenger know how today went. Maybe he’ll have some news,” said Skrale.

  He returned shortly after and said, “No news.”

  I stood in the doorway to my room and stared at the bed. Ralet appeared behind me and gently poked my shoulder.

  “Excuse me,” he said.

  I stepped inside the room so he could enter. The blankets and pillow on the ground were pushed against the wall. I bent over and laid one of the blankets out. It was soft and thin.

  “It’s your turn sleep on the bed,” said Ralet.

  I sat on the blanket. “No, it’s okay. Go ahead. I’ve had enough of that. I miss camping.”

  Ralet fell onto the bed and rested his head on the pillow. “Me too, but I do enjoy a mattress.”

  “Am I right about this hunt?”

  Ralet lifted his head up. “There’s something out there killing people. Even catching a murderer would be okay. But I fully trust your instincts.”

  “Thanks, corporal.”

  “You’re welcome, sergeant.”

  I covered myself with the other blanket and fully laid down. “Let’s never talk like that again.”

  “Can do, sergeant.”

  “I hate you.”

  Day 148

  Skrale was awake before anyone else. He prepared a huge breakfast with the innkeeper that was all lying out, ready to eat by the time we woke. Coconut, pastries, bacon, and breads covered a full table.

  “Eat up. We’re finding a monster today.”

  “Are you coming with?” asked Teke.

  “Absolutely. First squad is full today.”

  Widdy loudly sighed.

  “Get over it, Widdy. I better see you hiking like you’re running away from a crazed lover.”

  I looked up at Teke and nudged him. “How long do you think Skrale’s been awake?”

  “Too long. I wonder how much caffeine he’s had.”

  “Do you know how to get him started again if his heart stops?”

  Teke laughed. “I think telling him Widdy stopped hiking would be enough to bring him back right now.”

  I smiled and watched Skrale load plates and hand them out to squad members. He moved fast and kept his smirk the entire time.

  “Have you seen him like this before?”

  Teke pulled his fork away from his mouth just before taking a bite of bacon. “Absolutely. He can get this way when he’s especially nervous or uncomfortable. He’ll be fine. We just need to let him burn himself out.”

  Third squad was relieved to hear they only had the beach and pier today. Watching them walk down the stairs was a sight. Stiff legs barely bending, most of their weight on the old wooden railing. I’m surprised nobody fell.

  We dispersed into our assignments. Fourth followed Third as they waddled down to the docks. I led Fourth away as soon as we passed the first few shops.

  “We’re going to split up again. We’ll do two and three so nobody has to feel lonely. Who wants to come with me?”

  Kully raised his hand.

  “Ralet, cover the west side of the city. We’ll take the east.”

  Ralet nodded and led Palon and Groose down the road.

  “Okay, Kully.” There were few people in the street early in the day, but crowds would be all around again by midday. We had the option of three roads that forked off from where we stood. One that led directly to the big hill of the city or two that looped around to the road that follow the wall. “Hill first?”

  Kully took a deep breath. “Might as well get it out of the way.”

  The air was humid and felt like it clung to the skin without the normal breeze rolling in from the sea. Kully’s hair had grown long, covering his ears and reaching past his shoulders. Sweat was quickly visible on his forehead as we hiked up the hill near the governor’s place. I knew I had to have the same problem. I could feel the heat and moisture underneath my hair along the back of my neck. I elected to go without armor, and I’m glad I made that choice. Kully chose the same.

  I stopped at the top of the hill and leaned against the grey stone of the wall. A small patch of grass had grown between the road and the wall and the dirt felt soft after walking on the cobblestones. It was cool against the skin on my arms. Kully leaned against the wall and slid down until he was sitting. The back of the governor’s house was to our right, surrounded by a tall fence with points around the top.

  “Now we just need to go down,” said Kully.

  “And then up a bit. Then down. Then up a bit.”

  He rubbed at his face with both hands. “I see why Third was in rough shape today.”

  Kully pulled a waterskin out of his bag, had a drink, then tossed it up to me. The water in it was warm, but it was still refreshing.

  “Kully, why did you join the company?” I asked as I handed the waterskin back.

  “Don’t you know this? Plus, Skrale said we didn’t need to share that when we joined.”

  I sat down in the grass beside him. “You don’t have to. I’m just asking as a friend. I’m curious. You’ve never shared much of anything and I never felt like I should ask.”

  Kully looked at the sky and wiped the sweat from his forehead with his sleeve. “I hated where I was. Needed something different.”

  “Did you learn how to be a medic from the old lady?”

  “Some from the lady. Some from Teke.”

  I watched Kully, but he kept his eyes on the clouds.

  “Doesn’t seem like you learned much.” I lifted the side of my shirt to show Kully the puffy, discolored scar on my side.

  “That was a stressful time. I did what I could.” Kully sounded embarrassed, or even sad.

  “I know. I’m only joking. You saved my life by closing that up. And you saved Groose’s. Te
ke may be the best, but you’re a lifesaver.”

  “Thanks.” Kully yawned and stretched his legs out. “You know, Teke should be the best. He went to a university or something.”

  “I know all about that.” I waved Skrale’s journal in front of Kully. “I know all the secrets.”

  Why did you join the company?”

  “Skrale and Cremn convinced me.

  “Can you show me more of his journal later?”

  “I will. Let’s look at it tonight. It ends shortly after you joined.”

  “Deal.” Kully took a long drink from the waterskin then handed it to me. “Can I check your side?”

  I nodded and tensed myself as Kully’s hand brushed my waist. He lifted the edge of my shirt. His fingers gently rubbed over the scars and scabs and I felt his breath on my skin as he leaned in closer.

  “It looks good. No infection. It’s almost done healing already.”

  I nodded and gave the waterskin back. “Ready when you are.”

  It was a long day. Our paths briefly crossed with the rest of Fourth, so we shared a small pot of seafood stew at a little place close to the pier. Seafood was gross at first. The texture, the smell, all of it. But I think I’ve gotten used to it and I’m actually starting to enjoy it.

  Kully and I covered the rest of our area without any signs of a monster. The only animals we even saw within the walls were birds and a single rat. I would even start to suspect a bird if they weren’t so small and annoying. These gulls can just be swatted away like a feathery insect.

  We arrived back at the inn right around early afternoon. I was really surprised to see the whole company back, gathered around.

  “Finally,” said Skrale as we came through the door.

  “What?”

  “We’ve been waiting for you. Come, sit down.”

  Kully and I sat on stools just behind the back of the group. Groose, Ralet, and Palon were closer up. They probably even skipped out on part of their search.

  “I lied,” said Skrale. “We weren’t waiting at all. Here’s the short version: We found another body and a trail of blood. We followed it and found two clean skulls at the base of a large palm tree. The other head was there, still with its skin and hair.”