The next thing I know, I'm tossed into a puddle of slush as a yell rings out from Johnny, the man running toward Virgil, who was sent into the thicket of the swamp. But before I can wholly bring myself to wakefulness, a roar does it for me, a beast of a humanoid wolf, the size of the largest bear I've ever seen, barreling for Abraham and me.
Without waiting a moment, I slam my legs outward with a hasty, half-formed Arbalest, pushing Abraham to the side as my heart accelerates. The pale man is no good at close-quarters combat. Among those under Johnny, that falls to me. But, I don't do this stupidly, for Virgil is also highly skilled, and the man was sent tumbling with his condition unknown.
But within the tenth of a second my thoughts fly, the second Rougarou that bashed Virgil, a fearsome creature of myth, nears me with mud and blood shrouding it. Its form, a grotesque fusion of man and beast, stands towering before me as it rises onto two legs to deliver a strike with its paw, the hand the size of my chest. With the hulking frame of a bear and the twisted stature of a human, even without Ether, which it is using, the thing is terribly perilous. Massive muscles ripple beneath matted fur, giving the creature an imposing presence as above those muscles shine dark blue fetters, demonstrating its great strength. Its eyes, gleaming with an unnatural intensity, lock onto its intended prey. Me. Razor-sharp fangs glisten hungrily, eager to rend flesh and bone as I prepare myself, a gasp of air causing it to stumble.
But alongside that gasp, the Ether inside loosening my chains, I heave Reckless off my back, the hunk of steel combatting my force. And with that blade comes the Vigor from within it, putting a pep in my step and energy in my muscles.
As it charges forward with an unnerving speed, the ground trembles beneath its weight. Each thunderous step propels it closer to me, closing the distance with a relentless determination. The air crackles with the palpable threat of imminent violence.
Yet, it is not alone. The first Rougarou, with a similarly ferocious roar, charges at Abraham only a few feet away.
I consider drawing Lily for a split second, but that thought is quickly dashed as Johnny bursts from the marsh, yelling out with all the force he can.
"STOP!"
But the Rougarou and I are too close, my swing already going to meet its claw--
What?
What was I thinking? Why am I still in the mud?
Glancing down at my hands, I feel my body absent of Ether and my blade still on my back. What? What happened?
I can rapidly feel my memory of something fading, an incredibly short period that, as I grasp for it, catching it for a moment before fumbling and losing focus, vanishes to never be relived again. It feels as though a piece of me is gone, washed away by some endless river, yet I cannot pinpoint when it occurred. Only that it did.
The Rougarou in front of me has none of my same confusion as it roars again, repeating something that seems familiar yet new. But a yell breaks through, causing us to look to the side.
"STOP! Back up, Wyatt! We do not have to fight! Look at me, Rougarou! You know me!"
The first Rougarou, a 5th Sigiled, that was fighting the two earlier backs up toward the second one, the larger and more powerful one with a 6th Sigil. The second one, the one charging at me earlier, hesitates for a moment, a growl coming out that has no words but elicits confusion.
I look to Johnny, rising to my feet from the mud, as Abraham does the same next to me. Both of us are bewildered as Johnny steps forward, a perfectly okay Virgil directly behind him.
As Johnny nears, his voice ringing out to all of us in the marsh, a few questions are answered with my eyes and his. Gold flakes bristle from his pupils, and looking closely, I can see some scrape off my light blue chains and the Rougarou's dark cerulean ones.
That's what happened! He Glitched us! But... I vaguely remember something off happening. Is that normal? It feels like I just barely couldn't hold onto something. Is there something special that allows me to partially know he used it on me? Hmm... dunno. I need to pay attention, though.
"...remember me? I fed you in the swamp a few months ago and healed you with a Draught? I know you understand language, at least a little. We don't need to fight. Peace is possible. Are you hungry? The one beside you seems trim, as if she's starved."
A warning growl comes from the taller creature as Johnny steps a bit closer, and the man raises his arms in a gesture of solidarity. Then, the beast stands for a moment, the hair on its back rising as it gradually sinks toward the mud. My hand moves to Reckless in case it attacks. I don't know what Johnny is talking about, but these things are dangerous.
Yet before it lowers itself onto all fours, the slighter taps the immense one with her paw. The action makes the other pause, its height returning to the massive stature of at least fifteen feet on two legs. A moment passes, all of us tense and waiting for a response as Johnny stands stock still, holding his arms in the air for peace.
Another beat, and my hand tightens around Lily. Another heartbeat, and I see Virgil's fingers curl around his Colt. Yet another moment as Abraham's forehead shimmers with sweat, his weapons ready to escape his mind.
And as we all prepare for combat, a rumble comes from the chest of the Rougarou as it points to itself with a massive claw, one that surprises me to no end.
"Rou."
My breath hitches as its meaty paw turns toward the smaller one, the creature sinking even further into the mud below as it tries to hide. Yet another sound booms out, this one somehow even deeper yet still understandable as it contains only one syllable.
"Ka."
Ar--
"Are those your names?"
Johnny beats me to the idea, already asking the insane question. I never once imagined Rougarou were capable of speech, let alone higher thought, but I'm proven partially correct as the beast grumbles again, a nod coming from it. Apparently, a nod is universal for yes.
"Ra."
The gunslinger then steps forward, offering his name.
"I am Johnny Caldwell. I know you cannot say that, but I mean the gesture nonetheless."
A growl returns his offer as Ka, the smaller Rougarou only about seven feet tall or so, half the size of the other, steps forward. I think the beast attempts to say his name back.
"Jo Ca. Joca!"
A higher pitch grumble comes as the creature seems joyful at fucking up the name. Yet despite the failure, Johnny gives the rest of ours, and the beast over a foot taller than me endeavors to say each.
"That one there, with the grumpy face behind me, that got swatted is Virgil Boone."
"Fu Bo. Fubo!"
A small chuckle comes from beside me that shortly halts as the attention moves to him.
"The one there, with the pale skin and white hair, is Abraham Ulren."
"Ab Ah Ul? Abahul? Abhul!"
The butchered pronunciation finally gets me laughing as Abraham's alabaster skin turns fiery red. But, thankfully, the man keeps his anger inside as the focus then turns to me.
"And finally, this the last one with the sword and one arm is Wyatt."
"Wi At. Wiat!"
I breathe a sigh of relief as my name sounds relatively correct. There is excessive emphasis on both parts, causing it to sound more like Ma is yelling at me, but it is at least my name. And in return, I feel a smack to the back of my head.
Turning around, I meet Abraham standing several feet away, far too many to reach me, with his arms behind his back. But before I peer out for another answer, the man winks at me.
Bastard. He must've used a Nightmare or something else. Where'd all that gravity go? Did that Rougarou indeed defuse it all like that?
I glare back at Abraham before a tsk from Virgil makes me stop while Johnny strides nearer to the two massive creatures. As he does so, I pay close attention to the larger one, the beast enormous enough to effortlessly break through a city wall.
"Are you hungry? Wounded? We didn't have much time to fight, but I can help if you are willing. I apologize for the fright; we are only trying to pass through. We mean no ill will. I was not aware this was your home."
Rou, an adequately named Rougarou, steps forward, its ginormous paw splashing mud and water every which way. And as it does so, I notice its back, a wall of pink scars and recently missing fur that leaks red liquid. But Rou ignores his own wounds and pushes Ka forward.
"Ka."
Johnny nods sagely as if he understands entirely and gently moves forward toward Ka. And while making eye contact with Rou, he reaches into his bag and pulls out bandages laced with medicine from Heath.
The man, always a sucker for kids, hands it to the smaller Rougarou, making me realize what it is.
"Here you go, little one. Wrap these around your injuries, and they will heal up shortly."
Ka sniffs at Johnny as she refuses to take the offer. Instead, she lowers herself, revealing her shoulder to the man, where a scarcely hidden gash stains her fur. The gunslinger nods as he delicately lifts the bandage and covers her wound.
The young Rougarou grunts from the act, causing the larger one to bristle, but Johnny steps back the second he is finished tending to Ka.
"See? It hurts less, right?"
Ka nods as she backs up, the young Rougarou joining the larger as he pulls her backward toward the thick trees beyond this section of the march. Before they leave, however, Johnny tosses them a sack, one with a fish dangling out the side. I don't mind it, as food is easy for the powerful to come by in Sinscreak, but it still is an odd decision.
And as they leave, Rou grabs the pack with a single clawed finger. I glance at Johnny to see if we are letting them go like that, and he only nods toward the two, waving as they leave.
Ka returns the wave with a grunt, two barely comprehensible syllables leaving her maw.
"Joca!"
In exchange for that yell, she is bopped on the head by Rou as he drags her into the trees, the two beasts fading as their sizes do not equal their noise of movement.
And once they leave our vision, I ask the question I know Abraham and Virgil are thinking too.
"What the fuck was that?"
Johnny laughs as he puts his Colt back into his holster.
"I felt something off when we came upon the little one. Most Rougarou are big. Not as big as the other one, but still ampler. So, I held off from anything lethal, but when Rou emerged and hit Virgil, I recognized him from a while ago."
The gunslinger then recalls his encounter with Rou, the larger Rougarou, when it was gravely wounded, starving, and shorter in stature. Apparently, it must have grown in Sigil or something. And as he continues talking, we return to the wagons, the scouting finished. If two Rougarou are here, then demons shouldn't be too close. Or if they are, they are not strong enough to kill Rou and Ka, only injure them.
"That food I gave them should heal them up just fine. I do wonder why they were hurt, though. Rougarou heal rapidly with ingesting food. Perhaps... they are on the run."
Johnny's words provide caution to all of our steps as we move, an unsaid warning on his tongue. Demons could be lurking, pushing the Rougarou out of their home after Kai, their hunter, fell in battle. And if the demons are more capable than Kai in taking the Rougarou out of their nests deep in the swamp, then that is bad news for us.
And so, I navigate the treacherous swamp, my senses on high alert. Each step is an estimated risk, for the murky waters hide unseen dangers. My memory of the Letiche in the water is still vibrant, and I am unwilling to repeat it. As such, I carefully scrutinize every puddle that is even slightly voluminous. But I find no such creature as the air is heavy with an eerie stillness, broken only by the occasional rustle of unknown animals in the underbrush.
Beside me, Johnny walks with a confident stride, his hands ever-ready to draw his deadly Lumen. His keen eyes, with golden streams in his irises, scan the surroundings, ever watchful for any signs of movement. His presence alone brings a sense of security, a comforting reassurance in this perilous journey. Having an Angel beside you, one that can reverse any injury should he be fast enough, can calm anyone.
Abraham walks with a constant stumble, the man not entirely made for the swamps. I feel bad as none of his Sigils lean toward physical traits, leaving him an average man beside the general skills to enhance him. His mind delves into the depths of nightmares, an ability that both fascinates and disturbs. After seeing those rooms inside his head, I feel sympathy whenever he uses that skill. What they did to him is not right, not right at all. The Nahullo are lunatics. But even as he hobbles through the high water and dense mud, he never asks for help, a silent perseverance born from his struggles.
At my side, the shadow manipulator that is Virgil weaves intricate patterns with his hands, bending the darkness to his will. From there, he lashes out tendrils that push aside brush or plants in our way, easing our passage. The tendrils are simple for him to make, each one almost instinctual, so they don't fade as we move. And after a few minutes, shadows dance and twist, touching each of us as Virgil nods toward me.
The man is hiding us with Mask so that any demons with skills to discover us will have a much harder time. Though with all of us he's using it on, I reckon it won't be as potent as it is on him alone. That, and it will tire him out swiftly.
Almost an entire hour passes from the fight and reconciliation with Rou and Ka before we reach the wagons, most of which are broken and unable to move further. How did I not wake up from mine crashing into a tree after losing a wheel? Damnit, Lily. I need to be careful with her if such an event won't wake me up with her intervention. I nod to Johnny as he moves toward the wagon, spreading the news of the safety forward, leaving out the detail of the two Rougarou we met.
I don't blame him. No need to frighten the others when Rou and Ka won't hurt us anyway. They seem relatively peaceful for giant man-eating monsters. Especially Ka.
And so, I move toward a merry wagon filled with noise despite its condition, overturned and heavily damaged.
I approach the overturned wagon, its once sturdy frame now at an awkward angle in the murky swamp. The cabin's side is scorched so profoundly by a fire that a door has been burnt into a side that should not have one. It seems like Bonfire had some fun.
Cautiously, I make my way toward the entrance, my senses on high alert in case Clusmy tries to prank me. But he doesn't, and I reach up and climb into the ruined vehicle as Johnny yells to all the cabins with a resounding use of Ether, Yell bolstering his voice.
"We leave in an hour! Get your things together!"
Shrugging at the announcement, I continue. Everything I have is with me right now. And as I step through the threshold, the interior reveals a scene of disarray. The cabin is cramped, its furnishings now strewn about haphazardly. Extinguished candles line the floor while a table sits diagonal, with two legs on the wall and two on the ground.
Five men sit at the table upon seats of ice wafting with cold, each laughing merrily as if they are not in a swamp, the joy palpable.
Bonfire, Frozen, Woody, Cigar, and Clumsy all turn and smile at me as the leader yells for me to join.
"Come! We're playing Monsters and Men, but the pieces keep falling. Oh! Use your Leash thingy to hold them still! Frozen! Make him a seat!"
A sigh comes from the man wrapped in a winter coat during the summer in a swamp as he waves his hand toward the table. Ice slowly rises from the table, Frozen using the swamp's water to more smoothly create his element.
Shaking my head, I join the five as we have another hour or so before we need to leave. And as I do so, I notice that Frozen and Cigar both now have higher Sigils, each reaching the Wonderous Realm with verdant fetters that cover them. When did that happen? Am I just imperceptive? Huh... whatever.
I never have played Monsters and Men. Always wanted to, but I never had the friends to.
Now I do. Hopefully, next time Earl and Elizabeth want to play. Eh, maybe not. It is a strategy game, and that is unfair with Earl.