(MxM) Tales Of A Shifter (P1) - The Meeting

Chapter 38 - Threat In Darkness

"As you can see..." Mantilo started, his yellow eyes reminiscent of a very angry owl. Ezekiel could see multiple shapes in the grass beyond him. Still, unmoving, shapes with weird sticks attached to every few shadows lying among the other shadows in the wide field beyond.

He didn't need the dim moon light putrid blood and other fluids in the air to tell him that the shadows were the torn up bodies of the moose's that they had come to see.

"This is a serious problem. Multiple kills, no real feeding, and as of right now....we have no idea what's doing this. But because of its choice of prey we can guess too things safely."

"It's big." Walter quipped simply in answer.

"It's strong." Ezekiel said next.

Their father nodded. "Exactly. This thing is most likely a bear, but from the way that it is hunting and the veracity of its kills....it may be sick, diseased or just overly territorial. Either way its killing in large quantities and is obviously not going to stop until we find it. "

Instantly Ezekiel knew form his father's tone that he didn't in fact believe that it was a bear at all, but he suggested it, because it was the only animal profile that would logically fit the carnage down below them. His father shrugged as he came to the end of his talk.

"Now, we've taken out a few diseased Bob Cats and Mountain Lions before, but nothing much bigger than that. So....first we've got to be smart about this and safe. Spread out in among the kills and search for anything that we can use to hunt down this beast."

Ezekiel didn't have to look at Erin to know that it was her feminine gag behind her hand that rose into the night. Mantilo took pity on her.

"Erin, Drin, stay up here, keep your eyes and ears open." He hissed out softly at the Guardians. "If you see anything out there, or coming towards the carcasses that doesn't look right, holler a warning! Be vigilant and swift!"

With a strong head nod, more thankful then professional, Drin and Erin pulled back from the group and stood together on the rise of the hill and watched the surrounding darkness diligently. Drin's blue eyes glowing like glaciers, and Erin's eyes catching a simple glow of light like glowing sandy brown.

Realizing that he had promised to stay beside the younger Guardians to put them at ease only a few hours ago, Ezekiel went to join them, but his father caught his eye and that stopped him.

"Ezekiel." Mantilo began once Ezekiel turned back towards him. "Leave them for now....they will be safe enough up here. I want you out there, tracking with the rest of us. Go." Mantilo told him softly.

"Are you sure? I told them I'd stay close by..." Ezekiel asked his father, looking at his cousin and her Mate.

They looked like the smell in the air was going to rise up and attack them, but he knew that his father wouldn't ask unless he was certain of the younger ones safety, so Ezekiel sighed and followed his un-answering father down the side of the hill and into the death that waited below.

The smell only grew stronger as they moved in among the still shapes in the grass. And as Ezekiel moved past the shadows that he was starting to make out he not only sensed the blood coating his shoes as he moved, but he heard the barely audible "Squish " his boots made as he traveled across the blood drenched graveyard.

The sounds of tiny feet scampering away from their late night feedings fell on his sensitive ears and more than once Ezekiel had to shake his legs free of the multitude of insects that tried to climb up his pants as he moved. Without exchanging words his brothers moved apart to scour the area. Eyes and ears alert, searching the carcass riddled field for tracks that they all knew would be hard to find, but each of them kept that too themselves as they settled in on different corners of the fields and worked.
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And it was only after Ezekiel had moved far enough out into the darkness, far enough from him to lose all sight of his brothers, and only for him to see that the moon light from above faded behind the coal colored clouds above.