Faebreaker

27.0: The Lake Thing PT 1

Erik wasn't certain such a creature was supposed to exist.

Standing in the cover of the surrounding trees, Erik and company looked on as Alaric stared down the creature that'd supposedly slaughtered part of the Ettinsburgh hunting party. Standing on two hooves, it towered above even Alaric, who Erik thought already had quite a height. With a horse's head and a muscular, humanoid body, it was unlike anything Erik had seen in his entire life. Standing behind Alaric, Isla stepped back, her father cautioning her away with an open hand behind him.

Erik stood behind a collected Hamish, gaping as the brute of a man drew the crossbow he had slung over his back.

"Should we take it from range?" Hamish asked, glancing over at Sorcha.

"To start," she confirmed, setting her claymore across the brunt of a tree. "After Hamish lands his mark, start playing a disharmonic melody. Understand, Alec?"

"I'll weaken it the best I can," Alec said, gripping his lute tightly. "But forgive me if all I'm able to do is give it a mild headache."

"Do your best."

"What about me?" Lesie piped up.

"Stay here with Erik," Sorcha said. "If worse comes to worst and one of us gets injured, go back to the village with him and get help."

"I want to help you kill it."

"No." Sorcha shook her head. "This one is dangerous, an actual monster. Much more fatal than the discontented boggarts, wisps, and household entities we've dealt with in the past."

"But—" Lesie still had her sword over her shoulder, but never seemed to weaken from the weight of it. "I can do it. I trained for this. You helped me—"

Sorcha cut her off immediately. "This should not be the first thing ye kill." Letting out a long sigh, she put a gentle hand on the girl's shoulder. "I understand ye feel for these people, but don't let your emotions soar you toward death."

"She's right, lass," Hamish said. "Let this one go. Someone needs to make sure the lad is safe anyway, aye?"

Nodding with cold acceptance, Lesie chose to argue the matter no further. "All right."

Erik looked on at the creature as Alaric stared it down. He barely made out a few words, some being curse, boon, promise, grievances, words whose contexts he did not understand. Isla had said the creature purified the waters somehow. I'm thinking these people agreed to keep hush about this thing's existence on the basis that it kept the water good for drinking. What with the church's war on its so-called demons, Erik could only guess that the lake thing was well aware of the implications of existing alongside mankind.

The beast let out a long moan, Isla fleeing as she disappeared into the thick of the forest.

"Ready a bolt and get a good shot," Sorcha said, nodding over at Hamish as she picked up her claymore.

Hamish loaded his crossbow, a weapon designed to punch through armor and bone rather than pierce flesh, with a long iron bolt. Taking aim, he made a sideways glance Sorcha, waiting for the inevitable order to fire.

"I got it," Hamish said with a whisper.

Sorcha tightened her fist around her sword's pommel.

"Fire."

In a split second, the creature was wailing out a shrieking note as the party advanced forward. Staying behind with a disgruntled Lesie, Erik watched as Alec began plucking a discordant melody, all while on the move. Hamish loaded his crossbow with another bolt, this time not waiting for another order to fire, his second shot piercing the beast right in the chest.

Clasping its ears, the creature let out a cry loud enough for Erik to hear. "For this, all of Ettinsburgh will die!" it said, screaming. "Every last one of them will die, die, die!" It stopped, gasping for breath as it fell onto its back, grasping at one of the iron bolts embedded into its chest.

Sorcha, rushing forward, aimed to deal a finishing blow. However, the beast swat her away as it surged upward, not having given in just yet. Sorcha flew back several feet, sliding across the pebbly shore, her claymore now laying closer to the beast. When she got to her feet, she put a hand on her shoulder, fleeing back toward Alaric and coddling her injury.

Hamish readied another shot, this time missing the mark. He stepped back several paces, creating distance between him and the creature.

"All of this noise!" the lake thing said, seething through its teeth. "Stop it! Stop playing that infernal instrument!" Erik was almost surprised to see the creature more frustrated with the music than with the fact it was being shot at.

Alec, who stood a good distance from the fairy beast, had obviously caught wind of that remark. Instead of obeying the beast's order, his melody intensified, so much that Erik himself swore that his ears rung for a second.

Lesie took a step forward with her greatsword.

Erik's heart raced. If he felt useless before, having failed to save Lia, he felt especially useless now, unable to do anything for his companions.

"I'm going to help," Lesie said, taking a deep breath.

But before either of them could say or do anything further, Alaric had locked fists with the beast.

"Oh for Saint Fuck's sake!" Hamish shouted, lowering his crossbow. "You're begging to get shot, you big oaf!"

Alec, stopping his melody, seemed to be at a loss on what to do. Maybe he thinks his music will hurt Alaric too.

Alaric, unhearing to Hamish, stood his ground as he pushed against his adversary.

Erik's eyes widened, and Lesie, who still stood just ahead of him, set her gigantic sword along the side of a tree, sitting down on the forest floor. She must have felt useless as well. Someone who could match the creature's strength was surely more than capable of slaying it. If she were to run in all gallant, offering help, she'd only make things more difficult in the end.

Taking a glance at her, Erik could only describe her expression as beaten. "You all right?" he asked, sitting beside her on the leafy floor.

"I'm just sick of being dragged around," Lesie said, leaning on her knees. "I've been preparing for a fight like this all my life."

"I think Sorcha just doesn't want to take any chances with you."

The girl shot the boy a caustic glance. "People don't get anywhere without taking chances, you know. I want to be able to take mine."

"I mean," Erik gestured toward Sorcha, who'd already retreated behind Hamish. "She's been doing this for years, and that thing swat her away like she was nothing. I don't think you could have done much better."

"She's old," Lesie said, shrugging. "She wasn't quick enough."

"Well, you're young," Erik said, trying to talk some common sense. "You aren't smart enough."

The girl let out a short sigh. "I guess I'm not, aren't I."

Turning his gaze toward the point of conflict, Erik saw Alaric punch the beast across the side of its face. It stumbled back, Hamish's bolts still sticking out from its chest. Gathering itself, it charged forward, but Alaric met its offense with another strike, this time hitting the beast right in its belly.

Frenzied, the fairy beast frothed at the mouth, losing all sensibility as it prepared yet another assault.

Alaric, however, decided it was time to take control of the fight himself. He stepped forward, and pulling back, he delivered a crushing blow to the fairy beast's ribcage.

It clutched its chest, still bleeding profusely from where Hamish's bolts had hit. "Kin killer!" it screamed, yanking out one of the bolts. Despite Alaric's seeming lead, the each-uisge breathed yet.

Turning tail, it dove into the lake, leaving a trail of blood as it disappeared into the waters.

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