[sub][indent][i][h3][color=d8cfbe]𝕋aft[/color][/h3][/i][/indent][/sub][hr]
[color=d8cfbe]“He’s… dead?”[/color]

Kendrick’s father, Yamarr, leaned back in his seat. The three in front of him had burst into his home, soaked to the core and blubbering about monsters and beastmen and disembodied heads. He would have turned them away, but he was still the mayor of Taft. It was his duty to hear out the problems of his citizens.

Truth be told, Yamarr wasn’t too shaken up by Kendrick’s death. The little shit had it coming. Born out of wedlock, it was only because of some unsafe copulation and a drunken stupor that the kid came into being. Even though Yamarr had never given his son too much notice, leaving him to his wife, the kid had somehow gotten it into his head that, as the son of the mayor, he was more important than the rest of the teenagers. He used to spend each evening drinking before he was banned from every pub in town. Kendrick had resorted to petty theft after that. Nobody really dared to report it, but nobody really knew that Yamarr would have happily put his son in jail if [i]one goddamn person[/i] had filed a report.

Kendrick’s mother, on the other hand, was going to make Yamarr’s life a living hell. The woman knew that the only reason she was married to the mayor was because of his guilt over inseminating her eighteen years ago. Now that her beloved little stonge was gone, he’d happily get rid of their vows and escape his current hell.

Still, it hadn’t gotten to that point yet. He had to deal with the three shitheads standing in front of his desk, dripping all over his hardwood floor. The girl, Ema, had the smell of vomit about her, and chunks of what looked like meat still clung to her singed clothes. The other two were just wet, even after using a towel to dry off.

[color=d8cfbe]“Kendrick is dead,”[/color] Coln said. [color=d8cfbe]“I picked up his head with… with my hand.”[/color] Even if he was one of the apprentice hunters of Taft, he was still 18. He probably couldn’t stand blood and gore well, especially that of his good friend.

Lendal bowed his head. [color=d8cfbe]“We’re so sorry, sir. We weren’t able to find him in time, and he was just… just…”[/color]

Yamarr shook his head. [color=d8cfbe]“Son, you did what you could. I’ll do my best to bring justice to the monster who did this.”

“That’s-that’s the thing, sir,”[/color] Ema said. It was the first time she’d spoken since she entered the house. [color=d8cfbe]“We already caught it. Well, Lendal did.”

“You… what?”[/color] Yamarr put on a face of surprise, even though, internally, he was rejoicing. Two birds with one stone. Kendrick was gone AND Yamarr wouldn’t have to file a report. [color=d8cfbe]“Well, where is it?”[/color]

The three looked at each other.

[color=d8cfbe]“We, um, sold it, sir.”[/color] Lendal tossed a sack of coins on the desk. At least a hundred middlers, for sure.

Yamarr blinked. [color=d8cfbe]“You… sold the monster.”

“We should have come to you first, sir. We were impulsive and wanted to get the thing out of our hair immediately. We apologize for preventing you from serving justice, sir.”[/color] Coln bowed his head.

Yamarr waved his hand. What luck! He didn’t even have to hold a trial![color=d8cfbe] “It’s fine. Where is it now?”

“Well, the traders had room for one more servant in their wagons, so we gave her up as an indenture. She’s probably on her way to one of the major cities. They left right after we exchanged money. Um, you can keep it, sir. It’s our apology for… for…”[/color] Coln began to shake uncontrollably.

Yamarr stood up and patted the youth on his sodden shoulder. [color=d8cfbe]“It’s alright. You did what you could. I [i]am[/i] going to have to punish you three, though. Understand?”[/color]

The three swallowed.

[color=d8cfbe]“Oh, don’t worry. It won’t be too severe. Maybe some community service hours. I’m thinking around 20.”[/color]

The three looked significantly less downtrodden after that notice. Lendal was almost smiling. They had probably spent the entire walk back home worried about their own skins, rather than mourning for their fallen friend. Well, Yamarr could understand that.

[color=d8cfbe]“Alright, now you three get home before your parents-”[/color]

A thunk sounded throughout the house. It sounded as if an object had impacted the home with significant force. Yamarr led the three to the front door. Everyone else in the home was asleep. He opened the door to check outside.

An axe, embedded into the mahogany wood of his door. It looked as if it were hewn- no, [i]grown[/i] from a tree. A threat?

He looked around. Nobody around. But... there, at the top of Lookout Knoll. A figure, at the perfect height and angle to sling an axe at his door. He could barely make them out through the rain and darkness. Luckily, his eyesight had always been good.

[color=d8cfbe]“You three,”[/color] he said to the teenagers. [color=d8cfbe]“Go contact the sheriff’s office. We have a suspicious figure on our hands.”[/color]