[center][h2]Vaught[/h2]
[sub]Early spring of 315 P.F.[/sub][/center]

The last time Vaught had paid a visit to the small village of [i]Motis[/i], it had been the middle of the day and the weather calm and clear. People had obeyed to the unspoken, but blatantly visible 'get out of my way'-attitude of the gray giant who had towered far over their heads, but neither had they run away in fear nor had any of them reached for a pitchfork or any other sharp peasant's utensil. Yet if they'd see Vaught now they certainly would, but that was also why he had chosen this particular day for his second approach.

The sun had already sunk below the horizon, not even leaving as much of a reddish glow behind by now, and clouds had gathered to pour themselves out down onto the ground far below. It was the perfect time for people to retreat into their individual houses or, if the need for socialization was too much of an urge, into the local tavern. The latter could count on a steady base of recurring patrons, but also on the occasional bunch of traders and other foreign people making a visit. Vaught's primary interest were the hunters, but if any other individuals would find their end in the occasion that was acceptable, too. Hopefully said bunch of misfits was still present there, maybe even preparing for yet another expedition into The Greatwood...

The rain was cold and dripping down from the large areas of leathery skin that were his wings in large quantities. He still had not managed to put them to any actual and prolonged use, but the clawed hands protruding from their primary bones made for an excellent aid when walking. They allowed him to move forward on four instead of two limbs, thereby greatly lowering his profile as he crawled over the fields. Vaught had not the slightest interest in any attentive eye noticing an inhumanly large, bipedal silhouette against any dim background moonlight in advance. There was a thin line between being quite confident in oneself and being too daring. This body, after all, was still somewhat experimental.

[i]Motis[/i] was a place small and unimportant enough for its tavern not to have any particular, fancy name like many of those in the sprawling cities of Outremer. In fact there was only one tavern at all, so identifying it had never been an issue for anyone coming into the village. So neither was it for Vaught as he came closer, clearly seeing the difference between a building intended for humans and many buildings mainly existing for the sake of crops, cattle and the storage of other miscellaneous items. He was small enough not to cause any tremor in his vicinity, but large enough for a dog or two left outside to notice his presence. They started barking with growing intensity, but Vaught wasn't disturbed. He held no grudge against dogs and by the time they'd have managed to truly alert anyone it would be too late anyway, so why should he care ?

The hunters were indeed still in the village -- and they were good drinkers! The men, distinguishing themselves from the simple peasants primarily by the array of weaponry they had brought with them and which they had a tendecy to carry around all the time, made for an excellent exchange of coins against many, many tankards full of very average-ish liquor. The place was filled to the brim, every single room rented and with the owner and his single barmaiden having their hands full keeping up with the demand for food and drinks. The air had become stale from wet leather, smoke, spilled beer, sweat and general human exhaust. Nobody cared to open a window though due to the rain.

And yet, just as a few men around a large table had chosen to play a game of cards, a new opportunity to vent the smell opened up in the wall right behind them. A loud bang tossed the players off their chairs and exposed them to the rain of wooden debris bursting into the room, but still the patrons kept their eyes open because they couldn't believe what they saw: A head, or at least something with large, red eyes and a gaping mouth full of razor-sharp teeth, was filling the new hole in the wall. It turned left and right, staring at them as if deciding whom to pick first.

Now that had been surprisingly easy... This thick layer of bone on his forehead appeared to make for an excellent battering ram, even though he had been clever enough not to go for one of the supporting pillars, but for the much more soft section of mere wooden boards in between them. Vaught lunged forward, ramming his shoulders against the outside wall so it gave way a bit further and allowed him to get inside at least partially. Now that man in front of him, the one frantically using his feet to try and push himself away from the wall: Was that a hunter ? Vaught's mind tried to imagine his face without all the panic -- and yes, this athletic-looking fellow was one of those who had bothered him days before!

Vaught pushed himself in the furthest and fastest he could in order to get a hold onto one of the man's feet. He tried to bite into it and the most prominent of his teeth punched through the leather boot, resuling in a scream of pain from someone who had just been impaled a little. Not wanting to wait until the others would have recollected themselves and readied their weapons, Vaught pulled his victim outside leg-first. Then, out of the rainy darkness, a crack could be heard along with more screams. The taste of human blood was nothing unfamiliar for Vaught, but the taste of actual flesh came accross almost revolting at first. He couldn't consume the hunter, at least not with the speed required for the current situation. So he pinned the man's chest down using the hand-like protrusion of his left wing while taking another bite, now severing the limb completely.

That comparably small chunk didn't scream and therefore wouldn't give away his position, but it would serve as a means to get accustomed with the taste of his new prey. Vaught now trampled over the one-legged man, crushing him in the process, and made a run for it. By the time the hunters had recovered and rushed outside to look after their now dead companion, he had already disappeared in the dark night surrounding [i]Motis[/i].

[center][img]https://i.pinimg.com/originals/86/e8/22/86e822124eba9fc930a700702feecfb2.jpg[/img][/center]