Aldred folded his arms, mulling over getting another drink, his eyes looking at the bard playing music, it wasn't his kind of stuff, too boring, he always enjoyed the more thrilling big band stuff. He noticed another enter the inn, an elf, another person he was told to expect. He didn't realize the group would be so large, but that was fine by him. He then heard the door pop open as someone walked in, it wasn't another mercenary, it seemed to be one of the citizens of the town, possibly a miner. The man quickly moved over to Aldred, then leaned down and spoke to the man.
"I saw it, something past my house, when I went out to get water from the well, I saw whatever it was, a massive shadow." The man said to Aldred, his voice tinged with fear and just low enough for Aldred to hear.
"Why did you come to me and who are you?" Aldred replied, turning his head to look the man in the eyes.
"I am Jon, I'm a simple miner in the town. I heard about you, many of us have, that you're on a quest, that's why there's so many strangers in the town. Are you here to stop the " The man replied.
"Let's go check it out, take me to where you saw this figure," Aldred said as he rose from his seat, Jon the miner bounding towards the door. "Excuse me for a moment, there is something I must see." He said to the group around him, then follow the man out of the inn.
It was still bitterly cold outside and pitch black dark, the only sources of light a few scattered torches which lit the streets just enough for anyone walking in them to know where they were going. The only difference now was that it had began to snow lightly, the white adding to the already covered ground. Aldred himself was warm enough under his armor and clothing underneath, but he felt bad for anyone who didn't have the same luxury. His boots made marks in the snow as he followed Jon who moved ahead, moving towards the edge of town where one would exit out of in order to head into the mountains. Several cozy cabins sat around him as he walked, eventually reaching Jon who was standing by what Aldred presumed was the miner's own home.
"Here is where I saw it, right over in that direction." Jon said as Aldred stopped in front of the man, the armored warrior looking in the direction the miner indicated, to the northeast. He couldn't see shit, just darkness before the wind began howling loudly, and the skies seemingly cleared, the moon in the sky illuminating just enough so that Aldred could see something he did not want to see.
A huge humanoid figure standing right where Aldred was looking, it looked like a massive man, he estimated maybe ten feet in height, possibly twelve. He noticed Jon's eyes go wide as the man must have seen it to.
"Get inside now! Lock the doors, secure your family." Aldred ordered the man who did exactly as the ex vanguard commander, running into his home, the door locking behind him. Aldred drawing his greatsword as he stared down the massive being, he swore he saw more of them behind it, as the thing began moving forward, Aldred practically hearing the ground shake with each step.
He backtracked towards town, well enough so that the streetlights would allow him to see the monsters sulking towards him. His mouth nearly dropped open in surprise as the first one came into the light, the creature was truly a sight, twelve or so feet of pure muscle hidden under light grey skin, the only clothing it wore a simple loincloth, it's face bland with a short tuft of black hair on top., fearsome eyes staring down the former vanguard. As the treetrunk legs moved forward, Aldred noticed the beast clenching something, a boulder.
It flung the rock forward towards Aldred, who dove to the side, just barely avoiding being turned into mush. The boulder hitting the ground with a slam as it continued rolling forward, finally making impact in the wall of The Spotless Rock Inn.
The bartender dove behind his bar, the waitress letting out a scream as the boulder smashed through the building, creating a massive hole in the side wall, a hole large enough for anyone inside to clearly see Aldred with his blade drawn, facing down a single giant while five others behind it ominously moved towards the town with slow, but sure footsteps.
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