Small gaps in the corn led into two other clearings such as this, and after briefly considering walking straight into the corn, she chose to follow the one to the right. Her gut told her it would be unwise to step into the thick of the maize.

A smaller clearing, barely five meters across, bone fragments strewn about on the ground. In the center there sat a large flat-topped rock, upon which there sat a large bone, picked free of flesh. Zelsys didn’t have much knowledge of human anatomy, but even she could tell this was a femur. Some whole bones could be seen strewn about on the ground The maize stalks around it were worn down to the dirt, as if someone - or something - had spent much time sitting in the same spot. For no reason in particular, Zel took hold of her gun’s trigger lever and reached for her cleaver’s handle.

There was no gut feeling, her instincts weren’t screeching, but still, she wanted to be cautious. Clearly, this was where the beast ate, but why would it have a specific clearing for eating? It was just a mindless beast, after all.

Back to the larger clearing and through the other opening in the maize. Another circular clearing, smaller than the first but larger than the second, perhaps ten meters across. There was much blood splattered across the ground, dry to the point of near-blackness. No corpses. Either the beast was less lethal than the barkeep suggested, or it left nothing more than bone fragments behind.

Perhaps it ate those too, just more slowly. Zel’s gaze darted from one end of this clearing to the other. Something was off - the crickets were silent. Then, the Fog rolled in - a reddish-silver haze that sat low to the ground, the metallic stench of blood filling her nostrils. By the flow of the Fog, the source would have to be… Directly behind her.

There came a barely-audible rustling of corn, followed by equally silent footfalls, and somehow, she still didn’t get that gut feeling, as if she wasn’t in any immediate danger. Soon, she heard the beast’s heavy breathing, its teeth clicking and drool dripping as it murmured to itself. Maybe it hadn’t noticed her yet. Maybe, she could get the jump on it by pretending she had fallen for its ambush.

It murmured and murmured, approaching with slow, deliberate steps, perfectly even, perfectly silent even on a floor of sun-dried maize. Zel took a breath, filling her lungs as quietly as she could in an attempt to not arouse any suspicion. Fortunately, the Fog sat low enough to the ground that her inhalation didn’t visibly disturb it. She felt the invigoration that always came with a breath of Fog spread through her body, her senses amplified to the point where she could make out what the beast was muttering. It wasn’t just the meaningless chattering of teeth, but rather a barely-audible monologue.

“So hungry, so cold… Need to eat… Eat humans... Quincy said he would send dinner…” it rambled to itself in a comforting tone.