Water curtained the landscape.

The air was stagnant with the smell of ozone. Drops fell straight down and plopped into the murky water, a lullaby of static.

A single humongous cumulonimbus cloud assembled at the edge between biomes. As if to say, "fuck this place in particular."

A patrol squinted into the darkness, water dripping off their brows. The shivering soldiers sheltered under a tree like any other denizen of a marsh was likely to do. The fact that they had zero visibility made them anxious. They were meant to be patrolling the area; however, the prevailing conditions made that impossible.

The pack of four huddled around the most rotund of the group. The others hated Hubert because he was constantly slowing them down, reeked of sweaty socks, and was as pleasant to look at as a baboon's bottom.

Hubert appeared just as uncomfortable acting as a wall between the bicckering couple. Two of their number ended a relationship last week but were unable to avoid each other due to being stuck on the same squad.

That's why you don't date a coworker.

The last memeber of the squad, Ben, desperately wished to be transferred. The group dynamic was the reason he missed the Armadillo attack. He was too busy trying to separate the former lovers while convincing his already slow partner against the idea of shaving while walking. The gash on the fat man's cheek was infected.

Ben tried his damnedest to forget the conditions and do his job the right way. Hopefully, he could get back into the Lieutenant's good graces if he didn't stir the water.

"Hands off."

The skinny army woman hissed, barely heard above the rain.

"That wasn't me. Are you sure it wasn't Hubert? Dear gods... Hubert. Is the cut on your face bubbling?"

"Don't stare at it. You're making me feel self-conscious."

Hubert shifted his feet, which caused the others to step out into the rain for a tick

"By the Seven, get ahold of yourselves. Eyes outward. An attack could come at any moment, and I don't want my last moments to be smothered against the three of you."

Ben felt like a parent wrangling children. They had enough decency to follow directions but lacked the common sense to stop bickering. Ben tried tuning it out and focusing on his surroundings.

Scouts didn't wield spears since they were more cumbersome. Instead, they were given a dagger. The thought process was that they were scouts and supposed to report back, not get into fights. They were assigned lighter armor for 'convenience'. In exchange, they got the best boots.

Ben snapped his head towards the east.

"Did you hear that?"

"All I can hear is Hubert breathing."

"I have a condition."

"I wouldn't call talking through your nose a condition."

"Shut up. All of you. Something just splashed in the water."

They didn't. But Ben heard it again, closer this time.

"There's something out there. I'm going to pop a flare."

Ben dug around in his pocket for a talisman each of the patrols was required to carry. A feminine hand grabbed his arm.

"Are you crazy? What if you're wrong? We'll get an even worse posting."

"And if I am right, we won't be killed slowly and painfully. We're sitting ducks out here.."

The others exchanged glances. The hand holding him back let go. Relieved, Ben was quick to pull out the talisman and snap it.

A bright red light lit up the surroundings, refracting against the falling water. It illuminated the blood-crazed creature standing five feet front of them.

One of their screams cut off with a gurgle. Hubert tried to run but was tripped by his fellow. The culprit fled, leaving behind his squad and his beheaded lover only to make it ten feet before collapsing into a pool of water with a hatchet buried in his back.

Hubert's tears were lost in the rain. Blood from his slashed achilles leaked away.

Ben only managed to draw his dagger after two of his companions already lay dead. The creature standing over Hubert was a human... or something that used to be. Bones adorned the creatures head, but the chest was bare and that of a man.

"W-What are you?"

Ben couldn't control the shaking in his hand. Red light continued to flicker ominously.

The creature stared unblinkingly. Its gaze disregarded him and moved to the crippled Hubert. Seeing an opportunity, Ben charged forward.

He slipped.

As he fell backward, his last vision was of a blade slicing through the raindrops.

=

The humidity drew insects to the bodies, making the stench absolutely horrid. Three figures examined the scene more cloesly while soldiers were positioned to guard the area.

General Raiden made an observation.

"This woman's head was sliced off in one cut."

It was difficult to draw conclusions when the body it should have been attached to was missing. The cuts on the neck were jagged, indicating a serrated weapon.

"That one abandoned his squad and took a hatchet to the back. Looks like he drowned."

The weapon sticking out his back puctured a lung so it wouldn't have mattered. Ash pointed to the weapon in question. It had been left behind.

"The axe is bone"

Raiden corrected her.

"It is a hatchet. There is a difference."

Ash ignored him.

"The axe is bone."

Raiden looked closer. The blade was a piece of a human femur. Spider silk wrapped the haft accompanied by decorative squirrel skulls.

Jerome covered his nose and continued staring at the third body. What was left of the fat man was lying face up. Raiden's voice interrupted his musing.

"I thought you killed this guy."

Jerome eyed the cavity in the fat man's stomach. The intestines were splayed out and chewed apart.

"Ash caved in his skull, and then I shot an arrow through his eye for good measure."

"You should have shot both of his eyes. I don't want this freak stalking us. Send out a hunting party to take care of him. We're moving out. Now."

Raiden marched off without waiting for an answer. Ash heard him curse.

"Cannibals."

=

The tree was a Cypress. Old. Weary. Tall enough to see everything that happened from start to finish.

The rain was welcome. It had no qualms about the soldiers taking shelter beneath it. Nor did it take issue with them becoming fertilizer. To the timespan of a tree, the virtual horde of humans wandering around passed in the blink of an eye.

However, it was concerned with the one weighing on it's branches. The human had been there before the rain and hadn't moved. It was like a tree in that regard. It swayed every now and then, bored in a way a tree wouldn't understand.

When the Cypress' home was finally silent once again, the human began to sing.

"~One melon drops down like an apple from a tree~"

Her limbs stretched and popped with glee.

"~The second fled further and screamed it wasn't fair."

Swinging her weight, she leaped into the air.

"~A third squealed: somebody please help me~"

Feet landing with a splash, she left the tree be.

"~The final and fourth did the demon spare~"

So the Melody chimed without a care...