Captain Morgan watched the shore as the remaining longboats sailed in to the beach. Clearly he could see the longboat that had gone ashore during the night, with the barrel overturned beside it. But as of yet he could not make out the crewman and two soldiers he had sent across.

The three longboats beached and everyone got out, dragging them further onto shore so they wouldn’t float away. The other one was still further ahead of them, with the tide having receded at day break.

Once the longboats were secured everyone rushed over to the site. Many quickly turned and moved away, some of the younger crew brought up their breakfast at the site. Morgan forced his way forwards and surveyed the scene.

All of the three men he had sent to shore were dead. His crewman was lying off to one side, a clear bullet wound in the side of his head. He started to think there might be pirates about. But then he saw the gun of the soldier pointing straight at the crewman.

The soldier was lying flat on his face in the sand, pushed down by some force. His neck had been ravaged, hunks of flesh torn from it and the bone clearly showing. This attack wasn’t caused by any pirates. This was animalistic.

The other soldier confirmed his fears. Lying on his side, his throat was completely torn out, with his head lolling back, held there by only the bone. The backs of his legs had also been mauled, making that the wound that brought him down.

This was definitely the work of some ferocious beast. Whether there was more than one he couldn’t tell. But by the look of the blood trail that lead away from the site it seemed it had been wounded, and had headed inland. No beast could do this to his men and be allowed to live. And if this beast was as fearsome as it seemed, then it would make a good trophy for the wall of his benefactor. It might even provide some added bonuses to the voyage.

He moved away from the site with his men.

“Lads, we need to avenge the deaths of our comrades. As such I will go with the remaining soldiers and hunt down whatever foul beast did this to Doug, Reg and Sampson. You crewmen need to fill those barrels with water. There’s no way we are leaving here without water,” he stopped for a second and listened, “and there seems to be plenty of water about. I can hear a stream. Get to work!”

The crewmen started bustling about to take the barrels up the beach and in the direction of the gurgling water. The soldiers started loading their muskets with shot, prepared to hunt down this beast. Morgan counted them, he had six soldiers left. There were another couple on the boat still; he didn’t want anyone to cause a mutiny while he was out here. Not that they would, none of them knew where they were going.

“Right lads,” he said to the soldiers once they all seemed prepared to go, “let us follow this trail of blood and see where it takes us.”

* * *

As day had started to break Hakai and Kabian made it to the clearing around the knoll. Mitsui’s breathing was even more shallow now, and the weight of him was starting to cause Hakai to stagger. But he persevered, and managed to get Mitsui to the mouth of the den before he collapsed from exhaustion.

From the surrounding forest the rest of the clan started appearing. It had taken the three of them a long time to get back to the knoll, and with day breaking the others were preparing to rest. The twin sisters moved to Hakai and Mitsui. Hakai fell forwards and then shifted his weight to roll Mitsui from his back.

“Hakai, what has befallen you,” Sakako had a worried look on her face as she stood before Hakai. Her sister Makako moved over to Mitsui.

Blood matted Mitsui’s fur down. She started to lick at it in an attempt to clean the wound, but a strange taste came into her mouth and she had to draw away. Mitsui stirred, his eyes half opening in the morning light.

“Pain,” he whispered between his clenched teeth, “the thunder sticks… pain.”

A small sigh escaped his jaw and then all was silent. Makako nudged his muzzle and listened close for breathing but there was none.

“Hakai, tell us what has happened. Something terrible must have befallen you for Mitsui to pass into the halls of Monok.”

Hakai’s head dropped at the thought of his old friend and mentor travelling to be with Monok.

“There was a strange light out on the Water. It brought some strange creatures with it. We went to have a look. Then they attacked us. Two of them carried these sticks, which made sounds like thunder. Somehow these sticks must have attacked Mitsui, but I do not know how.” He shook his head, remembering the brief fight. “We managed to kill them, but the light was still on the water when we left, there could be more.”

Sakako growled ferociously, and the hackles on the back of her neck began to rise. “That was reckless Hakai. Of all you should have known better. Maybe its time for a new leader to step forth.”

Hakai stood up to his full height then, and stared down at Sakako. His voice became gruff and full of menace. “You threaten me Sakako? You doubt me? Then bring me someone who can beat me! And I will show you I am still fit to rule!”

Sakako cowered before Hakai, her tail between her legs. Her sister came and nudged her side. “It is not time for this. We must bury Mitsui and send him on his way to the halls.”

The rest of the wolves decided they wanted to be anywhere except in front of Hakai and took off to begin the preparations. Running up to the top of the knoll they started digging a hole to place him in. Others carried his body up the knoll.

Makako looked at Kabian. “We thought the pup had run away.”

Hakai calmed down a bit. “He followed Mitsui to where I was. Well, sort of followed. He also killed one of the pale creatures. He is Kabian of the Blood Mist.”

She nodded to herself, and then noticed the fine mist of blood that covered Kabian’s entire body. She smiled to herself. It was unusual for a pup to kill so quickly.

She and her sister then moved up the knoll and waited for the grave site to be readied. When it was done they would then howl to Monok to allow Mitsui passage through to his halls where he will be forever remembered.

* * *

The path of blood had quickly entered the trees. When it had, Morgan and the soldiers noticed two sets of tracks in the soft ground. They seemed similar to that of a dog, but much larger. And no dog they had ever known had been able to do that to a human. Dogs were tame creatures, easy to command, and completely obedient. Whatever was ahead of them was much different.

They continued along the trail until the blood stopped. The paw prints continued on though. The creature’s wound must have closed over at this point. One of the creatures seemed to be larger than the other. This was worrying. But the fact that there was more than one was even more worrying.

A sound started a little way ahead. It chilled the blood of the soldiers and Morgan’s hand started shaking as he reached for the two pistols in his jacket. The howl picked up again. It felt like pain and anguish. It must be the creatures they were after.

He started whispering, “Calm down lads, they be before us. Let’s take it to them.”

He could hear the others start whispering prayers to whatever gods they worshipped. Some took pendants out and kissed them. But soon enough they all started in the direction of the howling, sighting down muskets, and ready to fire at a moments notice.

They came to the edge of a small clearing with a little hill in the middle of it. At the base was a small cave, but on top was where the howling was coming from. They all looked up and saw the creatures that were making the noise. They definitely seemed similar to dogs, but the differences were there to be seen also.

They were huge, at least twice as big as any dog he had ever seen. And they seemed to be covered in a thick fur, almost like armour. They were in a circle, all around a small mound of dirt. Did they bury the one that was shot? He thought to himself. He turned to see the men shaking a little more as the realization of what they were facing hit them.

“Three take the front, three take the back and reload. We need to fire fast. They might look somewhat like dogs, but they are daemons in disguise.”

The soldiers followed his orders at the edge of the clearing. Morgan stood behind them and held his pistols at the ready.

The creatures at the top of the hill stopped howling and one was looking around as it had noticed something, then the front line of soldiers fired.

* * *

The howling died down. Mitsui would be welcomed at the halls of Monok now. They could leave his grave in peace. A smell came to the clan members. Hakai recognized the smell and started to look around for where it was coming from. The pale creatures were back and there seemed to be more of them.

A sound like thunder came from the bottom of the knoll. Three wolves were lifted from their feet and thrown to the ground, blood oozing from puncture wounds in their side. Confusion ensued as the clan was unsure what was happening. The thunder came again, and another three wolves fell to the ground dead.

The pups scattered, Kabian with them. The noise scared them, and they needed to run far from it. Other wolves started to rush down the knoll to where the sound was coming from. It happened again and the front three wolves collapsed in mid-stride, knocking over those following behind.

Some broke legs as they fell in a heap, others managed to pick themselves up only to be shot down as another wave of thunder rolled over. Roughly fifteen wolves had now died at the hands of the pale creatures that had come to their shores. The remaining wolves scattered from the site, trying to confuse the creatures, and ducked into the forest.

Kabian slowed when the noises of thunder stopped coming and looked around. He couldn’t see any of the other pups, but he could hear them clearly. He turned in the direction of where he heard the sounds and started slowly making his way there. But he stopped as he reached the edge of the trees.

Four of the pale creature had climbed to the top of their knoll, surveying the wolves they had killed. Three others were standing at the front of the den, surrounding the other pups. Thunder rolled again as before his eyes the creatures tensed and then his litter mates fell to the ground with their life blood draining away from them.

He looked at the knoll in dismay, and at the bodies lying down the side of it, where their charge had been cut short. He saw the twin sisters lying at the bottom of the knoll, one with broken legs, and the other with a large patch of blood on her side. He couldn’t see Hakai anywhere though.

A howl came from the woods. Another followed. And then others. It seemed a few of the wolves still survived. Hakai was with them too. Kabian let out a brief howl so they knew where he was, and then looked back at the creatures.

The ones that had killed his litter mates had rushed to the top of the knoll as the howling had started, and now the six with the thunder sticks were kneeling down with their sticks pointed at the base of the knoll.

A wolf rushed from the forest and was shot down before he made it half way up the knoll. Those thunder sticks were amazing things, able to kill creatures from a distance.

Kabian stayed where he was though as more howls came. There only seemed to be four other wolves from the clan left. As Kabian watched, all four rushed from the trees. Hakai was at the back of the pack as they raced up the side of the knoll towards the creatures with the thunder sticks.

The thunder rolled and the three wolves leading all fell forwards. But Hakai leapt over them, and suddenly he was at the line of creatures. Leaping past them he made for the one in the middle. He leapt high and landed with his front paws on its shoulders. It fell to the ground under his weight. Two small peels of thunder sounded, and as Kabian watched, Hakai fell forward then slumped to the ground.

All he could do now was turn and run from the carnage.

* * *

Morgan pushed the great beast from him and rolled out of the way. A soldier came over and fired his musket into the beast to make sure it was dead then helped Morgan back to his feet. They listened for a few minutes, but didn’t hear any of the howling they had heard before.

Morgan put his two pistols away. “Well, that seems like the last of them. Let’s not push our luck anymore.” He looked at the bodies littering the hill. About twenty of the creatures lay dead before him. He wiped sweat from his brow, that last one had scared him something fierce.

“I think we should head back to the boat now. I am sure the crew has the water loaded.” He glanced down at the one that had leapt on him. It was the biggest one they had found. “And bring this one with us; it will make a fine talking piece for our benefactor.

Surveying the surrounding forest he looked forth and could see some more small hills like the one he was on. It was very possible there were more of these creatures around. Two soldiers carried the beast between them and the others kept a watch out as they made their way back to longboats they had left on the beach.

It took a little while to get back, the beast was surprisingly heavy. But when they did finally manage to get there he was pleased to see the water barrels brimming and the crewmen sitting around and having a laugh. They stood in a crescent as their Captain approached. The soldiers then dumped the beast in front of them.

They pulled back in fear. “By all that is good and pure,” many of them whispered words to their gods or swore. “That is some beast you have there Cap’n. What be it?”

“I have no clue crewman. But let’s not dally here any longer. Get aboard the boat. We need to leave.”

With those words the crew organized everything into the longboats and they headed back to the ship ready to leave. As they sailed away from the island Morgan looked back at it. Could there be more of these beasts in the forests. And what lay at the middle? It looked like mountains rose to the centre. Surely it couldn’t be an uncharted isle. And if it was, maybe he could be the first to chart it properly. He would need to speak to his benefactor. Maybe he could get some funding to mount an expedition to explore this new place with its strange new creatures.