Tomorrow is the day I think as I leap to the left in order to avoid incoming dash from my opponent. Not really that hard one to fight this time, a wild boar size of a rhino, but really annoying. All the tactics I used against the Serpent were useless on this one. Instead of hard scales that my claws could sink into he has soft fur, and if I try to grab it, it simply tears of in clumps. And we are fighting on a plain so now maneuvering using the trees or throwing rocks. My current tactics is wait it to charge in, sidestep and grab one of the boar's tusks and slam it down by using the tusk as a lever. But it has been somewhere in the span of half-an-hour to a hour without any effect and the surrounding plain is starting to look like a minefield after having a dance competition on it. So I change to little riskier approach.

The boar charges in with thundering roar as I do my regular sidestep follow-up and grab the tusk, but this time after slamming the beast down head first; I grab its other tusk and lift. Pulling my arms towards me as I lift the boar causes its neck to twist on a rather awkward angle as it thrashes on the ground belly up. While trying to keep my balance between the kicks and twist I suddenly bend my body backwards while lifting the boar with full strength, causing its whole body to leave the ground for a while, till it comes crashing down. With the boar's neck on an awkward angle, the sudden motion is enough to break it. I breathe in and straighten my back before carving myself a raw steak of boar meat.

With both the fight and feast finished I begin to walk towards the camp while bringing the matter of tomorrow back in my mind. It has been two months since the Serpent's attack and tomorrow is the change of shifts. I made a deal with William that I help with the strengthening of camps security in return of right to leave my position as a scout. I can't figure out anything about the wolf or the forest from William, and he can't figure anything about the forest from me, so he had no objections with me leaving to figure them out. Well I never told him about the wolf, he still thinks I'm studying the village and its location within the presence of the Forbidden woods.

The camp comes to my sight different from two months ago, with high log walls, built by having me go to the nearby forests and felling few trees and carrying them back as others dug the holes they were buried in to support them. The log wall isn't that secure, with having gaps big enough for thin adult to squeeze through, as the holes couldn't be dug so close to another without causing the already upright logs to fall down, but with the size of the beast were fighting, none could slip through. To build an actual wall we would had to build a foundation, but none us knew how, so this had to do. Not that we had any casualties with me taking all the night shifts and the beasts moving only in night. It's not like I need to sleep anyway nowadays.

Within the camp I'm greeted by the remaining of the night watch and the now waking members of day watch. Sam comes to greet me with them. When it was decided that I take the night watch duty, Sam actually wanted the same shifts as me, but as he learned that I took every shift, he opted to take some day watches too. I was actually glad that someone that didn't hate me wanted to spend few shifts with me so I had something to do instead just staring in the horizon with my eyes glazed. Thanks to our talks I now know more about Sam's life and family history that I know about my own life or family history, but as said, better than just sitting around campfire alone and bored with nothing to do. Gareth also waves me as I keep walking towards the far end of the camp. He has come to respect me more during these times, but I still don't think that he actually cares what I do or happens to me. Not that the feeling isn't mutual, but I have even come to respect him too during these times.

Merrick, the old man and the wise man of the camp has never talked to me this whole time I spent here, but he doesn't seem hostile or anything and he helps with everything William tells him to help me with. Mostly clothes, as my appearance has changed a lot with these two months. It was already proven that my hair and nails don't grow by me getting lost in the Forbidden woods for months, which is good as I don't think they could be cut with regular equipment. It does seem that my muscles do grow, and I'm no longer the slender giant I used to be. The fights with beast, building the wall and diet consisting 98% of meat did its job. With the fights trashing my nobleman's garnets and my growth rendering the otherwise useless too, Merrick has been responsible for sewing me new clothes from the fallen beats hides, now rendering me to a total barbarian with black, shaggy hair, wild eyes and leather and fur clothes. At least he had the skill to make actual pants and I wasn't left with a loincloth.

I arrive at William's cabin where we usually had our drinking sessions, but with mead running out thanks to increased consumption and soldiers refusing to share their ale, we were left with no option but go for some pseudo tea made by boiling some forest plant's leaves in the stream water. So now we share our thoughts around the hot cups of dyed water. I don't hate tea, but this imitation is nearly tasteless and this out-post has no sugar. After pouring as mugs of tea William starts the talk: "It seems that our message got through to the nobles and they're sending thrice the amount of soldiers and actual knight brigade to fill our ranks." "That's good." "They're also sending in full garrison force help rebuilt the camp into a small fort, but the garrison force leaves after the fortifications are done" William says while ignoring my interruption. He sips the tea with bitter looks on his face and continues: "Of course with you leaving we have to create actual scouting force and upkeep constant watch, but the better equipment they send us should help with the actual subjugation. Not that I expect it to go as well as it has gone with you doing it alone. Less risks and more success I say." Answering him I just tell him straight: "You won't convince me to stay, I need to figure these things out." That kinda ends our conversation for the day, but we still talk about random things.

**************************************

The sun rises with slow arch in the sky and my duty in the fields has ended. As I make my way back to my house in the center of the Corian village, near an all encompassing desert of the east I hear noises made by galloping horses. With that I break into a run and arrive at the outskirt of the village and see a small army of men, wearing thick and heavy leather armor and carrying large, two-handed claymores and composite bows on their backs. They simply wait there as curious villagers came running after hearing the horse's hooves hitting the ground. "We are all idiots"-I think as a bearded man man wearing some kind of armor I haven't seen before bellows out words: "We are the Huns under the great orders of Attila himself, so bow!" As I wonder what foreign tongue does the word "Hun" belong to, a man different from others rides near the group of villagers.

This man is not clad in armor like others; he only wears leather trousers and boots. His bare upper body is large and slender, with broad shoulders. Long and thin fingers grasp the reins as his eyes survey the group. A bird of prey comes to my mind as I study his features, with long hooked nose and small peak like mouth, but mostly the hair and eyes. His eyes are like that of a real bird, with small and slender eyes hiding large pupils and irises and no white can be seen. His hair is golden-brown and stuck in thin, long clumps almost like feathers, combed to point backwards along the head and half raised like he was buffing them up.

Then one of the villagers, an older man walks to meet this man who studies him with his non-blinking eyes atop his horse. He even tilts his head like an owl would as the man approaches. The elder, who I know recognize as the village's mayor speaks to the leader of "Huns", named Attila. "I have heard of you from the reports, nothing but a thief and a murderer! You think you can lead your band of thieves in my town and rob as you please? You will be brought to justice!" The mayor screams angrily towards the man. I also remember now who these men are, a band of thieves who have been robbing nearby towns and villages, killing the men and taking the women, food and anything of value before they burn the villages down with all the remaining people still inside their houses. We truly were fools, but no use running now.

The man jumps down his horse slightly smiling and says in rather humored tone: "And who will be the one to take us to justice, with king's men far from the remote towns and the lord's men guarding their cowardly masters?" The mayor simply stares at the man without flinching and says: "You think you can scare me with words when your actions have failed to do so? DON'T MAKE ME LAUGH! If the knights or soldiers will not fight, we the common men will! You think you would be the first thief king taken down by commoners? Think again, your kind always falls! We will rise to sword if needed to, and we, the men your kind oppress, WILL BE YOUR END!" He yells now red faced, voice laced with defiance.

But it has no effect on the thief king, he simply places his hands on both sides of mayor's head as thin smile spreads on his face and whisper loud enough for us all to hear: "Ah, but for to the common men to rise, they need a one thing..." And with that he drives his thumbs from gently resting on the mayor's temple into his eyes. As the mayor screams and falls down on the feet of Attila, he lifts his right leg dangling over the mayor's head and continues his speech: "...A martyr."

With that his foot comes crashing down, crushing the mayor's head and silencing his screams. "And now it has been given, so who of you shall be my end?" He yells the question to us. With no movement from us he rolls his eyes and walks over and grabs the daughter of village's baker by simply lifting her over his shoulder and yells to his men: "I'm taking this one, you can keep the rest."

With that comes the end of our village.