Arthur stretched out, his feet planted on the skids, his torso harnessed to the body of the craft as it moved at a speed greater than any Arthur could hope to achieve on foot. As the trail he walked earlier passed underway, his eyes scanned for any sign of human presence.

“It’s harder to see from up here than I would’ve figured,” Arthur mumbled to himself as he gazed at a tree for a split second before he moved to the next.

He knew Cee was on the other side doing the same thing, their hope to catch any sign of the lost hikers. A tent, a pack, even litter would be useful at this point.

His attention shifted slightly as Guinevere screeched from just inside the cabin, her furry at losing her place on his head had yet to subside it seemed. Unfortunately, the crew required he put on the helmet if he was going to be partaking in their effort.

“Then again,” he muttered as he looked at the eagle. “Why don’t we have you search as well.”

With that, Arthur sent a command to Guinevere and she spread her wings.

The crew tried to stop the animal as it just fell off the craft and her body entered a dive. Left behind by the momentum of the vehicle, she fell farther and farther behind. After a second or two she spread her wings and began to soar, quickly regaining the altitude that was lost. Arthur could see some frustration from inside, but chose to ignore it and turned back to the ground below.

Trails and trees passed under way as the craft moved steadily in a search pattern, everyone on board desperate in their examination. Suddenly, an image of a small campfire, a tent, and blood entered Arthur’s mind. A fear of what he would find. He tried to blink it away, but it persisted as some sort of third eye. Realization hit and he searched for his link with Guinevere.

A breath later and he felt a tug to the northeast. He pulled against his restraints and brought himself back into the cabin. As it was insulated a bit from the noise outside he could finally talk.

“Saw a reflection to the northeast, about 36.6 degrees” He spoke over the radio in his helm, the crackling evidence of the older tech.

“Adjusting course,” One of the pilots replied and the copter gently slid as it rotated along Arthur’s direction.

“Let’s hope,” Another of the crew said as they resumed their own search.

“Indeed, it could just be some litter, but you never know.” The radio chatter continued as Arthur prepared his course.

He knew without doubt he would have to repel soon, though luckily he would be able to use a winch. Not that he didn’t enjoy a good repel, he’s just never done one outside of a controlled environment.

As he clipped himself in, he looked over and noticed Cee as he made his way towards him. A splitting device clipped on the man’s own harness. It didn’t take a rocket scientist to figure out that Cee understood it was more than just a reflection as well. The man clipped in and Arthur felt his link with Guinevere slowly close in.

“I see something,” Another of the crew said as excitement began to spread along the craft. “It, looks to be a campsite.”

“Ernest, get us as close as you safely can.” Cee began to order as he made sure everything was secure for the fourth time. “Arthur and myself will check out the campsite in person.”

“Understood sir,” Ernest, the pilot replied.

“Sir, if you would just…” A feminie voice cracked across the system. Cee waved his hand as she tried to continue.

“I understand Judith, but we don’t know what’s down there.” Cee replied. “Your time will come, should we manage to find the hikers.”

“I understand it could be dangerous, all the more reason,” Judith continued trying to to speak reason to her boss.

Cee just stared at her for a bit before she sighed and waved her hands. Arthur figured that was her just giving up on changing the mind of her stubborn employer.

‘“I still don’t know why you have a rescue crew on your helicopter,” Arthur said as he held himself to the craft, his body leaning down a bit.

“It doesn’t make sense for a sports idol.” he continued as the copter slid over a clearing a few hundred feet from the campsite and began to hover.

“Another idea from my accountant.” Cee answered as he also leaned into the winchline. “If I was going to have a helicopter, might as well try to get some revenue or tax write offs from it.”

“I guess,” Arthur replied, not sure how it followed. “Why not just do tours or trips or something else? Can’t see how this would make you much money.”

“Because,” The man paused as he leaned out over the open sky. “Then I don’t get to do stuff like this,” he answered as he grabbed the line and nodded to Judith to unhook the two of them.

Arthur grabbed the skid as they slowly lowered below the craft. Once free from the risk of tangling or bumping their heads, the winch speed increased and within seconds Arthur’s feet hit the ground. With practiced ease Cee unsnapped the two of them and waved for the line to be retrieved.

“So, this direction?” Cee asked as he took a step and flung the small pack onto his back.

“A little more to the left,” Arthur answered as he felt for his bond to Guinevere.

With A nod, Cee let Arthur lead the way and within a minute the two of them stood before the campsite. It was a mess, and even with his years of service Arthur still felt his stomach drop.

The tent was the first thing to grab his attention as it hung from a nearby tree branch and slowly fluttered in the wind, the fabric full of brownish red stains, burn marks, tears and other such holes.

As his attention shifted towards the center of the camp he focused on the broken branches and reddish stains that littered the entire area. Soon he centered on the fire pit, or what was left of it. The rocks and ash were strewn everywhere, half burnt logs and branches littered the ground, scorch marks lined the camp, and even one particularly pointy branch had blood mixed with the ash on the tip.

“I can’t believe there wasn’t a fire from all this,” Arthur stated as he took a careful step over a still smoldering log, his focus on the more minute details.

Like the scuff marks left by feet, the first signs of panic seen in forgotten utensils or overturned camping chairs. In this case, it looked like the aluminum framed chairs were used as a bludgeon, the end of one bent to the point of failure.

“I think the recent heavy rains prevented the area from catching on fire,” Cee answered as he knelt to one side in careful study of the ground.

“Still, something about all of this feels, eerily similar,” he continued as his hand moved a shrub to the side. “Come look at these tracks for me.”

Arthur carefully made his way across the torn and littered ground to kneel near the particular tracks.

“Tell me, does this look familiar to you?” Cee asked and Arthur knelt a little closer.

He looked over the oddly leaf shaped imprints in the ground, the clear indicator of the digits of the particular paw. The size was nearly as big as two silver dollars, much bigger than Arthur would’ve figured for the kind of track.

“It seems, like a rodent,” Arthur said as he studied it more.

“That’s what I was afraid of,” Cee answered as he stood up.

“What, ooooohh,” Arthur said as realization hit him. “You think those blue buggers attacked them as well,”

He stood and he looked back towards the campsite. “There doesn’t seem to be signs of those water attacks though.”

“Might not’ve been those blue dudes,” Cee answered as he looked around. “Eldridge and I were attacked by white ones a week ago, those guys used some sort of light based attack.”

“So, you’re thinking there is a rainbow of rat creatures?” Arthur asked as he looked for any sign of abnormal effects. “That is deeply concerning. What would happen if these things were released in the town?”

“For now, all these attacks have happened in the forest,” Cee answered. “Though it is a concerning trend.”

“Indeed,” Arthur answered as his mind began to drift.

Images of blue rats overrunning streets, people fleeing in mass. How would he bring this risk up to his superiors, could he bring this forward? Would anyone listen? He did have Guinevere so maybe they would listen. But what was the risk?

“Arthur?” Cee said a bit loud.

Arthur snapped from his thoughts.

“Yeah?” Arthur asked as his eyes darted. His hand already gripped on his side arm

“Could you send Guinevere to scout?” Cee replied.

“Perhaps figure out where they or their bodies might have gone.” he continued as he studied more of the parameter.

“Sure,” Arthur answered as he turned to the eagle on the branch of a nearby pine. She screeched then flapped into the air.

“Let you know if she finds anything. Though, I think the pair headed into the forest in this direction.” He continued as he pointed to a trail of blood on a farther patch of ferns.

“I pondered that as well, though this area also looks suspect.” Cee answered as he pointed to some broken brush branches. The scuff marks on the ground below indicative of fleeing.

“Did they split?” Arthur asked as he looked back and forth at the signs.

“Maybe, or perhaps they gave as well as they got.” Cee answered. “Tell me, where are the bodies?”

“Isn’t that what we’re looking for?” Arthur asked as he looked around the campsite once more.

He took in the marks, the blood and a realization hit him. “There is too much blood!”

“Exactly,” Cee exclaimed as he stood. “It felt off as soon as I entered this place. I couldn’t quite place it. Till I realized there isn’t a single body around the area. Whatever they fought, well either none died, or they took all the bodies with them.”

Arthur looked around the campsite as the dread realization hit him. This mess was chaotic, but also ordered.

“These things, they are intelligent.” He whispered, almost scared to utter the theory, to give it life.

“It is my fear,” Cee answered as he took a step on the path he found earlier.

His hands moved aside the underbrush as he went and every now and again he would kneel to search deeper. Arthur followed, having already pinned the location of the camp in his mind. At worst they would have to double back after five to ten minutes.

Arthur paused, the pair having walked for over twenty minutes by now, though slow going they had made considerable progress. Still, he wasn’t sure this was the right path as they were mostly following Cee’s instincts. The man swore he’s seeing signs in every ditch.

With a sigh Arthur cracked his neck and began to look around, the forest around them at some point had become just as similar as the rest of the place. Every tree the same brown barked pine, few deciduous trees among the mix.

“Look there,” Arthur exclaimed as he caught a red patch on a tree deeper in the woods.

His feet reacted as mind was still catching up with the sight. He darted along the underbrush in a hurry to scan the clue. As he neared it soon became obvious the pair had come this direction.

“It’s a hand, a bloody handprint.” He continued as he held up one of his to understand how they touched the tree.

Cee slowly walked up behind Arthur as he twisted and flexed his body trying to understand what direction they might have moved onto.

“I think you need to come from another perspective,” Cee replied as he finally stopped behind Arthur.

“Right, this print is definitely a woman’s,” Arthur answered as he knelt on his knees. “Even from this angle it still seems wrong, almost as if…”

He paused as he looked at the ground, at the mossy earth and found shoe prints embedded within.

“Look how deep these prints are, she is weighed down by something. Perhaps this print is evidence of her stopping to rest?” He spoke, mind trying to work through the situation.

“Possibly, I saw little sign of combat, perhaps she wasn’t being chased at this point.” Cee answered as he also looked around.

Arthur stood to join him, his nerves on edge. He had to find these people, or their bodies at the very least. To give himself closure that he did all he could.

The sound of brush shuffling caught Arthur’s ear and the world slowed as his body reacted on instinct. He sidestepped as his fist shot up and colided with the muzzle of an animal. A crack of bone echoed as the force toppled the creature to the side. Shivers ran up his back as a howl reverberated around him.