[Aynia]

22nd of Summer, Cycle 129

They slunk through the inky blackness of the night away from Aimsir. Having come in in a pack, they yipped and clicked among themselves until each got enough of their own space for their liking.

Though sightless, these predators were keen hunters. Forged and moulded in the power struggle that is Chaosium, they were among the predators of the Warren of Chaos. Bony, with skin stretched taught and with a look of malnourishment, the beasts prowled on four legs through the night, wide, fang filled mouths open sensing the air, and audible clicks as they surveyed the area around them to orient themselves.

A series of high pitched screams cut through the night, piercing the air and sounding horrible enough to raise the hair on even the most stoic men and women. The nightmares had arrived...

The scouting party had passed Drochaid Bont just some hours ago and had stopped for the night to rest and keep watch. The party consisted of 5 soldiers trained as scouts. They had passed this way hundreds of times collectively and knew the land like the a map had been etched in their minds. Their knowledge of the area was extensive, and the Crown and the Realm were counting on them for the information they were out to collect.

They were beginning to see some signs of Chaos creeping in, corruption itself fed by the open portal. The plants were getting fewer and fewer, seemingly decaying into the now brown grasses. They were getting close to the edge of the Chaosium's grip, and expected to have findings by the end of the morning. From there they could report back to their commander in Chail with information to support the war effort. Each one knew the importance of why they were there, and were more than prepared for trouble, at least they thought.

The horses tied up some meters away gave the first signs. They became uneasy, making deliberate huffs and occasionally stamping their feet. The party, who were quietly eating their late meal of bread and cheese and dried meat, immediately took notice. They stayed low and looked out beyond the fire into the darkness that was barely lit by a soft glow from the night disc in the sky. One of the scouts noticed a darker shadow than the rest, some ways out. The scout pulled out his weapon and quietly signaled to the others what direction he'd spotted an anomoly. Weapons were silently readied and the group closed together back to back, noticing now that more shadows could be seen from their south. As a breeze blew past their faces, causing the fire to flicker a bit, it seemed to carry with it sounds of the creatures. The clicking was eerie and immediately told them they were dealing with a beast of Chaosium. There were no creatures in Caer Sidi that would make such a sound.

The group had decided among them who would flee for help if there was an attack. As the clicking grew louder there came a sudden scream ripping through the night. It was a scream that sent shivers down their spine, as experienced and hardened as they were. It was more dreadful than any animal scream. It was a tortured scream that was met with what sounded like two more screams from the other direction. It seemed almost an instant and the beasts were almost upon them. At seeing the rush of choas monstrosities coming toward them, the chosen scout made a beeline for the horses, untying the closest horse and mounting the saddle. The four who stayed behind did so valiantly, but they ultimately proved no match.

The scout who was entrusted to make it back began to urge the horse forward and the horse reared onto it's hind legs instead, ears back and eyes wide as the first beast made itself seen, rushing out of the blackness and into the fire light, beginning the attack on the camp. As the scout got the horse under control and pointed the right direction, she caught a glimpse of one of the creatures before the horse began to run. Her gaze drifting between in front and behind her, she realized she was being chased. The clicks from the creature started to fade and she realized it was not able to keep up with the horses. It seemed that once the horse reached a full gallop, it was too fast to be caught. She made note of that and thanked the goddesses and gods that she at least was able to make it out. It took under an hour at a hard ride to reach Drochaid Bont once more and the scout, exhausted yet full of adrenaline, rushed to tell the Captain what she had witnessed. Shocked and horrified at what he heard, the Captain ordered the scout to ride to Chail and personally inform the Monarchy of exactly what happened. In the meantime, he worked to spread the word, sending riders to the nearest holdfasts, a rider to Bastion, and of course, the scout to Chail to address Her Majesty.

Hours later, having gotten a fresh horse and a quick meal, the scout arrived in Chail. She went immediately to the Captain of the Guard and reported herself. She was quickly given an escort to the Queen's meeting chambers and Aynia and Carrot were both informed that the scout was waiting. When they arrived, they were not expecting what they heard. Aynia knew of the beasts. It took decades to wipe out the packs after the first chaos war, and the beasts were not always easy to hunt. They could be silent in movement, but their clicking did give them away. They were agile, but able to be outrun by an able bodied horse. On foot though, her soldiers stood less of a chance than on horseback. She asked about the size of the pack, and was told there were at least a few, but the scout was not in the fight long enough to see any others.

Aynia thought to herself and was flooded with memories from the first war. The creatures they encountered were killers, hunters, and absolutely savage. They were wild, under no ones control and therefore were not only dangerous to them, but if they could be harnessed, they could prove dangerous to the Red Knight and his forces as well. She needed to consult with her Regent and the Oracle. Together they would could come up with the next stage of their plan.

She instructed the scout to send for the Oracle and she and Carrot sat in silence for a few moments. She fidgeted with her hair, her nails, her trousers and the buttons on her shirt before looking out into space and questioning Carrot: "Do you think this will go as well as last time?"