Alyssa knelt beside the fallen antlered guardian. Its massive body pressed against the roots of an ancient oak, eyes closed as if asleep. Her gloved fingers traced the puncture wound along the ribcage. Clean ans small with no burned around the edges. No teeth or claw marks.
She studied the surrounding soil. Circular impressions, evenly spaced. Almost Repetitive and mechanical. 'Definitely not a monster, shit now i have to explain myself to Jennifer' she thought.
She stood and scanned the treeline. No movement or scent which was weird. Only the forest's usual hum, uneasy under the weight of what had occurred.
She took a deep breath and returned to the village, moving swiftly but silently along the familiar paths.
---
Village — Central Hearth
The village was quiet, the usual evening bustle subdued as residents sensed the gravity of her return. Alyssa entered the central circle, where the ancient tree loomed at the heart of the settlement.
The village head Jennifer, a tall busty woman with braided silver hair and markings along her forehead, she wore a dress with a silver belt that hugged her figure perfectly, one would agree she was very beautiful, especially the men who couldn't help but stare.
"What did you find?" she asked. Her voice carried authority, but there was no anger — only measured concern.
Alyssa removed her bow from her back and set it carefully beside her. She spoke plainly.
"The guardian is dead."
Murmurs rose among the gathered druids, hushed but tense. The head signaled for silence with on wave.
"There was no trace of a predator or Hero, it was most likely a wandering human."
The village head's narrowed. "Show me the wound Alyssa."
Alyssa gestured toward the blackened puncture and the surrounding soil. The head leaned closer, examining the evidence. Her fingers traced the edges of the burn.
"They were not careless with the kill, but do sense some struggle with the way the guardian was killed," the Jennifer said. Her voice low. "This was intentional. But luckily not by someone who can pose a major threat"
Later, Jennifer convened with her lieutenants in the council chamber beneath the central tree. The firelight flickered across their faces, highlighting worry and thought.
"This is the first death of a guardian in over fifty cycles," Jennifer said. "We cannot ignore it."
One lieutenant, a man with bark-hardened armor and a short spear, spoke. "Could it have been a rogue hunter? An outsider testing us?"
Jennifer shook her head. "No. This wound is not a hunter's work, its to sloppy and amateur for a hunter."
Another lieutenant, a younger woman, added, "Then we need eyes on the forest immediately. We cannot allow another death to occur."
Jennifer considered their words briefly, then nodded. "Agreed. We will dispatch a team."
"They will investigate discreetly?" asked the first lieutenant.
"Yes. Observation first is necessary to assess the trouble maker. Confirm what we are dealing with before engagement. The forest must remain undisturbed as long as possible."
"Who will lead the team?" asked the younger lieutenant.
Jennifer looked at Alyssa's absence in her mind. "The girl who's responsible for the Guardian. She knows the site well enough and the tracks. Plus she could use the experience."
"And the rest?" the bark-armored lieutenant asked.
"Three of our lieutenants experienced in tracking and forest preservation. The clan's law is clear — the forest comes first. Death for harm is always the last measure."
The lieutenants nodded as a plan was set.
Outside, the wind carried faint scents of pine and smoke. The guardians' absence had left the air hollow.
And soon, a team would move through it, stepping carefully, watching, and seeking answers that the village could not yet speak aloud just yet
With purpose and instructions the chamber had emptied.
The lieutenants had left to prepare the investigation party. Only two figures remained near the low-burning hearth.
The Jennifer stood beside the carved table at the center of the room. Small wooden tokens marked sections of the surrounding forest. Each symbol represented a guardian territory.
One of them had been turned on its side. Across from her sat the advisor.
He was older than the rest of the council, his hair long and grey, tied behind his back. His robes were simple compared to the armored lieutenants, but the runes woven into the fabric were far older.
He watched the village head quietly.
"You think it was a human like the others," he said after a moment.
Jennifer did not immediately answer. She rested her hand on the fallen token.
"I think it could be, I've ruled out other possibilities that dont align with the evidence " she replied.
"That would be foolish." The old man bluntly said.
"Humans are often foolish." she responded without hesitation. The advisor gave a faint smile.
"True. But not suicidal." He leaned forward slightly.
"The guardians as weak as they are, are still known across these lands. No hunter travels this forest without hearing the warnings—"
"And yet one lies dead." she interrupted calmly while staring into the flames.
The advisor did not dispute that. Instead he gestured toward the forest markers on the table. "If a human did this," he said calmly, "then they do not understand where they are. That would make them reckless, not threatening."
Jennifer remained silent. Outside the chamber, the wind moved through the branches of the great tree above them.
"I do not like unknown variables," she finally said.
"You rarely do Jennifer, thats why your where you are today."
"A guardian has died inside our borders and as a village outpost we must remain ready for whatever might come old man."
The advisor considered that and chuckled. "Your right, you are just like your mother, determined in keeping the forest safe and secure," he admitted.
Yes, the advisor of the Village head was in fact her father, a retired old man who has seen enough, and is willing to share his knowledge with his daughter. Jennifer turned slightly toward the open doorway, where the forest stretched beyond the village lights.
"For generations the guardians have been enough as a deterrence from the human parasites," she said.
"They still are."
"Perhaps Father, but things are changing."
Her father studied her expression. "You are considering escalation. I can see it etched in your face"
"Yes, something has to be done before we are caught of gaurd"
"That would alarm the surrounding villages, maybe—"
"I am not concerned with their comfort papa, our safety comes first."
He sighed quietly. "What do you intend?"
Jennifer reached for another set of tokens stored in a small wooden box beside the map. These were different — carved into shapes resembling beasts rather than trees.
"Summon the outer beasts," she said.
Her father's eyebrows lifted slightly. "That is absolutly unnecessary child, this might just be a minor issue."
"Perhaps." She coldly replied with no further explanation.
Her father leaned back in his chair. "Deploying summoned beasts will change the atmosphere of the forest," he warned. "Travelers will notice and so traders too will notice. This may create panic, and might compell a visit from the Towns elite Guard questioning our methods of handling this situation"
"That may not be a bad thing father." She said.
He studied her for a long moment. "You want whoever did this to know we are onto them. And if it was only a passing hunter, wouldnt that be a waste of our resources?"
"No, they will be captured before they escape and will meet death swiftly, we will make an example of them, i dont see that as a waste"
She met his gaze directly. "Father, I am confident in the forest. It will deliver us the perpetrator of this crime, and they will suffer"
The father gave a small chuckle in resignation.
Jennifer picked up three of the carved beast tokens and placed them along the outer edge of the map.
"Tonight," she said. "More units will patrol the borders."
Her father rose slowly. "And I will prepare the summoning circle."
As he walked toward the doorway, he paused briefly.
"If this truly was a human," he said, "they will not survive long once the forest starts watching them."
Jennifer did not respond. Her eyes remained on the map.
On the place where the fallen guardian's token still lay on its side. Something had entered their forest. And she intended to make sure it did not leave alive.