Erg the Blog-Slayer, Round VII: Night Terrors - LP 11/25/19

Ol'random · 2019-11-26 04:33:14 PM

Pvt. Dominik,
Lt. Gregorian,
Sgt. Terrence,
Mjr. Varus,
And Cpl. Zolomon, hares.
Spoofs (by myself):
Pvt. Greenhill,
Pvt. Konner,
Pvt. Reuenthal
And three veteran trackers.

Once the Expedition had established camp after the first day out in the field...

The camp was quiet. They'd made limited success in clearly out more of the traps and the hares were getting better at spotting and avoiding them but now night had descended and aside from a couple of hares on watch duty the patrol was asleep. Greg was among them, in a tent on his own quietly dreaming the night away.

Having waited until nightfall to approach the camp, Erg had been hovering a close distance nearby for most of the morning and afternoon; the large hare had another skill that was likely unknown amongst the other patrollers, and that was the ability to camouflage himself. He'd been right there watching them the whole time, and not one of his comrades knew he was there. Upon waiting til he was sure most of the camp was asleep, the large yet silent hare quietly and carefully makes his way towards the first guard on duty. Approaching him from behind, he clamps a paw over his muzzle tightly before he has time to make a noise. Dragging him away into the woods, he hits that spot in his neck that immediately knocks him out. Pulling him away, he lets him slide down into a nearby pit. Pausing to make sure that he wasn't seen, Erg then slips over towards the other guard on duty. He receives the same treatment, being deposited in the same pit as his associate. Once that is taken care of, Erg approaches the first tent. There is a somewhat mischievous grin upon his muzzle, as he ducks his head and slips inside. He places a small toadskull which he withdraws from his satchel right near the head of the hare sleeping inside, before slipping right back out of the tent, and he approaches the next one...

With the guards dispatched with the camp was defenseless to the mysterious skull leaving shadow. A number of the hares were sharing tents but as none awake so far perhaps that makes it easier to ensure everyone gets a creepy gift. Only a few of the officers and perhaps the healer gets their own tents. Greg carried his tent specially to ensure he'd get his own. He was not much of a morning beast. Nor was he much of a woken in the middle of the night sort of beast. He doesn't instantly wake when Dom's moving around his whiskers do twitch when there's movement around his own tent.

Dominik is as careful as he can possibly be, doing his best to not wake anyone. It was likely also something he'd been trained in, and the fact that he is so large yet can still move around as quietly as he does is actually rather impressive. Slipping into the second tent, he repeats his actions from the first tent, leaving a small, nicely polished toad-skull right near the sleeping hare's head. Emerging from the second tent, he then approaches Greg's tent. Peeking his head inside, he notices the older hare, recognizing him not only by face, but by the fact that he is missing a leg. He remains there at the entrance to the tent, the large hare staring at him silently for a moment or two. Greg's one of the Patrollers who treated him rather well during his time there, and a little tinge of regret is felt within his chest...but then is just as quickly gone. Removing another of the skulls (wow, how many of those does he have, exactly???), he carefully approaches Greg in an attempt to place it down near him.

Gregorian has training in many things but being a light sleeper was from a life of experience full from over enthusiastic privates waking his troop up when he was a recruit to years of patrolling and ambushes. His whiskers twitch...then his nose and an ear does when Dom enters the tent. He starts to frown but it's another couple of seconds before his blink blearily open and then snap on to Dom as he sees movement. There's a split second pause as his brain does the mental check that it's not his daughter before he snarls and suddenly sits up, going to try and knock the thing Dom's holding, the skull, out of his paws as he reaches for Dom's chest with his other paw, looking for something to grab. He's not entirely awake yet. At least not enough to recognize the hare in the dark. All his brain sees is a big looming shape carrying something that his mind assumes is a weapon and he lashes out.

Dominik is momentarily taken by surprise as Greg suddenly awakens, and the skull in his paw is struck and is sent flying across the tent only to land in the corner with a soft thud. Before he is able to slip out of the tent, his uniform is grabbed...luckily for Dom, the garment was most definitely on its last legs, and so as Greg tries to grab hold of him, there is a tearing noise as part of the garment comes off in his paw. His bruised nose gives a twitch, the face-painted beast glaring daggers down at Greg, baring his teeth with a snarl. As the older hare lashes out, Erg gets a good thwock right to his eye, and he yelps, seeing stars once again. Figuring no good will come of this if he stays, her turns, and the massive hare bolts for the tent exit.

Gregorian usually wakes up moody but taken by surprise in the dark he's working mostly on instinct. He drops the tunic once it's useless for keeping hold of the shape in the dark. He growls back and he scrambles up as Dom starts to run. It's a testament to how little Greg is thinking though as he ends up falling flat on his face the first step he takes because he doesn't have his leg on. He lands with a thud followed by some swearing. His brain finally starts to get out of the fight though as he remembers he why that foot's not there "Wake up yah fools! Where the hell are the guards?!" he shouts as he's dragging himself back on to his foot again.

Zolomon happens to be awake and looks out of the tent he is in just in time to see Dom run past, he takes a moment to think on what to do and decides to try and run after Dom, maybe trip him somehow or least slow him down!

On the far side of the camp, Terrence had not been able to sleep, having spent the past several hours tossing and turning in his tent. With a sigh he gropes in the dark for his spectacles, giving up on sleep for now. Perhaps some left over food or drink could be found, and he should at least check in on the guards to see if everything's gong over smoothly. Wrapping a cloak around him, he exits the tent and takes in a deep breath of fresh night air. That's when the yelp and Greg's yell rings out. "What in the world...?" Ears shooting straight up, he starts echoing what he recognizes as the lieutenant's voice. "W-Wake up! Guards!" He dearly hopes Greg isn't just yelling in his sleep starts slowly towards the older hare's tent to check on him, grabbing a hatchet from a nearby fire to be safe. "Sah? What's the mattah?"

Dominik manages to make it out of Greg's tent due to the older hare's lack of leg, and he swiftly weaves his way between the tents, his paws knocking over one here, his footpaw kicking another one there in an attempt to collapse them and also impede the progress of anyone who might be chasing him. Having memorized the location of his traps, Erg easily avoids them as he dodges and moves, throwing a hard shoulderblock at Zol as he gets in his way... and the dark-furred hare (he'd painted his fur black to hide the parts that had already changed to the white of his winter coat) slips back into the woods without a trace... likely leaving behind utter chaos in the camp, and leading more of the hares to fall victim to traps as they stumble about in the dark.

Gregorian has regained his footing by the time Terrence gets to him. "Some beast was in my tent!" he says with irritation as he hops a few steps, looking around but he just can't see where Dom went. He blinks though and turns back towards the camp as he hears screaming. First one hare, then another as a group of them scramble out of the tents in a commotion. "There's a toad in my bed!" one yells after the shock of waking up face to face with a skull. Greg looks grim and hops back towards his tent for his weapons only to pause and grab the ripped uniform from where it fell. He frowns and shows it back to the Sargent. "Dom."

Zolomon avoids being knocked out at least, but does stumbled backwards and just about falls into a pit. He gasps and manages to fall sideways right beside it and scoots away from it with a frown. He slowly stands and dusts off as he walks back to the camp, ever so slowly and using a stick he finds as a way to avoid traps, he yells out as a trap gets the stick and jumps backwards, a deep breath as he gets back to the camp and right away heads towards Greg.

Terrence had been turning to find the toads when the remains of the tunic of held out, and he stares. "I see." There's a pause as some more shrieks rip out in the night. "He might be responsible for all that too. Hopefully he's kept things nonlethal still..." Turning, he sees Zolomon. "Corporal, go check on the guards. With how long they've been tarrying either they're snoozing on the bloody job or Dom got to them." Without waiting to see if the order is obeyed he sets off to go check on the screams, a tired look in his eye and clad in his nightshirt and trousers under the cloak.

Gregorian hrms and nods to Terrence. He lets him and Zolomon check things out while he ducks back in to his tent putting on his belt with his hammers then his leg because priorities. He spots the toad head Dom was trying to plant in his tent in the process and tosses that outside with a look of disgust before he grabs his coat for at least some warmth before he goes to see what's going on.

Terrence had stopped by his own tent after finding out all the commotion about toads being in the camp were just skulls and bones. Once properly dressed for the weather, he makes his way over to the more frantic cries for help were several hares are trapped under their tent which had the supports unfastened - most likely Dom's paw-work. "Calm down, only making it more difficult for yourselves..." the sergeant mutters as he helps the others who'd been trying to free their fellows.

Zolomon was careful as he looked around and then he found the pit and looked down inside with a sigh, well there was the two missing guards, one of them waking up with a groan. "Hold on a moment thar." He gets some rope he has with him and finds a good place to make sure it doesn't slip into the hole and nods as one Private climbs out slowly, the other one is still a bit knocked out, "Ok let the Sarge and Lt know wot happen, I will catch up in a bit." He gets a salute, still gotta get use to those and the one private walks back to the camp.

Gregorian does not look happy as he approaches the group by Terrence through the camp, looking for more trouble on the way. He's quick to help once he gets there, pulling some of the weight of the tent off the hares to give them more room to escape "Wot the devil does Dom think he's playin' at?" he mutters irritably. He doesn't immediately spot the missing guard approaching but as soon as they make themselves known he gives them a deep frown.

One of the guards is nursing a rather sizable lump on his head, while the other seems to be mostly fine other than a few cuts and bruises. "Woke up in a pit, sah," one says, "Don't remember much else, wot. I was rubbin' my eyes to keep awake an' next I know I'm in a hole!" The other confirms the story, adding, "'Fore I could've made noise a big paw o'h arm squeezed th'air outta me, sah, an' I was sure convinced I was bloody done fo'h!"

Terrence had only been have paying attention to the reports, having been using a dagger to cut through the canvas to reach the last few hares stuck in the big tent. Once they're out, he only gives Greg a shrug. "Hell if I know wot, sah. Dom's been proving his rather mad in the head, if you know what I mean."

Zolomon frowns. "It was for sure Dom...just more, well....war like?" He isn't sure how to explain it really. "Maybe he is afraid to go back? Though... I wonder if there is a way to maybe trap him instead somehow".

Gregorian nods slowly to the guards and takes a deep breath as he tries to think and focus. "...Feels like he's tryin' tah drive us off. Trappin' him may be the best or only way tah get him in one place long enough tah talk some sense in tah him...Or get a net on him tah haul him home regardless."

"You're certainly welcome to try to trap Dom, Zolomon," Terrence snorts, "If you'd like." The sergeant is not in good humor, not now that his hope of a quiet and peaceful night was so swiftly dashed. "Either way, I doubt subduing him will be anything less than a monumental task, wot. The net might be best - that reminds me," He steps free of the canvas, looking at the corporal, "How far did you chase Dom? Do you remember were you lost him? No mattah how good he is at setting traps and the like I doubt he can shake off the patrol's trackers easily."
Zolomon thinks a moment and then answers "Maybe 1/2 a mile, little less. He about pushed me into a pit." He points the direction Dom ran in.

Gregorian grunts. "He's sneakin' about knockin' out guards and causin' trouble. I'd pay good money tah see him land in one of his own pits." he nods to the others. "Get the trackahs on it. Carefully. If they need the light tah avoid the traps we'll have tah give them the time. There's only so many traps he can of set out there tah slow us down." he says as he's heading back towards his tent to properly prepare for the day.

"Will do, sah. " Terrence responds, saluting as the lieutenant leaves. Looking up at the mostly cloudy sky above them, he sighs. "Judging by what I can see of the stars, there's at least several hours 'efore dawn and light, wot." The sergeant, waving for Zolomon to follow him, starts walking in the general direction the more experienced scouts barracks are, and finds several cleaning up a mess of toad skulls. "Right then, Dom caused all this mess, and he left tracks - the corporal here can tell you where." The three hares, waiting for the rest, are easily twice either Zolomon's or Terrence's age, long term veterans of the patrol even if they're still privates.

Zolomon walks over and nods, "Yes, tracks don't just go away that easily and Dom has large footpaws so should make em' easier to see." He points to the way Dom was last seen. "Just be careful as ya walk, still could be a trap somewhere, though maybe someone should go and disarm some traps best they can as well."

The three hares look unimpressed with both sergeant and corporal, and they're moving in the direction pointed out before Zolomon finishes. "Laddie," with one giving a wink the corporal as he goes, "If'n we can find a beast's tracks seasons aftah a beast made 'em we can find paw prints a big ol'are like Dom makes, wot." It seems that the old trackers aren't in a better mood than Terrence, having been woken up by all the noise and being greeted by a toad skull.

Terrence gives Zolomon a look too, though his expression is a bit harder to read. "Come on then, wot, should get more guards back on duty. Then the tents have to be sorted out..."

Zolomon nods. "Sounds good sur." Ok he should know they would be good at finding tracks, but he was the only one to know the direction to go anyways.

Terrence doesn't say anything, instead walking off back towards the main barrack tents - whether or not Zolomon is following. The damage to camp isn't too severe; three tents had been torn down and nearly half of all sleeping tents having a skull in them. The toad bones have been gathered into a pile near the center, and the sergeant stops to look at it. "Rather macabre, isn't it?" he chuckles.

Varus had taken charge of the cleanup as soon as he'd been woken, and he sighs as Terrence returns. "Macabre doesn't even begin t' bloody well covah it," he replies. "Just look at 'em all..."

Zolomon led the Privates to follow the tracks best they could, he avoided one trap fairly well and looked around. He finds a bit of fur and looks around with a frown. "Also following the tracks should help avoid----"And it's too late as his footpaw finds the trap and he is not quick enough to avoid suddenly being upside down and one foot trapped in a rope swinging back and forth. He folds his arms over his chest as he just sort of swings back and forth and comes to a stop. "Well... one less bally trap ta worry back chaps."

The old trackers glance at each other, holding back laughs. "Maybe we should leave him hangin', eh?" One says even as he goes to help Zolomon stop swinging. The others seem to be seriously contemplating it, though, but before they can say anything the tracker had cut the corporal free, hoping to let him down.

"Still..." Terrence says, a thoughtful look on his face, "Think Dom may have committed bloody genocide to get all these, wot." He kicks one with his boot. "At least we more than likely won't have to worry about toads, sah."

Varus grimaces. He detests toads, but Terrance's words are little comfort. "Aye... But this is goin' a bit too fah, though. We're not in th' business of genocide..."

Zolomon falls onto the ground and frowns as he stands, "Ok...so like onwards, Dom can't be too far away right?" He will look and do his best, he will avoid traps and with help him and the Privates make it so less traps are around by being able to set them off so they are not useable anymore. "I say...a little more looking and then go back ta report." At least it will be easier to get back to camp, they maybe look another hour or two before they go to head back with a report of findings.

The trackers don't seem all to thrilled that the corporal is tagging along, but they decide to grin and bear it as they follow the trail Dom left.

"I'd hope we aren't," Terrence mutters, turning away from the skulls. "And whether or not Dom is going to far, he has constantly disobeyed ordahs and is now actively going aftah the patrol - so I wouldn't quite say that is a 'we', sah."

Varus sighs, rubbing a paw over his face. "'E clearly took a hahd knock t' th' 'ead, because 'e was a good, loyal Patrollah. 'E needs 'elp..."

The sergeant gives Varus a sideways look, having heard some tales of the AWOL private long before the current mess happened. "Perhaps he does. I neveh met him 'efore last month's training, sah, though I've been around to hear things 'bout him. Can't say all the skulls help his image, wot." Terrence shrugs, sitting down on a tree stump now that the commotion of the camp has died down.

Varus shrugs. He's at a loss himself. "I don't know. I have t' jus' keep tellin' mahself that, wot. Eithah way... I should probably go check on Konnah here soon..."

"Indeed, he's probably been woken by all the bloody noise..." Terrence stands, rolling his shoulders. "I need to go make sure triple watches are set in place - two guards seem too little, wot. Dom knocked both of them out and tossed them in a pit - they're fine, besides a few bruises, so no worries there..." He mutters, more to himself than the major, "Even if they missed some one entering camp... rather poor show there."

Varus harrumps. Disciplinary actions will be doled out in due course. "Right, well, y' bring 'em both t' me. I'd like t' have a word with 'em..."

Terrence gives a single nod, turning on his heel to go find the two unfortunates. Before he goes, however, he turns back to the major. "Sah, if I may... They were overpowered by Dom and there were only two of them. Frankly I think that might be a failure on the patrol, as I wouldn't expect even three hares to withstand our Pvt. Dominik, wot."

Varus hmms. "I s'pose yahr right, wot. Still, I would like t' 'ave a chat with 'em. Could be enlightenin'..." He, in turn, goes to check on Konner in the infirmary tent.

"Right sah, I'll look for them." Terrence walks in the opposite direction as the major and the infirmary, which thankfully remained untouched in Dom's night attack. Konner has been spending the past hour or so in a cold sweat, terrified that the big private who paints himself with toad blood would find him, and he starts easily at any noise. His nose is bandaged and so is his head - his concussion is minor, but the fever he has had for weeks is more worrisome.

Varus steps into the tent, and stands over Konner's cot. "Private Konnah... Y' look terrible. Tell me... Wot's been 'appenin' since we lost ya?" The Major already has a good idea formulated, but he wants to hear what the Private has to say about it.

Konner manages to sit up straighter despite his leg that had healed crookedly. "S-sah." He gives a weak salute. "Feel bloody terrible, wot, an' wot 'ave I been up to?" He scrunches up his face as if he's having trouble recalling. "Well, sah, first got nailed by a bloomin' rock right in m'leg," he taps it with a wince, "And fell in one o'h those mud pools. Hid in a log, I did, while all th'toads passed by. Aftah tha' fixed up m'leg as best I could, sah, though not tha' well it seems..." He trails off, looking down.

Varus nods his head. "We figured as much. Go on, Private. 'Ow did y' end up wi' Dominik?"

"Oh, tha' lil' business." Konner keeps his eyes down. "So 'e was Dom, f'sure? Aftah days o'h so waitin' on y'lot to show up an' find me I got impatient, so t'speak, an' tried m'luck out in th'swamp, wot. Managed t'get myself caught hun' in th'air by one o'his fancy traps, sah. 'E came soon aftah-wards an' knocked me clean ou'. 'E was covered in toad guts an' mud, an' more unsavory things, wot."

Varus grimaces. "I see... An' he kept you, this 'ole bloody time? No wondah yahr in such bad shape, wot!"

Nodding, Konner starts to lay back down. "Yes sah, though 'e tried t' heal me up. 'E keeps a dead toad skeleton as a friend, calls 'em Blorg or somethin' like it, an' says o' himself 'e's 'Erg'. Any blinkin' idea wot tha' means, sah? Either way I got out by klockin'im with a rock 'cause I'd though' he was gonna eat me, wot. Took me a while t'realize 'e was a hare, wot with th'toad blood an' keepin' 'is ears back an' all. Plus an accent - nevah talked t'Dom myself 'efore all this."

"Feel a bit bad tha' I got 'im right in his snout, now..." Konner adds after a moment.

Varus shakes his head. "No idea wot 'Erg' means, I'm afraid. Probably just ramblin's of a sick mind. Regahdless, y' got out, that's commendable. You get yahr rest, an' get bettah. That's an ordah, Private."

Nodding the private shifts his head on the pillow, closing his eyes. "Yes sah. I'll be sure to, wot." Terrence pokes his head in then, looking from Konner to the major. "Majah? The two guards are out here and waiting." He disappears again.

Varus watches Konner close his eyes, then turns. Nodding to Terrence, he exits the tent, and faces the two hares, who are no doubt nervous of the attention.

"Sah!" The two salute. There's a slight shakiness to their voices as they eye the major nervously. Terrence stands to one side, leaning against the tent pole, gaze drifting up eastward were the faintest of greys is appearing that heralds the coming day.

"At ease!" The Major orders. "You'll sprain somethin'..." He shakes his head. "I'm told y' were taken down by Dominik... Care t' explain 'ow that 'appened, wot?"

Relaxing, the hare on the left begins, "I was on th'second watch, as that's what lot I drew, and 'bout three hours in a big paw clamped around m'mouth and nose, sah, and 'e dragged me out inta th'swamp and knocked me out. Woke in a pit with Greenhill here, wot." Greenhill, the other hare, nods. "Same thing 'appened t'me. One moment I was fightin' off sleep and th'next I was bein' smothered by a paw. Couldn't even make a peep, with 'ow tight 'e was 'oldin' me, sah."

Letting out a yawn, Terrence gestures to the two. "More or less what they told Lt. Greg, sah."

Varus mmms, and nods. "I see. Well, yahr not on report. Coulda happened t' anybeast... Still... May'aps be slightly more alert in th' future, wot!"

The two let out breaths they hadn't known they were holding. "Right sah." Greenhill looks down for moment, adding, "One more thin'. 'E seemed to blend in with th'night - Dom, I'm meanin', and I don't remembah him bein' black furred, right?"

Terrence raises an eyebrow. "I don't actually recall his fur color, now that I think of it. Of course you'd know betteh than I 'bout that, sah." He looks at Varus. "Was it black?"

Varus shakes his head. "No. It was closer to brownish, I believe. 'E may 'ave covahed 'imself in mud?" The Major is grasping at straws. "This will make 'im impossible t' track at night, though, so we'll post double watches, instead..."

"I had triple watches for the rest of tonight, sah." Terrence says, pushing himself free of the pole. "Though," his eyes are on the eastern sky again, "There's not much night left it seems, wot. If there's not anything more you'd ask of me or these two, Pvt. Greenhill and...?"

"Pvt. Reuenthal, sah."

"Reuenthal," Terrence repeats, "I think we should all turn in for the night, wot. Least what's left of it."

Varus harrumps, and nods. "Aye, we should get wotevah shuteye we c'n get left. G'night, Sahgeant Terrence." The old hare dismisses the two privates, then goes to retire to his tent.

"Good night, sah!" When the major leaves, the two privates look at each other than at Terrence, who grunts. "Might as well try to get an hour, if I were you." His attention is on the rapidly brighten sky once again, wandering off and not paying much mind to the two hares. The sergeant couldn't sleep before, and has little hope of doing so now. So he joins with the guards till grey dawn breaks.

Last edited by Ol'random (2019-11-26 04:33:39 PM)

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#1 2019-11-26 04:33:14 PM

Erg the Blog-Slayer, Round VII: Night Terrors - LP 11/25/19

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