[NR] Tail Trap - Chapter 764

The sun tea is half finished and small talk wraps up, so Jason sets his mug down and focuses on Old Liam. “So, what does the town need? The Guild wouldn’t have directed us out here if something wasn’t brewing.”

Marry gathered up the few remaining snacks and bustled back into the house, leaving Old Liam to talk to the group. “Well, we don’t rightly know how much of a problem we’re facing. Located as we are, the town is safe enough from normal critters. River being deep enough most of the way such that nature stays on that side.

“Though of course we’re sitting on one of the main ways across so there’s always a bit of nonsense. Can’t help that.”

Courtney nods, “That is inevitable. Though if you were just dealing with the usual, we wouldn’t be here. What changed?”

Old Liam sighed and leaned on the table, his sweet tea forgotten to the side. “Well now, no one’s been hurt or some such.”

Courtney nods again, “Easy enough to tell. If there had been injuries, the guild would have had an actual quest up by now. You don’t suffer a monster with a taste for Kin to live.”

Old Liam frowns, “I figure we’d be a lot happier if it was just a pack of wolves eating what they shouldn’t. Our situation is a bit less on the side of nature. Feels weird talking this like when I live next to a rain mage, but there’s something down right supernatural going on. A thing we can’t rightly blame on magic. Least not from what any of the folks who use the stuff can tell and I didn’t detect a lock of Qi.”

Rosha leans forward, “Ooh, what sort of nonsense has your town stumbled into?”

The others shoot her a look.

Old Liam, though, ignores how that could be seen as making light of his town’s situation and explains, “Started rightly about a month ago. One farmhand was out hunting, as you do. And while out there, managed to trap something odd.

“Or rather, failed to catch something in an unusual way. You ever heard of those lizards that can regrow their tail? Where if caught, the tail pops off to allow their escape?”

The group nods 

Old Liam sighs, “Well, rightly we figure this was a similar situation, cept it wasn’t a lizard. The farmhand heard a commotion at his trap, so hurried over and was just in time to see some sort of giant critter scurry away into the underbrush. Though not without leaving, as you might have guessed, their tail behind.

“Don’t know what kind of critter it was, but the tail was meaty and it didn’t carry any poison. Anyway, it made a nice stew. Now though, that critter’s been practically haunting the town!”

Jason frowns, “That’s not normal. Species that develop the ability to lose limbs for life generally aren’t attached to said limbs. Even the lines of Karma tend to be cut by such a separation. I hate to ask, but just in case, are you sure it is the same creature?”

Old Liam nods, “Be much easier if it was just another of the kind, here to stir up trouble. A family some twenty years back got on the bad side of the local grackles and they ended up moving. We could have taken care of the birds for them, course, but the family wasn’t popular.

“No, this is the same critter, missing tail and all. Sides that, we only ever see the one. What we can see of it. Damn fur ball! If the thing focused on that farmhand, it would be one thing. But here we’re dealing with a sort who doesn’t pick and choose, tormenting the town as a whole.”

Jason, “That does sound like a problem brewing. Though where’s the supernatural element? A monster sneaking around the town is bad, but not unnatural.”

Old Liam leans back in his chair. “We’re a frontier town. Along with whatever normal jobs we might have, everyone can bring in some meat. Hunting, trapping, fishing; you name it, we have someone doing it. Though the women tend to stick with fishing so they can stay on this side of the river and watch the kids.”

Jason nods, “So whatever the creature is, you should have caught it by now.”

Old Liam shakes his head, “Not just should! The critter isn’t some stealthy monster. It honestly seems clumsy, when you get down to it. We’ve set out traps well enough. Seen the beast walk right through where we left them!

“Not a one triggers! You’d almost swear it was a ghost. Except a spirit would leave behind a Mana signature and the taint of undeath. Besides that, it is clearly still physical. The wee beasty leaves behind prints and eats the occasional bait. Some of those prints even go right through our traps, stepping in a way that for anything else, would trigger the trap.

“Not that there aren’t creatures capable of this out there. But whether it was Mana, Qi, or even Energy? There would be something left behind to detect! Even if it was a lack of power instead of the presence.”

Jason frowns, “Well, that does seem unnatural given what I know. Now, we were just there, so off the top of my mind, could this be related to the Deep Wilds?”

Old Liam shakes his head, “First thing we checked after we got firm proof that things weren’t normal. The System itself will run a local check for you if you ask. Abuse it and suffer, but something like this clearly is well within the bounds.”

Courtney, “Hmph, that does make things more than a bit mixed up. I have some things I can check on, but for now we should probably stick around and do some odd jobs.”

Old Liam sighs, “More than fair. Though we can’t exactly pay you guild rates for anything.”

Rosha laughs, “If we were after money, we would have taken an actual quest. Just give us some things to take up our time that others can’t. I’m sure things have built up around here since the last time someone stuck around long enough to help.”