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XXXVI

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The dark brown hare crouched down in the filth, letting his footpaws sink into the muddy terrain. He listened to the bog as it bubbled quietly, releasing more swamp gas into the air. Lakler set his lantern on the ground and removed his daggers from their sheaths. The hare wiggled his nose and sniffed twice, detecting another strange scent in the air. He crept forward and stared at the ground. The galloper blinked and sniffed again after spotting strange tracks in the mushy earth. Lakler reached down and moved his fingers along the tracks, surprised at how wide the length between the toe-tracks was. The hare's ears twitched when he heard a series of splats in the distance that started to become noisier with each splat. The galloper stood up and quickly rushed behind a tree, still gripping his daggers tightly. He waited patiently, blinking and exhaling, letting his heartrate slow down. The splats resumed, and Lakler heard a faint croaking noise. He peeked around the corner of the tree and saw dull brown eyes glowing just a couple yards away. Lakler waited and listened as more splats filled his ears. Then he turned and looked again.

There was a crude-looking beast standing beside his lantern carrying a trident. The hare stared at the black-spotted amphibian with a yellowish-orange underside and blinked. Lakler shouldn't have been surprised to see a toad in the swamps, but something in his gut told him this wasn't the only toad around. The hare watched as the toad moved his eyes in multiple directions before blinking and standing tall on his webbed feet. The toad picked up the lantern and sniffed it several times before bending down and looking at the tracks on the ground. Lakler gritted his teeth and waited until he turned to his side. Then he charged at the amphibian while crouched and pounced on him. Lakler stabbed and slashed the toad, not giving the beast a chance to use his trident. The toad let out guttural croaks and moans as Lakler stabbed him multiple times, penetrating his rough skin and flesh. The hare swiped both of his daggers at the toad's throat, ripping through his vocal sac. The toad emitted several choking noises and dropped his trident as he walked backwards and collapsed onto his back. Lakler stared at the toad and waited until it let out a soft, gurgling croak in death before he retrieved his lantern and the toad's weapon.

Taking no chances, Lakler walked towards the dead toad and impaled the beast in the head with the trident, just to ensure he wouldn't get back up again. The fetid hare heard more noises around the bog and turned around as he kept quiet. The hare dropped the trident and walked backwards towards the bog, then moved forward again so he could leave more paw-prints in the squishy soil. He turned in a full circle and sniffed again, the scent of another hare briefly wafting into his nostrils. Lakler side-stepped towards one of the moss-covered trees and froze as he waited for the creature to approach. The creature stepped forward slowly and paused; Lakler gritted his teeth as he turned around the tree and pounced on the beast. He shouted as Lakler knocked him into the soil and grinned as he put a dagger against his skull.

"Gettin' sloppy there, Sarn't? Cuida been that Angus fella an' ya throat wuid been slit, wot!"

Lakler chuckled and got off Stanno. The sergeant got on his footpaws and exhaled as he wiped some of the mud and gunk off his tunic.

"Very funny, Lakler. I ain't got time fer jokes; I already got separated from my group! As far as I know they could be dead by now!"

"Yer still livin', aint'cha?"

"Barely. You find that weasel yet?"

Lakler shook his head. "Been trackin' the bastard 'round these parts. Got a guid fixin' on 'im, 'til ah noticed these frog'n toad tracks inna ground. See?"

Lakler pointed towards the large, webbed footprints in the earth before gesturing towards the dead toad. Stanno walked over to the toad with his lantern shining over the cadaver, then crouched down and examined some of the footprints.

"This happened recently?"

"Couple minutes ago, yah."

"Hmm. Well, this is a swamp. Suppose it'd be odd if we didn't run into a few toads here an' there."

"That be the problem, Sarn't. This is a swamp. An' where there's one toad, there's bound tae be several more o' them t'follow. Cannae even pick up Angus' scent no more; all ah been seein' be these webbed tracks. Prolly some lizards 'round 'ere tae."

Stanno stood up and huffed. "Wonderful. We're bein' hunted by a fuckin' mercenary an' we can't even track him 'cos the smell of these lizards and toads is interfering. And it's still pitch-black out here."

"Cheer up, Stanny! Cuid be worse, y'know!"

"How?"

Lakler grinned. "Ah cuid be yore brother."

Stanno looked at the fetid hare and smirked. "Good point."

---

Blitzfur and Lillen panted as they carried the wounded and seemingly lifeless sergeant with them. Blitzfur coughed a few times before he banged his footpaw against a fungi-covered boulder and shouted. He let go of Honward, and Lillen grunted as she and the other hare toppled over in the mud. Blitzfur swore loudly before he lifted his footpaw and started to rub it with his paws.

"Motherfuckin'--why the fuck do hard objects exist on the ground?! They're just there to fuck wit' our toes--I'm fuckin' sick of it!"

The corporal got up and exhaled as she wiped herself off. "It's a stubbed toe. Get over it an' help me get Hon up."

The sergeant grumbled and kept rubbing his footpaw. "Leave 'im. He's gonna slow us down anyway--it don't matter."

"Shut up," Lillen snapped, before turning to Honward. "Hon, we gotta go now; we can't stay here. That weasel's still out there!"

Honward didn't say anything. His whiskers moved slightly as he stared at the ground and blinked once. Lillen panted a few times before she shut her eyes and exhaled. Then she squeezed Honward's shoulders as she shifted over and crouched down in front of him.

"I know. I know you're upset, Hon. I know you're in a lotta pain, and I know you jus' wanna lie down and quit. We've all been there; we've all lost somebeast. I'm very sorry that you lost Tike--especially like that. But we have to keep movin'. We can't quit, not after everything we've been through. You and I both know that's not wot Tike would've wanted. So c'mon, Hon. Get up now, 'afore this weasel finds us an' makes sure you join Tike in the afterlife."

Honward blinked again and slowly moved his eyes. He stared at the hare for a moment as his eyes started to water, but he still felt lifeless. Lillen frowned, still hoping that the sergeant would find the will to press on, even after his friend was murdered so brutally. Blitzfur stared at the two hares and scoffed. He shook his head, stomped towards Honward, and smacked him across the face.

"GET YOUR ARSE UP, WOT! We didn't sit 'ere an' train you twats just so you could cry like a li'l bitch over a lost mate! So wot if'n yer friend is dead?! Wot about all the other beasts still alive that are in danger right now?! Wot about all their friends, their brothers an' sisters who might not live t'see another sunrise 'cos you were sittin' here sniffling an' whinin' like a bitch over one dead friend! This army is more important than yer 'precious' feelings; it's more important than just one or two hares! So stop feelin' sorry for yourself an' get up, or we'll throw yer arse into this bog, wot!"

Lillen glared at Blitzfur and started to scowl. Just as the corporal was about to say something, Honward grunted as he got back to his footpaws. He slowly removed his sabre from its sheathe and began to walk forward very sluggishly, his footpaws creating little noise with each step he took. Blitzfur stared at Honward and shoved him forward.

"MOVE YER ARSE, SARN'T!"

"Shut the fuck up, Lieutenant!" Lillen barked.

"There's a reason why yer still a lowly, lowly corporal, Lill. You don't know how to push soldiers hard enough; you wouldn't know how to command 'em! You discipline 'em enough, sooner or later--"

"They'll walk into their own fuckin' grave! Honward walkin' slow is a good thing! It means we won't be makin' so much noise; it means we won't attract as much attention. But lookit you, barkin' orders and screamin' at the top of your lungs like you ain't got no fuckin' sense. Wouldn't be surprised if Angus is hot on our tail right now 'cos of wot you just said!"

Blitzfur stared at the scowling corporal and frowned. "Shit. You're right," he said softly. "Okay...okay, uh, just stay calm--"

"I am calm. You're the beast who looks like he's about to piss himself."

Something cracked in the distance. The three hares froze moments before Lillen dimmed the flame within the lantern. She gestured for Blitzfur and Honward to stay still and walked forward. But the hare only managed to take a few steps before she scrunched up her face and backed away.

"Fwoo! The fuck is that?! Now you know it's wrong to pass gas when somebeast is standing right behind ya, wot!"

Lillen rolled her eyes. "That wasn't me!" Lillen sniffed twice again and blinked. "I'm not sure wot that is honestly. Way too strong to be swamp gas."

Blitzfur sniffed too and groaned. "Yeah. Kinda got a musky tinge to it too. Maybe Angus is nearby?"

"I'm pretty sure he's usin' the odour of the swamp to mask his scent. ...It's strange. Haven't smelled anythin' this strong before."

"Could be lizards."

Lillen shook her head. "I doubt that."

"Lakler? Maybe he fell in the bog and didn't clean himself?"

"No."

Blitzfur lifted his right arm and sniffed around his armpit a few times. Then he lowered his arm and grumbled. "Well...I know we haven't bathed in a while..."

"I think I can separate my own stench from somebeast else's. I can't place it; I feel like I've smelled this scent before."

"It's makin' a huge pong, I can tell ya that! Maybe we should travel away from the mysterious malodorous odour?"

Lillen huffed. "You're right. Best we don't find out wot's up there. Follow me, Hon."

Hon stayed still for a moment, but eventually turned around and started to walk alongside Lillen and Blitzfur. The trio hurriedly walked away from the odd smell, and did not see the glowing eyes that stared back at them in the distance.

---

"You find anybeast else?" Stanno asked.

Lakler shook his head. "Cannae say ah have. Either they separated or Angus got tae 'em."

The two hares continued to move forward, observing the environment and listening carefully to see if the weasel would make a mistake and give away his position. Stanno blinked as he stopped walking and raised his lantern. The fire illuminated a bigger portion of the swamp, but the sergeant saw nothing out the ordinary. Trees and logs were still coated with fungus and hornworts. Stanno spotted stinkhorns sprouting from the roots of a nearby tree, along with the thin layer of algae that was simmering on the surface of the bog. He saw a bubble pop and heard a few faint splashes. The sergeant rubbed his nose and sniffed as he continued to walk forward.

"Find anything yet?" Stanno whispered.

Lakler smacked softly as he chewed on a few edible mushrooms. "Nope. Jus' some brown shrooms lyin' 'round."

"Maybe he--"

Stanno grunted and tripped. He fell face-first in the moist earth and exhaled. Lakler rushed over to the hare just as Stanno stood up and wiped his face off.

"I'm fine, I'm fine. Just a root or somethin'."

"'Or sumthin'' is right, wot! Cum lookit this!"

Stanno turned around and stood beside Lakler as he stared at the ground. The sergeant looked down into the mud with wide eyes.

"The hell? Is that a paw-print?"

Lakler crouched down and stared at the gargantuan print that somebeast left in the mud. He grabbed the lantern and held it over the print, blinking and inspecting it carefully. The galloper lowered his paw into the print, surprised that the print itself was larger than his entire paw. He bent over and sniffed a few times as he tried to pick up the scent. Lakler grumbled before he turned and held the lantern over his and Stanno's paw-prints.

"Awright: guid news an' bad news."

"Gimme the bad news first," said Stanno.

"Whoever left these prints must be sum colossal beast." Lakler caressed the print again and grabbed a few strands of fur. "Hmm. Well, it's got fur, so it ain't no scaly beast. There ain't many other furry beasts who c'n leave prints this big."

"Wotcha saying, Lakler? There's a wearet or some wolverine wanderin' about these swamps?"

Lakler shook his head. "This donae even got a vermin scent tae it. Wolverine mebbe, but even then...the prints donae seem accurate. Been a real long time since ah saw a wolverine print."

"So it ain't some giant lizard, it ain't vermin, and it probably ain't a wolverine."

"I doubt it."

"Then wot the hell made these prints?"

Lakler stood up and sighed. "That's wot worries me. If there's somebeast out there who's as vicious an' as large as Urthquake is, then Angus Renhym is gunna be the least o' our concerns."

Stanno shut his eyes and rubbed his forehead. "You said there was good news?"

"Oh, right!" Lakler chuckled. "Clearly these prints are tae big fer a weasel. Least we know Angus ain't stalkin' us, wot!"

Stanno frowned and glared at the hare.

---

He was calm. They all were. All the hares had to be in order to trounce their enemy. Dusk walked alongside the Shadows in a crouched position, his paws at his side right next to his throwing knives. Two Shadows were carrying lanterns to illuminate their path, whilst everybeast else was holding their weapons firmly and waiting. Dusk raised a paw, signaling the Shadows to stop. He blinked and sprinted forward a few yards so he could examine the tracks and other markings Angus left in the ground. The dark gray hare picked up the weasel's tracks and looked back at the Shadows. He pointed to the left and nodded. The Crowslayer guided his team forward and instructed one of his hares to hold the lantern above a set of paw-prints left in the grimy earth. Tillus examined them for a moment, then gestured his team to keep moving forward.

"He's gotta be down that way. We'll head forward," he stated.

The Northlander walked up to the Crowslayer and coughed. "Err, sah? Shouldnae we be followin' the tracks? Pretty sure he went that way."

"Precisely. Which is why we're ignorin' his tracks, Errol. We'll let him come to us; no need to walk into any of his traps."

Errol snickered. "Wotsa matta, Tillus? Worried we're gunna git in anotha' Blackheart situation, wot?"

"I know beasts like this. The only way t'defeat 'em is to do the unexpected."

"An' how c'n we kill somebeast unexpectedly when he tends to expect the unexpected?"

"And therein lies the conundrum."

Dusk rejoined his fellow Shadows and the team kept walking forward for a few more minutes. They stopped for a moment after hearing a few croaks in the distance, but the frogs weren't their top priority. Angus Renhym was. The group waited for another brief moment before they resumed their journey. As they walked past a few trees littered with hornworts, the Shadows came across a few mushrooms that were sullied with red fluids. It didn't take the Shadows long before they found a few dead hares lying in the muck, their bodies mutilated with knives and sabres. The Crowslayer flicked his eyes at the bodies, but didn't stop. None of them were Shadows; that was what mattered most. As the group walked down a steady incline and hopped over a moss-covered log, Errol looked up into the trees and grinned. He whistled shrilly, emitting a sudden, sharp noise that made one of the Shadows flinch.

"Wot? I scare ya, Belgart?"

The aging dark brown hare snorted. "Fuck off."

Errol chuckled as he kept walking behind the old hare. He whistled again, and Belgart growled in his throat. The group paused for a moment after hearing a few branches rustling up above. Dusk's ears wiggled as he heard more croaking, followed by a few insects chirping or creating odd clicking noises. Errol whistled again, and Belgart turned and scowled at the hare.

"I fuckin' told--"

"That wasn't me."

Belgart frowned. He looked up into the trees after hearing more branches creaking. Then everybeast heard eerie whispering that echoed throughout the trees as a strong gust of wind made the leaves rustle. The Crowslayer raised a paw and the group stopped. Everybeast waited, gripping the hilt of their sabres or knives, or stretching their bowstrings taut in case somebeast needed to fire. Errol flicked his eyes left and right while Belgart started looking up into the trees again. After another few seconds, the beasts heard a soft thump. The Crowslayer snorted and nodded.

"Form up."

Not a single word was spoken as the hares converged. All eight of them turned around and backed into each other, making sure their backs were touching. The group formed a circle and covered every single viewpoint. As the hares panted, the Crowslayer gestured for his crew to press on. Whenever they moved, the hares would cross their footpaws over and gradually spin so everybeast covered every direction with each step they took. Dusk continued to grimace without saying a word while the Crowslayer kept his ears open. Errol snickered the entire time, believing that he was finally getting to the weasel each time he made noise. The Northlander whistled and heard faint footsteps. He whistled a second time, and the footsteps became louder and heavier. On the third whistle, Errol heard snickering from one of the trees and grinned. He nudged Belgart in the ribs and pointed at one of the tree trunks.

"Don't break away," the Crowslayer commanded.

"Sah, ah'm sure--"

"Wot did I say?"

Errol was about to open his mouth again when a twig snapped. They knew he was close now; they sensed it. Errol pressed his back against the hares again and kept turning as the group moved.

"Getcha...hehehe...gonna getcha..."

Errol gritted his teeth, but he kept his fear to a minimum. The hare heard what he thought was another snap. He turned to his right, and then screamed when a stone bounced off his right eye. The hare collapsed and started screaming and swearing incessantly; the Crowslayer turned and rushed towards the wounded hare. He crouched down so he could take a closer look at Errol as the other hares stared at him with sullen faces.

"FUCK! Cocksucka--mah fuckin' eye! HE GOT MAH EYE!"

Belgart snorted. "Shut up. All yer noise is gonna attract him, wot!"

The Crowslayer held Errol's head still as he examined his damaged eye. The eyeball was red and swelling; Tillus doubted Errol would be able to see through the eye again. He blinked twice as he looked at Belgart. Then the Crowslayer removed one of his knives and snorted.

"Ah-ah cannae see! Ah cannae fuckin' see!"

The Crowslayer blinked. "No. You can't."

The Crowslayer flipped Errol's body over and sliced the hare's Achilles tendon in half. Errol shouted as a stream of blood erupted from his wound and started clawing at the ground. Then the Crowslayer quickly sliced through the hare's other Achilles tendon, rendering his footpaws useless.

"WOT THE FUCK ARE YA DOIN'?!"

Tillus ignored him and gestured for Belgart to return to their group. As they ran away and left Errol immobile in the mud, the Crowslayer grabbed one of the lanterns and set it down beside Errol. The wounded hare panted and whimpered as he took out a dagger and tried to cut the Crowslayer's knee open. But the Crowslayer quickly backed away and left Errol alone. Errol grunted as he tried to stand up. But he couldn't even rise without the agonizing pain making him scream and fall right back down. The Shadow whimpered as he heard a set of footpaws stamping in the mud. Errol removed his sabre from its sheath and lied on his back, just in time to see Angus sprinting for him. Angus snarled as he knocked Errol's sabre out of his paw with his cutlass, and then cut his stomach down the middle. As Errol started to scream and bleed out, the weasel pounced on the hare and snarled. He opened his mouth wide and bit down on his left eye socket, crushing the eyeball until the weasel could taste the warm fluids in his mouth. Errol's screams started to die down as the beast gradually went into shock.

As Angus started to mutilate Errol's body, the Crowslayer blinked and aimed for the weasel's midriff. He blinked and steadied his breathing, letting his nerves calm as his breath left his lungs. Then everybeast heard more croaking and several wet splattering noises. Angus, on instinct, jerked his body around and stood up. And then he shouted as the Crowslayer's arrow found its way into his abdomen, not far from his kidney. The weasel shouted while the Crowslayer gritted his teeth and took out another arrow. But just as he notched the arrow to his bow, a group of toads hopped their way towards Errol's corpse, their wart-covered bodies illuminated by the lantern. Angus removed the arrow from his midriff and limped away, while the Crowslayer and his crew started to move backwards.

"Fall back, fall back!" he cried.

The group of seven hares started to run backwards as the trident-wielding toads burbled and began to attack.

---

Colonel Clannin and Sanjoy were alone. The two hares looked around the swamp, blinking and taking short breaths as they listened closely. So many insects were buzzing and so many amphibians were croaking or hopping around that the hares had no idea where Angus could be. Clannin set his lantern down on the ground and exhaled.

"This is fuckin' pointless. We can't see nothin', can't hear nothin'--how are we s'posed to find this weasel?"

Sanjoy shook her head. "I dunno. I just...I just wish this was all over an' done with. Why is it so hard fer our enemies to come out an' face us like proper beasts should?"

Clannin huffed. "'Cos they're all cowards."

Sanjoy whimpered and walked towards Clannin. The colonel turned and grunted as he was suddenly embraced by the other hare. Clannin looked down at Sanjoy with bewilderment as the hare started to sniffle and whine. Clannin blinked twice as he reached over and slowly hugged the hare as well. The leporids stayed still, listening to the wilderness around them and enjoying the tender moment while it lasted. Sanjoy didn't want to let go of Clannin. She knew if she did, she might never get to hold him like this again. Clannin closed his eyes and lowered his head so his chin was on Sanjoy's left shoulder.

"D'you see him yet?" Sanj muttered.

Clannin opened his right eye for a moment and looked around. They were still alone.

"Nothin'."

"Damn. Jus' stay still then; he should come out shortly."

Clannin close his eye again and resumed hugging Sanjoy, whilst the other hare feigned her whimpers and cries. As the hares embraced for a moment longer, they heard more whispers in the distance, along with a few soft splats of mud. Clannin patted the hare on the back a few times before they backed away and smiled at each other.

"We're gonna be fine, Sanj. You know that."

Sanjoy sniffled and wiped her eyes. "I-I know. ...Still nothin'?"

Clannin frowned. "Nope."

Clannin and Sanjoy both turned around and faced the opposite direction. Then Clannin sniffled.

"Hmm. Smells like some type of vermin has been goin' this way, wot! Perhaps we should walk in this direction!"

Sanjoy nodded. "Brilliant idea."

The colonels started walking away from the whispers and continued to disregard the muddy splattering sounds behind them.

"Hey, Sanj. Wot's that strange noise?"

Sanjoy shrugged and reached for her rapier. "Dunno. Perhaps we should continue--"

"GOTCHA!"

In the time it took to blink, Clannin grabbed his sabre, spun around, and whacked his sword against Angus' cutlass. Then Sanjoy spun around and thrust her rapier forward, nearly hitting the weasel in his chest. Angus panted and backed away, holding his bleeding torso as he stared at the two colonels.

"Heh...c-clever. Smokin' me out like that with yer false--"

Clannin yelled as he charged forward and swung his sabre at the vermin three times, hoping to chop off his head. Angus parried the first two attacks before he ducked and rolled backwards. Clannin ran towards the weasel again, refusing to let him get away. Angus found himself running backwards and blocking all of Clannin's moves as he and Sanjoy chased after him. The hares started flanking the weasel; Clannin attacked him from the front while Sanjoy ran past the vermin and got behind him. Angus turned around and panted as he swung his cutlass at Sanjoy twice, his sword ringing as it clashed against the colonel's thin weapon. The weasel reached for one of his long daggers and removed it from his waistsash just as Clannin was about the slice his neck in half. The dagger flew from Angus' paw after Clannin smashed his sword against it; the weasel was forced to duck and crouch. He punched Sanjoy in-between the legs and removed another knife from his waistsash. Clannin threw one of his daggers at Angus, hitting the creature in his left shoulder. Angus yowled and fell to the ground when both colonels attacked simultaneously. Angus grabbed one of his knives off the ground and jerked his right paw sideways, stabbing Clannin in his left footpaw.

Clannin shouted and swore as he fell on his bottom; Angus snarled and rolled backwards, then stood up and removed the dagger from his shoulder. The weasel turned and threw his knife at Clannin; the colonel quickly rolled to his left, and the knife landed in the mud. Angus stomped towards Clannin and waved his sword at his face, but the colonel still managed to block his attacks while gritting his teeth. Then Angus turned around and roared as he swung his cutlass in a vertical fashion, nearly cutting Sanjoy right down the middle. Sanjoy panted as she backed away slowly. The hare glanced at Angus' midriff and noticed he had recently been wounded. Sanjoy blinked and grinned, waiting for the right moment. Angus swiped his cutlass at the long-eared beast four times, forcing Sanjoy to back away each time. Then the two beasts stopped and stared, and Angus began to roll his tongue around his mouth. Sanjoy gripped her rapier tightly. And then she flinched when the weasel spat in her left eye, giving Angus enough time to attack.

"FUCK!"

Angus lashed at the hare. Sanjoy shouted and winced as she hopped backwards. The hare landed on the ground and nearly stumbled, her tunic ripped after the weasel lacerated her belly. Sanjoy reacted quickly and spun around. As she moved, she lashed out with her footpaw, kicking the weasel in his arrow wound. Angus swore and faltered as more blood started to trickle down his side. Then Sanjoy stomped towards Angus and ran him through with her rapier. The weasel grunted in pain and gasped as the hare removed her weapon. Angus gritted his teeth and swung his cutlass at her face, knocking her to the ground. The weasel wheezed twice as he bled from both wounds and noticed that Clannin was back on his footpaws and limping towards him. Scowling, Angus turned away and started to jog, his wounds gradually affecting his speed. Clannin tried to run after the beast, but he tripped and landed in more mud. Sanjoy sat up slowly and winced as she felt blood running down her face.

"Fucker," she murmured.

Sanjoy stood up and wrapped an arm around her stomach. Then she walked towards Clannin as the other colonel sat in the mud grasping his wounded footpaw.

"Shit...well, I ain't gonna be runnin' for a while, wot!"

Sanjoy smirked. "Want me to kiss it an' make it all better?"

Clannin looked at the colonel with a large diagonal gash on her face and smiled. Then he lifted his bleeding footpaw up and wiggled his toes.

"If ya don't mind."

Sanjoy smacked Clannin's footpaw away, then reached down and helped the colonel back up. "C'mon, he's wounded and he's bleeding! If we hurry, we can catch him before he kills anybeast else!"

"Sanj, you stuck that needle in his stomach. It's still pitch black out here, an' there's nothin' around he can use to clean or patch his wounds. He won't get far."

"Which is why we should chase after him!"

"No, this is why we should find Urthquake, get--ARGH! Get some more help. Fuckin' footpaw--we're hurt too, Sanj. Don't think that weasel isn't pondering the same thing we are!"

Sanjoy huffed. "I hate when you're right. Okay...the Badger Lord said he was checkin' around that bog. We should be able to find him there."

---

The giant badger was enjoying his night as much as everybeast else. The burly beast growled and snorted as he walked around the swamp, leaving his massive paw-prints behind as he walked beside Major Fenson. The major rubbed his eyes and held the lantern around the badger, listening closely for anybeast in case Angus or somebeast else tried to ambush them. The hare looked up at the badger's scowl and cleared his throat.

"So, Urthquake," Fenson started.

"Not now," Urthquake snapped.

"You don't even know wot I'm about to say. You can't just cut me off like that, wot!"

"I know that tone; I've heard it dozens of times before. Now is not the time to talk about how I'm feeling."

"M'lord, I'm just--"

"Concerned. Yes, I've heard that before. Many times, Major. But right now we're hunting a sadistic maniac who could very well pick us all off one by one until the sun comes up. I believe he's a bit more paramount than how I'm 'feeling,' Fenson."

The major exhaled. "Okay, m'lord. We'll talk later."

"Good. Now--"

Both beasts stopped talking and turned around after they heard a few twigs snapping and the sound of somebeast panting. Urthquake jogged in the mud for a moment, with the major following after the bulky beast. The blue-striped creature tightened the grip on his axe as hot breath erupted from his mouth. The badger slowed down after recognizing a familiar scent, then stopped.

"Oh...false alarm, Fenson. It's only Lakler and Stanno."

Lakler looked up at the badger and smiled. "Aye. No need tae split us in 'alf wit' that axe o' yores, wot!"

"Did you two find anything?"

"Lakler came across some toads. We found a lotta tracks too, an' they certainly weren't from Angus," said Stanno.

"That doesn't help me very much, now does it?"

"Och, slow down there, sah!" Lakler interjected. "Now no, these werenae no vermin tracks. But they were massive--'bout the size o' yore footpaws, sah. Ah know ye didnae leave 'em, an' the scent 'round there reminded me o' some...ah dunno, wolverine perhaps."

"Did you see a wolverine?"

"Sah, we dunno wot the 'ell's out 'ere. But it's fuckin' big, it ain't no reptile, an' ah doubt it's friendly."

"So what you're saying is that you found some paw-prints to a creature you can't identify that has nothing to do with Angus Renhym, and you're saying I should be worried. Over paw-prints. Nobeast attacked you; nobeast is following you; nobeast left bodies behind. You just saw some fucking paw-prints."

Stanno scowled. "M'lord, excuse me, sah, but give us a fuckin' break. We've been out here for hours and haven't found anything but these prints an' some toads. It's hard to track Angus in a swamp this large--"

"Do I look like I give a shit?!" Urthquake bellowed, as he stepped towards the hares. "Your job is to find this fuckin' weasel, not to wander around here looking at some stupid paw-prints!"

Fenson scowled as he stepped in front of Urthquake and pressed his paws against his armor. "We get it, m'lord. You're frustrated and upset--that does not mean it's their fault we haven't found Angus yet, wot! We might not find him until morning; we just gotta be patient!"

Urthquake was about to open his mouth to speak when the four creatures heard more footsteps in the distance. Everybeast turned and looked to see Clannin and Sanjoy limping towards the bubbling bog.

"M'lord! Urthquake, we found him!" Clannin shouted.

The badger's anger started to dissipate as he stomped towards the colonels. "You did? Where is he?"

Sanjoy panted as she pointed backwards. "Just keep goin' that way. He's wounded; he's not gonna get far. All we gotta do is follow his tracks and the trail of blood he's leavin' behind."

The Badger Lord wasted no time. He started to stomp forward, ready to put an end to the mercenary once and for all.

"Follow me everybeast! That weasel doesn't live past the night!"

"Aye, sah!" shouted Clannin.

As Sanjoy let go of Clannin and the hare began to massage his paw, he looked at Fenson, Lakler, and Stanno and frowned.

"Wot's wrong with you beasts?"

Fenson flicked his eyes at the badger and blinked. "Maybe you should ask him that..."

---

Blitzfur and Lillen had to stop after they heard the strange guttural noises up ahead. Honward was sitting down against a tree while the other two beasts started to investigate. Both of them cautiously walked forward as the growls and snarls grew louder and more caustic. Blitzfur held his lantern high as he looked at the ground and saw a few splotches of red mixed in with the brown and green earth.

"Is that blood?" Lillen asked softly.

"Sure as shit don't look like dye," Blitzfur responded.

The hares advanced forward a few more yards until they saw part of a beast leaning against a tree. The duo waited until the beast's entire body was visible in the lantern's light, and then they froze.

"Get-getcha...getcha...jus' one more...o-one..."

Angus Renhym slowly turned and looked at Blitzfur and Lillen with a wide, sloppy grin on his face. The weasel slurped as he held his cutlass and moved forward, his footpaws dragging against the mud.

"Um. This is Angus Renhym?" Blitzfur asked.

"In the fl-flesh! Now c'mere...let me slay you," the weasel said weakly.

Lillen and Blitzfur kept staring at the weasel as he sluggishly moved towards them. Lillen looked at the beast's abdomen and could see both of the wounds he received. He was still bleeding profusely; the blood had dripped down his left leg and resulted in several bloody paw-prints. The lieutenant looked at the scarred weasel and yawned.

"An' here I thought you were somebeast capable of makin' me shit m'self, wot! A fuckin' snail moves faster than you!"

Angus wheezed. "You fuckers got lucky! I...I'm wounded! This-this ain't--this ain't a fair fight!"

Lillen scoffed. "Since when do beasts like you fight fair?"

Blitzfur smiled smugly as he slowly walked towards the weasel with his sabre drawn. The hare stood still and waited for Angus to approach him. When he did, Angus grunted and removed another knife from his waistsash. The lieutenant effortlessly swung his sabre and whacked the weapon out of Angus' paw. Angus grunted and swung his cutlass at Blitzfur, but the weasel was so exhausted that he only made contact with the air. Blitzfur giggled and grabbed Angus' head, then shoved him down to the ground.

"This is fuckin' beautiful, wot! Now I see why you beasts fight dirty! It's so damn amusing!"

Angus snarled at Blitzfur as he gradually got back to his footpaws. But just as the weasel started to stand, he heard more footsteps in the distance. The weasel stood as straight as he could and turned around, only to find Urthquake, Clannin, Fenson, Sanjoy, Stanno, and Lakler all jogging towards him.

"Cut him off! Don't let him escape!" Urthquake shouted.

"I already told you, sah. He's not goin' far!" said Clannin.

Angus stood still and watched as the six beasts approached him and circled around him, giving him no chance of escape. Urthquake was snorting so hard that mucus was practically flying from his large nostrils.

"All the shit you've done," Urthquake snarled. "You don't deserve a quick death. But I'm just sick and tired of seeing beasts like you and those cocky, shit-eating grins on your muzzles."

Angus smirked. "Fine. We'll frown from now on."

Urthquake was just about to lift his axe when Fenson stepped in front of him and put a paw on his chest.

"Hold up, m'lord...he might still be useful. The Red Sand tribe! Wotcha know about 'em?"

Angus dropped his cutlass and flicked his eyes at the hares and the badger surrounding him. "Really? You...y-you think you can interrogate me? Question me?"

Angus shut his eyes as he laughed weakly, his body shaking as more blood dripped from his wounds. He lifted his clothing up and showed off his wounds to the hares.

"I'm already fucked! There ain't nothin' more you c'n do to me! No bargains to give, no threats to make...it's too late fer you."

"At the very fuckin' least, do one good thing in your miserable life," said Clannin.

Angus looked to his left and saw Honward dragging his footpaws through the mud. The beast blinked and grinned as he pointed at the sergeant.

"There...y'see? I-I already have! Lookit how depressed he is! Lookit how-how hopeless he is!"

Honward's ears were down, and the sergeant was staring at the filthy ground he stood on. Some of the hares stared at Honward and frowned.

"The hell's wrong with him?"

"I killed his li'l fuck-buddy! Made sure he watched as I tore his body apart until the poor li'l twat died of shock!"

Blitzfur and Lillen looked away and frowned while the other hares started to lower their weapons.

"Tike's dead?" Stanno asked softly.

Lillen shut her eyes and sniffed. "We, uh...found wot was left of him hangin' from a tree. He killed Jadden too."

Angus looked at all the hares' solemn faces and snorted. "Wotcha twats so upset about?! That-that hare wasn't for this world! He was gonna die sooner or later; you all know that! You...you all look at me like I'm some demon, some monster. But-but-but can't ya see? I'm doin' the right thing here! You creatures need beasts like me!"

Angus snickered as he started drawing circles in the air by spinning his index fingers around. "I balance out the equation! I-I keep everythin' in check! Without beasts like me, this world would fall apart! You'd all--"

"Shut the fuck up," Sanjoy snapped.

The weasel blinked twice and then exhaled as he fell to his knees. "I s'pose yer gonna kill me now. Hmph...that's fine. That's fiiiiiiine by me! Hehe, I lived a great life--a wonderful life! I've spent all these years killin' dozens--hundreds even! I fought in a war, I tore families apart, I burned down villages, tortured beasts for fun...and I was havin' a blast back in Tearmann! All those small babes, screamin' as they fled from me! Y'see...I got to live my life the way I wanted to! I didn't hide wot I was--wot I am! I relished in it!"

Angus grinned as he gazed and pointed at the hares and badger. "You all...you all lie. You lie. You pretend that yer goodbeasts, but yer not! Yer all thieves, murderers, rapists--just like me! But you tell yourself, 'Oh, I was following orders! I was angry; I was upset! It's all for a good cause!' Bullshit. You do it 'cos you want to. Admit it...ADMIT IT! STOP LYIN'! Stop pretending to be noble beasts; you know it's a lie! IT'S ALL FUCKIN' BULLSHIT!"

Angus giggled in an insane tone as he drooled and started to get teary-eyed. "Be like me...be like me! It's easier! It-it's so much more fun! Just give in; let it take you! Let the darkness swallow you whole! I-I promise you, it's so much better! You-you'll see! You'll understand how--"

Angus groaned when Honward walked up to him and stabbed him in the back. The sergeant looked down at the weasel as he gritted his teeth, his cheeks wet with tears. Honward let out a soft, whimpering moan as he twisted the dagger he thrust into the vermin. Then he removed the weapon and walked backwards so he could watch the weasel bleed out. Stanno, who was also in tears after finding out what happened to Tike, walked up to Angus and slashed him across his head with his sabre. He left a large, gaping wound that was similar to Sanjoy's, albeit much deeper than hers. Blitzfur attacked next; he picked up one of Angus' throwing knives and promptly tossed it into the weasel's back. Fenson circled around the weasel for a moment before he thrust his rapier into Angus' stomach, puncturing his intestines. Angus was moaning, wheezing, and laughing at the same time as more blood dripped from his body. Clannin limped towards Angus and swiped at his ears, chopping one of them in half, and then proceeded to slash the weasel across his chest. Lillen gritted her teeth and snarled as she walked behind the weasel and swiped her sabre at his spine, nearly cutting through the bone. Angus collapsed to the ground and coughed up more blood.

"Fucker's still alive," Sanjoy muttered.

Clannin handed his sabre off to Sanjoy, who smiled and took it from him. As Angus moaned and got back up on his knees, Sanjoy grunted and slashed at the weasel's paws, slicing off some of his fingers. Angus was so close to death that he could hardly feel the pain anymore. He still kept laughing, even as blood gushed from his wounds and tears ran down his face. Lakler shrugged after everybeast had a go at Angus and took out his twin daggers. He drove them both into Angus' chest before he spat in his face and snorted. Angus slowly shut his eyes, just as Urthquake stepped in front of the weasel and folded his arms.

"Hmph...guess I was right. You don't deserve a quick death."

Angus blinked as he looked up at Urthquake's muzzle. The badger snarled as he reached down and grabbed the weasel's head. Using one paw, he dug his fingers into Angus' disgusting mouth and started to stretch out his jaw. With his other paw, Urthquake planted his thick, meaty fingers against Angus' eye sockets. And then he pressed down hard. Angus started to scream as Urthquake gradually crushed his eyeballs and stretched out his mandible so far that the joints started to pop. Urthquake growled viciously as he felt blood oozing from the weasel's eye sockets and soaking all over his fingers. The badger clutched Angus' scalp and squeezed as hard as possible. The weasel's screams began to die down as his skull started to crack under all the pressure. Then Urthquake roared as he squeezed with all his might, causing blood to flow from the weasel's head. Everybeast heard a squelching crunch, as if a pile of bones and flesh were just flattened. Blood erupted from Angus' head and splattered all over Urthquake's armor. At the same time, Urthquake used his other paw to rip Angus' jaw clean off with another popping crunch. The badger threw the mandible in the distance before he lifted Angus off the ground.

He held the vermin's body in mid-air for a moment, letting the warm blood spread all over his paw and fingers. Everybeast but Urthquake grimaced at the sight of Angus' mutilated body, but knew deep down he deserved it. Then the badger released him, and his body clumped to the ground with a hefty squish. The panting badger stared at the creature's corpse before he closed his eyes and let the breath flow from his lungs.

"How many did we lose?" he asked softly.

Fenson shook his head. "It's too soon to tell, m'lord. We'll have to do a sweep of the swamp, collect all the bodies."

Urthquake shut his eyes and rubbed his forehead. "Get on that. Round up all the survivors, let 'em know Angus is dead."

The major nodded. "Of course. Let's go everybeast. We're still not in the clear just yet."

Urthquake took his paw away from his forehead and looked down at Angus' mangled body. He reached down and snatched it up quickly, then turned around and stomped towards the nearest bottomless bog he could find. The second he arrived at the pool of foul-smelling sludge, Urthquake grunted and tossed Angus' body inside. He heard the body splash, followed by several bubbles popping as the corpse sank into the depths. The striped beast exhaled with much relief, glad to know the beast was gone for good.