GAH! Arad gasped, waking up with a sweaty face. Looking around, he was asleep on a bed in a wooden lodge.

“You’re awake?” The sweet voice of a woman reached his ear. She stood beside the fireplace, heating a blanket.

Arad sat, looking at her long golden hair and pure white skin. “Who are you?”

“That’s my question to ask, my husband, found you in a griffon’s nest.” She said with her eyes glowing green.

“Your husband?” Arad looked around, seeing no one. “My name is Arad Orion, an adventurer.”

The woman stared at him, worried, “You were hunting griffons alone?”

“No, the thing attacked us while we were traveling. Snatched me after getting poisoned by one of my friends.”

The woman smiled, “Griffons have weak short-term poison resistance, but they recover quickly. It might have taken you for a snack.”

CREEEEE! The door slowly opened, and a beefy man walked in, bending his head and moving sideways to fit through. His bear reached his jacked chest, and his hairy arms were bigger than Arad’s head.

“Honey, he seems to have awakened.” The woman said with a happy face.

The man stared at Arad, “Kid, what got you in a griffon’s nest?”

“I explained to her. The beast snatched me from the road.” After re-explaining what happened to the man, Arad stood. “I need to leave as soon as possible.”

The man glared at Arad, “Won’t do you any good to rush. Come with me to the backyard.” He waved his hand.

“My name is Hank bearborn, a lumberjack living in these woods,” Hank said with a deep voice, showing Arad what he was cooking in the backyard.

“That thing is big,” Arad gasped, seeing the cow-sized carcass roasting slowly over flames.

Hank smiled, shaking his beard. “Griffon meat is hard but tasty. I bet you will find it pleasant.” He rolled a tree trunk beside the fire and asked Arad to sit.

“You seem to be enjoying yourselves,” The woman approached them with a smile, carrying a tray full of small chunks of meat and vegetables.

“She is Boris Orkrun. My beautiful wife.” Hank smiled, making a spot for her beside him.

Arad looked around, smiling. “How did you take the griffon down?” He asked while looking at Hank.

Hank laughed, standing up and walking toward a small tree in the back where his axe rested. “I’m a lumberjack, Arad. It only took one chop to end it all.” Hank swung the axe at the tree, cutting it in one strike with a loud crack.

“I saw him wrestle bears. My man is strong.” Boris smiled, “Hank, that tree will be firewood, drag it to the corner.”

“I know. I’ve been working like this for years.” Hank smiled.

Arad rested beside the flames, waiting for the griffon to cook and thinking of how to act. “Do you know the way to Oakedge?”

Boris looked at him, “The village? It’s just a walk down at the mountain foot.”

Hank looked at him, “Do you have any business there?”

“I’m an adventurer. I’m here on a quest to investigate the strange incidents.” Arad replied, keeping an eye on Hank.

“You mean the people disappearing? That was the griffons, kidnapping people who wandered into the forest.” Hank said. He pointed toward the mountain, “Go inspect the beast’s nest. It’s full of bones.”

“Why didn’t you kill it earlier?” Arad looked at him.

“I’m not going to debate a moral dilemma.” Hank stared at Arad, “Griffons are intelligent and powerful. Even I might get killed.” He then stared at his wife, “The beast could fly away and come here to eat my wife. They have the brain to do it.”

Hank smiled, “I came to live in the woods for a quiet life, not for me to start risking my life with monsters. I could have become an adventurer if I wanted that.”

“Then why did you save me?” Arad stared at him.

Hank looked at his wife, “She said it’s a shame to let a kid lose his life.” He smiled, “The griffon had become a pain as well, making his death an inevitable outcome.”

“I see,” Arad stared at the flame, “The griffon was behind all the disappearances?” He scratched his head, “I still need to investigate the village, make a detailed report, and regroup with my friends.” He looked up, ^There was still the matter of the werewolf^

Hank approached the griffon and used a knife to pluck a chunk of the meat, biting it. “Eat up. It’s ready.”

As they ate, Arad asked, “By the way, have you heard of a werewolf nearby?”

The two stopped eating, staring at him. “Werewolf?” Hank stared at Arad, “Why do you seek such a beast? Hate life?”

“I got cursed with Lycanthropy, and I need to kill him before I start transforming,” Arad replied.

Boris looked at him, “I don’t know much about it. But I heard the church could heal you.”

“They tried and failed. I need to find the progenitor and finish him off.” Arad growled.

Hank stared at him, “I heard of a werewolf around here. But that was years in the past. I doubt the beast still roams the place.”

Boris looked at Arad, “Fighting a werewolf is dangerous, more than the griffon. Do you have any peaceful plan to solve it?”

“We think the werewolf might be able to free me from the curse willingly. That could be an option.” Arad replied, “But we don’t intend to let a dangerous monster roam the village. We think he is behind the disappearances, not the griffon.”

Hank shook his head, “You might be right. But I don’t think killing him is the only option. I say it might even be bad.”

“Yeah, what will happen to the other afflicted?” Boris stared at Arad, “If you killed him, people who get infected from his spawn later wouldn’t be able to find a cure.”

Arad didn’t think about that point. Would it end like that? “I have to ask the church about that.”

“I suggest against that as well. The church people are hard-headed and only want the beasts dead. Those gowns don’t think about the common folk, and I bet you’re just a tool they want to use to kill the beast for cheap.” Hank stared at Arad.

“I don’t think that’s the case.”

“It is the case. Otherwise, the church won’t send such a weak kid to investigate the disappearance of tens of people.”

Arad stopped for a moment, “What should I do,” He sighed, “First, I will regroup with my friends and decide later.”

“Don’t do anything rash. Just remember when the griffon kidnapped you,” Boris looked at Arad, “You would end up dead facing the werewolf if he were even here.”

Later that day, Aella and the rest arrived at Oakedge village, exhausted. “Let’s ask around,” Aella didn’t care, leaping right away, searching for Arad.

“I will head back then. Please be careful around here.” The driver said, turning his carriage and leaving.

Jack waved his hand, “Take care, and be wary of the griffon.” He smiled, looking back at Lydia, “Where is Aella?”

“She rushed to the tavern.” Lydia pointed with her thumb. “She can’t take a break. Let’s follow her.”

CRACK! Aella pushed the tavern’s door open, glaring directly inside, looking for the owner.

All the farmers and people drinking there stared back at her, “Long ears? What is she doing here?”

“Weren’t we in a war with them?”

“Leave her be. She will leave soon enough.” Another man sighed.

“Hey, girl. Why are you glaring so sharply?” A group of young men surrounded her. “You aren’t looking for troubles, are you?”

The villages at the back stood, “Those idiots, are they looking for trouble.”

“Hey, kids. Get back to your seats and leave her alone.” The bartender growled at them. “Another fight and I will hang you naked on the village tree for everyone to see.”

“She’s is the one looking for troubles, staring at us like that.” One of the young men said, glaring at Aella.

“A young man with black hair and red eyes. Have you seen him around here? Do you know where the griffon’s nest is?” Aella asked, staring at them.

“We have a lot of people with black hair around here. Like your’s truly here.” The young man smiled, “But we never heard of red eyes.”

Another one smiled, “The griffon nest is at the top of the mountain. You can go there in the morning. For the time being, you can spend the night in my house.”

“Thank you, I’m going now.” Aella turned around to leave.

“Hold up, girl. Leaving like that.” One of the young me grabbed her by the arm, “You aren’t going anywhere till morning.” ｏｖ𝚕．ｃｏ𝚖

SWOSH! CLANG! The bartender grabbed a soot-filled old pan and threw it, smacking the young man in the head, “You **ing bastard, do you wish to die?”

“What was that for?” One of them cried as his friend fell to the ground.