Niphru the man before letting him get back to work. As he left, he looked through the line of people, notig Amilya standing about halfway through the line. Deg not to bother her, he headed toward Monti’s house, arriving a few moments ter. As he sidered how to get the man’s attention, however, he noticed all the lights were out, and decided against b the man while he was likely sleeping.

  Instead of risking b anyone else, he simply left through the nate, pnning to hunt a few mice to fill up. With his illusions, it was nearly effortless to catch three mibsp; However, his sense of danger acted up when he was eating the third, so he buried the remains a instead of finishing it.

  Cirg around the vilge, he headed back to his forest den. Along the way he sidered his foxfire and how it came to be, sensing what it was made of and somehow certain he couldn’t make another. He was certain in time he would be able to produce more, however. Looking at it more closely also revealed it had grown in size again, now nearly as rge as a human’s head. He found it odd that he hadn’t noticed before now.

  Arriving at his den, he headed inside and curled up to sleep. As he y there waiting for sleep to e, he heard scratg noises outside, then a snort, like something was digging into the ground. Unwilling to be dug up, he headed to one of the sedary holes and peeked outside while covered with an illusion. Digging into his den was an oversized bear with sm fur and a third pair of legs, sn into the dirt as it cwed downward. Fortunately, his escape hole was downwind, so the beast couldn’t smell him.

  As his den was clearly unusable now, he decided to head back to the vilge and see if he could get help dealing with the bear. After all, a rge mutated bear was a threat to the vilge as well.

  Arriving at the vilge, he headed ba the eastern gate, cheg Morris’ home first, but the lights were off and the window shut, so he assumed the man was asleep. His best bet was Amilya, as he didn’t know where Diara or Harold lived, and didn’t know anyone else strong enough to help. Arriving at her home, he spotted her standing outside talking with a man who was reattag the door, which looked different than st time he was there.

  Amilya turned, notig Niphru arriving, and smiled, waving him over. As he approached, she spoke up, “Niphru, good to see you, I wasn’t expeg you until tomorrow though. Meet Travis, he is the vilge carpenter, and offered to stay up te to help out when he heard it was reted to you. His brother works at the lumberyard in the forest, and they’ve had far less attacks since you started rep the beasts to us.”

  Niphru o the man, turning bailya, then shifting his foxfire into an illusion of the bear and exg, “I actually was just driven out of my den by another muta, I am very gd I had escape tunnels. I was w if anyone could help hunt it down before it gets too far away.”

  After looking at the illusion for a moment, Amilya nodded and said, “That looks like something we haonight, just o get Diara and Harold. Diara’s sling will actually work on this, uhe beast you lead us to, and Harold is strong enough to hold it babsp; I don’t think we will need anyone else. Would you like to wait here, or would you rather e with me as I get them?”

  Without aation, he replied, “I’m gd we take care of it, if it's ok I’d prefer to follow you and learhey live.”

  Amilya led him towards the eastern gate, stopping at one of the houses closest to the gate before knog on the door. After a few moments of waiting, Diara opehe door, looking at them with tired eyes. Amilya smiled apologetically, before expining, “We have a rge bear mutant nearby the vilge that just dug up Niphru’s den and were hoping to get your help removing it.”

  Diara shook her head a moment before responding, “It’s always when you are trying to rest that they end up nearby isn’t it? I’ll be ready in a bit a you at the gate,” she then closed the dain before the windows lit up.

  Niphru tinued following Amilya as she headed towards the northern gate, then into the fields. A few moments ter they’d passed the furthest he had explored on his own, before reag one of the farmhouses. Uh Diara’s home, the light was still on inside when Amilya knocked on the door. In just a few seds it opened up to reveal Harold, who took one look at them and said, “I tell there is a problem if you came to meet me, give me a moment and I’ll be ready.” He then wandered baside without b to close the door.

  A moment ter Harold reappeared, shrugging into his lizardskin outfit and grabbing his staff from the wall before shutting off the glowing stohat provided light. He then joihem, shutting the door behind himself.

  The three of them headed back towards town, not b to enter but instead walking along the outside until they met with Diara at the eastern gate. Amilya then turo Niphru, exg, “While I know where my daughter met you before, I don’t know where your den is, could you please lead us there?”

  Niphru nodded, moving his foxfire ahead of them to provide some light in front as Amilya formed her own globe of light above them. Lighting handled, he then moved ahead, looking back a few times to adjust his pace to ohe humans were fortable with.

  A while ter, they arrived at his former den, now a rge hole in the ground, the tree o it now toppled with immense cw marks on it.

  Diara whistled, remarking, “That thing really did a number on your den, didn’t it? You are lucky to have made it out.”

  Niphru kept silent, shocked by how much damage had been done while he was away. He hadn’t expected it would have even dug up the escape tunnel he had used.

  As he sat there in shock, Harold leaned against his quarterstaff as Diara began poking around the hole. Amilya stared at the mess, somewhat shocked herself, then began sing the surroundings. A few moments ter, Diara pointed into the forest, saying, “It appears it wandered around a bit befoing back this way.”

  Diara thehe way into the forest, following the traces the bear had left behind, made easier by the slight burns on the underbrush. As they traveled, Niphru spoke up, “The bear had a great sense of smell, but I don’t think that will be too much trouble right now sihe wind has died down. I hide us from sight and hearing if we stay close together.”

  Amilya nodded, remarking, “If you keep the two of us hidden, I blind the bear to make it less effective against Harold, and he keep its attention. Diara will be far more effective than you saw with the beast you led us to before, armored skin isn’t a good match for her.”

  Harold then spoke up as well, “I should be able to get it turned around so she get a good shot at the neck, we just have to find it and not be found by it instead.”