“Well lads, I do recall the first bit of action that Nico and the others had while

stationed in Sitarny” said the old man as he returned to the table with a cup full of ale.

“Hmmmm now let me see, which Hamlet was it?” he pondered…

+++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++

After several days, Nico and the others patrolled around the Sitarny area accompanied

by senior legionnaire Rolun. Senior Rolun informed the new soldiers of their duties

including daily patrols, collecting bridge tolls, guard duty at the garrison, and

everyday army chores. Nico was also assigned the duty of quartermaster for the entire

company, a position which did not particularly excite him, but having learned the

duties of the role, he accepted the responsibility. Though he considered it a mediocre

job, Nico knew the importance of the role and did as required.

It was whilst out on duty at the bridge that Nico had the idea of creating a record of

the tolls detailing the flow of people, livestock and carts travelling between Tharda

and Rethem. He proposed the idea to Captain Sosoldas who praised the young

legionnaire for his initiative and accepted the suggestion. Nico assured him he would

create the ledger and proceeded to give basic instructions for recording the tolls

collected at the bridge to the other Legionnaires in the company.

On one cloudy day, Nico and his squad were on duty at the fort. A villager made his

way towards the gates looking tired and distressed. When he approached the main

gates, Nico could see the man speak to the legionnaire on guard upon which he was

escorted away to see Sergeant Kethad. After a few minutes Nico and the others were

called to the headquarters.

“Legionnaires, I am sending you to accompany this villager back to his Hamlet” said

sergeant Kethad. “There has been a spate of disturbances there, so you will escort

him home and investigate what has been happening” he explained. “Once you have

resolved the situation, then report back to the garrison. Right, get your gear together

and head on out!” he bellowed. Nico and the others readied themselves and followed

the villager back to his hamlet.

“So what are these disturbances then?” asked Lothar as they walked along.

“Ohhh, there be terrible things ‘appening” the villager said. And as they marched

out of Sitarny the farmer recalled the events of the previous few days…

The first disturbance he recounted was that all of the eggs laid by the chickens were

smashed one night. Nico and his comrades responded that this may have been done

by an animal of some kind to which the villager agreed.

“Ahhh, you could be right there” he muttered. “But what about the freshly washed

clothes that were stomped into the mud eh?”. He went on to recount that one of the

village girls had her washing trampled, but the four yet again said it could have been

an animal. The last disturbance the villager recounted however was that some sort of

creature had been heard scaling the rooftops of the hamlet in the middle of the night.

This caused Nico and his comrades to reconsider their theories.

As the Legionnaires arrived at the hamlet, villagers from the houses emerged to greet

them. They all began telling the same tales time and time again, asking the soldiers to

“save our hamlet from these terrible ‘appenings”.

At the end of the day, after questioning and investigating the scenes of the

disturbances the legionnaires were at a loss to explain what had occurred. Nico

suggested that it may be a large rodent type like a rat or a badger. Sylud was of the

belief that this was more than just an animal. He believed that a ghost was haunting

the hamlet and that a priest should come and perform an exorcism. Lothar however

rubbished Sylud’s idea, and Grunth was more interested in trying to find a local

wench to satisfy his carnal needs.

That night, Nico and Lothar decided to stay on watch. They set up a patrolling system

and maintained guard till dawn the next day. Sylud and Grunth however didn’t think

is was necessary and spent the night indoors. The next morning as Nico and Lothar

rested, Sylud and Grunth maintained a guard over the hamlet.

The next night Lothar and Nico prepared themselves to stand guard through the night

again. At one point in the early hours of the morning Lothar disappeared whilst Nico

was looking elsewhere. Just when Nico had decided to go looking for Lothar he

thought he heard footsteps behind him, so he swung around but no one was there.

Cautiously advancing, he made his way to the centre of the hamlet, Lothar was still

nowhere to be seen. Suddenly there was a loud knock upon the door of one of the

houses, so Nico rushed towards it. Upon arriving he was met by Grunth who opened

the door half naked, staring out, holding his sword.

“What’s wrong Grunth?” asked Nico.

“Whadda ya mean?” he replied sleepily. “Yer da one who knocked” declared Grunth

as both of them stood there looking puzzled at each other. Shortly afterwards Lothar

appeared from the shadows across the street having heard the commotion. He told

them he had heard a noise near another house and gone to investigate, but he had only

found a piece of firewood dislodged from a woodpile. Having found nothing else

Nico and Lothar went back to their guard routine till the dawn.

+++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++

In the morning, Lothar mentioned to the group that they should report back to the

garrison. Sylud agreed and offered to go back leaving Grunth on duty whilst the other

two got some well earned rest from their nights vigil. The peasants were pleased with

the legion presence at their hamlet and were starting to feel safe again, going about

their business, but that feeling wasn’t to last long.

That night while Nico was on watch, he and Lothar could hear the chickens

squawking at their various roosting spots around the hamlet. When Nico went to

investigate he found that some of the chickens had being plucked…alive!

+++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++

“Plucked alive?” asked a cadet with a nervous tone. “What sort of sick person would

do that?”

“Ohhh but this was no person lad” the old man replied. “It wasn’t even a man”

+++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++

The next morning the people of the hamlet were in shock; the peasants were very

distressed after discovering that most of their chickens had been plucked alive. The

legionnaires quickly restored calm but could tell that they had to catch the perpetrator

quickly. So that night all four were on guard.

During the day, Lothar and Sylud had devised a plan; they would take up positions on

the outskirts of the hamlet hidden by the darkness whilst Grunth and Nico remained

on guard.

Things were quiet, Nico stood guard at one end of the hamlet and Grunth at the other.

Then suddenly two javelins embedded themselves in the ground near where Grunth

was standing. Nico ran towards him and realised that they had been thrown by Lothar

and Sylud from beyond one of the houses. As they turned towards the direction from

which the javelins had come they could both see Lothar signalling to them. He was

indicating that something was on the rooftop, so they both moved towards the house.

Suddenly they heard screams from inside the house, so they both rushed to the door.

At the same moment Sylud came running around the corner of the homestead, opened

the door and rushed inside with Grunth close behind.

“Nico, cover the entrance” yelled Sylud. Nico resolutely stood in the doorway, ready

to strike whatever the creature was should it attempt to escape past him. Moments

later there was a commotion behind Nico, so he turned, only to see that it was several

villagers coming out of another house to see what was going on. Nico realised he had

made a mistake, but even as he turned back towards the doorway a small humanoid

figure, totally covered in hair swung down from the rafters just inside the doorway

right in front of him.

The creature leapt at Nico, with big googly eyes and a long tongue hanging out of its

mouth it screamed at him waving its hands in the air. Nico took an involuntary step

back, aghast at the hideous visage of the creature. Seeing the opening the creature ran

past him and vanished around the side of the house. Lothar leaped down from the

rooftop and swung his sword at it, but to no avail as it carried on running. They all

gave chase, but soon lost it’s trail in the darkness.

+++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++

“By Peoni, what was it old man?” a young cadet asked. The old man leaned forward,

the cadets huddling in to hear his words, “Lads, it was an Ivashu” he whispered.

“By the gods” replied another cadet, “How did they catch it, and what did they do?”

“Ahhh lad” replied the old man. “That’s a very good question, so sit back, pour me

and yourself another beer and I’ll tell ya…”

+++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++

Written By: Kane Mokomoko (a.k.a Nico of Leyon)