[Cards] Masks of the Sacred Beasts (Patreon)

We came upon a group of warriors this morning by mistake. Larenth, who had been holding the bulk of our supplies and cookware, gave away our location with a sharp bang and clatter as they tripped and fell. The band of warriors turned to look at us in unison, their faces covered in dark and foreboding crocodile masks with movements filled with the strength and purpose of true predators. It was a moment that seemed to drag on forever, and I could no longer hear the nearby river over the sound of the blood pounding in my ears.

We escaped, for lack of a better word, unfollowed for a panic-ridden minute. We assumed they didn't plan to give chase, since we didn't hear the sound of moving underbrush behind us. How wrong we were.

We stopped after another minute to catch our breaths, hiding in a secluded glen under a fallen pine. Just as we thought we were safe, we saw the warriors once more—now holding spears and wearing masks of lions, hawks, and jackals.

Once more my blood pounded in my ears. It was so loud I feared the warriors would hear it as clearly as I was. One of the warriors, a woman in a lion's mask, sniffed the air and turned to the old pine under which we sat. She said something to her companions and walked to where we hid, holding her spear in one hand and something else in the other.

She walked to the tree and placed a mask on the ground: a mule's. Without a word, she returned to the rest of the group and vanished as easily as they had come.

—excerpt from the diary of Garold, the soldier