Chapter 405: The Messenger Beneath the Snow

Chapter 404: The Messenger Beneath the Snow

Meanwhile, back at the pack compound:

Frost clung stubbornly to the low branches, dusting bark and brittle leaves with a pale sheen that cracked softly beneath every step. The light filtering through the canopy was thin and cold. Even the birds had chosen silence, as though the trees themselves were holding their breath.

Wesley walked ahead of the small group, his boots pressing deep into the packed snow, every step measured. Daniel followed close behind, flanked by two others — one a guard, the other a hunter — Tomas and Elric, their shoulders squared, hands never straying far from their weapons.

They were heading toward the clearing.

Toward the body Dren had found.

The air carried the faint, sour edge of decay long before the clearing came into view, slipping into the lungs like an unwelcome memory. It was subtle — just enough to confirm what they already knew.

The corpse lay where it had been discovered earlier, partially buried beneath windblown snow and fallen leaves. The remains of the cloaked figure looked smaller now, as if the forest itself had begun reclaiming what had been left behind.

Daniel slowed.

Then stopped.

His breath caught visibly in the cold air.

"Moon preserve us..." he muttered under his breath.

Wesley swallowed hard beside him, eyes fixed on the dark shape ahead.

Daniel approached the body, kneeling carefully beside it, ignoring the way the cold seeped instantly into his knees. His gaze swept over the damage with a practiced eye — decades of experience sharpening every observation.

He shook his head slowly.

"You were right, Wesley boy. This was the work of a beast, yes — but you were also wrong. It wasn’t the work of just one beast," Daniel told him.

Wesley stiffened. "What do you mean?"

Daniel lifted his gloved hand and gestured toward the neck. 𝗳𝚛𝗲𝕖𝚠𝚎𝚋𝗻𝗼𝕧𝗲𝐥.𝚌𝚘𝐦

"Look here."

Wesley crouched beside him, leaning closer. The head was gone — torn cleanly from the torso with brutal force. The edges of bone were jagged, not sliced.

Daniel tapped the exposed vertebra gently. "This was done by a Trihydra. The bite pattern matches — the width, the tearing angle, the splintering."

Wesley nodded. "I noticed... and the blackened parts around it. It was obvious it was the Trihydra venom. That’s why I thought it was a Trihydra."

"You rushed to conclusions," Daniel said, tapping Wesley lightly on the head. "I know it was urgent, but you should have observed more."

He shifted slightly, pointing toward the back of the corpse, where the cloak had been shredded in long, deep gouges.

"You missed these."

Wesley leaned in closer. "Not really... but I didn’t really pay attention to it. I just concluded it was—oh!" Wesley said as it dawned on him.

"Yes. Oh," Daniel said dryly. "Since when do Trihydras have claws? They are three-headed snakes that slither and spit, and for some reason only Nirvana knows, they can go head-to-head with three or more guards."

Wesley swallowed. He already knew what beast the claw marks belonged to.

"That," Daniel said, pointing at the marks, "does not belong to a Trihydra."

Wesley’s mouth went dry. "A Skylur?"

He said it more to himself than to Daniel, confusion threading his voice. This was like when a Skylur and a Trihydra had attacked the pack together, working in harmony.

Daniel nodded grimly. "It was a combined kill."

Silence fell between them, thick and uncomfortable.

"Fuck," Wesley cursed.

Daniel nodded but didn’t say anything. "You were also right about something else — the body has been dead for days already. But we still do not understand how they got here."

Tomas shifted uneasily behind them. "First they attack the pack together, and now they are killing together? Goddess help us."

Daniel gestured toward Elric. "Help me turn the body. Chest up."

Elric and Tomas carefully gripped the corpse, bracing themselves before rolling it over.

The smell hit instantly.

Rotting flesh and stale blood flooded the clearing like a physical force, thick and choking. The abdominal cavity had ruptured entirely — organs darkened, partially exposed, spilling grotesquely against frozen fabric and snow.

Wesley stiffened but did not look away.

Neither did Daniel.

He leaned closer, inspecting carefully, his expression hardening with focus.

"They must have played and enjoyed their time before killing him," Daniel said, a faint hint of pity in his voice.

Wesley and the others didn’t know if that pity was real or not.

Daniel’s gaze swept slowly across the torso — then paused.

"Wait."

He carefully parted the torn vest fabric near the chest. His fingers brushed against something stiff and folded.

He eased it free.

A letter.

The paper was thick, reinforced with wax that had hardened in the cold. A dark seal pressed into its surface — sharp lines forming a familiar insignia.

Daniel studied it silently for a moment, his jaw tightening.

"It appears we now know the corpse was a messenger from the Enclave," Daniel said quietly.

The Enclave had sent someone else even after their rude reply to them. Daniel had to admit that the Enclave really were persistent.

Daniel slipped the letter carefully into his satchel without opening it. "I’ll take this to the council, but for now, let’s search for anything else that can help us."

They searched the rest of the body thoroughly — checking pockets, belt straps, boots.

Only one thing turned up.

An empty dagger sheath.

"No weapon," Wesley muttered. "Meaning he either lost it... or used it."

"Or had it taken," Daniel added.

Daniel straightened slowly, brushing his snow-stained gloved hand on his cloak. "We can’t leave him exposed. Bury him."

The guards nodded and moved quickly, using their boots and hands to pull loose snow over the remains. It wasn’t ceremonial. It wasn’t graceful. But it was respectful enough under the circumstances.

Soon, the body vanished beneath a pale mound of frost and pine needles — indistinguishable from the forest floor once more.

Daniel lingered a moment longer, eyes fixed on the disturbed snow.

"A messenger from the Enclave," he murmured. "Killed by beasts... deep near our territory."

"I don’t like the sound of this," Elric muttered.

"I don’t even like the sight of it," Daniel replied grimly.

He secured the satchel strap firmly across his shoulder, making sure the letter was well placed, and then they began their walk back to the compound.