Chapter 367: To Rely on Oneself

Author's note: Due to reader feedback, I went back and edited previous chapters to include the following:

1. (near the end of chapter 362) Gave more justification and reasoning as to why the group let Thomas go off on his own. This reveals the reason as to why the group doesn't just go to the mansion and save him as it would be easy for them to overpower town guards.

2. (beginning of chapter 365) Gave justification as to why Doevm was so angry at the villagers. He's dealt with so many unjust accusations from being a Lich that he gets furious at the notion. He sort of reverted to his old grumpy Lich self and couldn't think straight, which caught Elero off guard. This also explained why she wasn't more active.

3. (middle of chapter 365) Improved the transition between Thomas changing into his Shadox form and the door he is suddenly in front of. (most of the credit goes to Revellor as the better transition came from him). We all know how bad my transitions are but they aren't going to suddenly improve overnight. I'm working on it.

If you have any questions or comments, please let me know. And now, back to the story...

Amidst Mr. Fisher's rantings, the fire poker slid off the desk and stabbed into the puddle of blood. The father, who assumed he had done it, took a breath to calm himself. "I apologize. I guess I got a little enthusiastic."

"But the lycanthrope saved you, didn't it," Thomas wanted to say but instead said: "Thank you for the information."

Mr. Fisher stood up and bowed deeply. "Thank you for giving me hope again. The world is changing. I hope it is for the better." He grabbed his children's hands and headed for the door. "We can find our way out. May the goddess guide you."

Thomas nodded. "One more thing: be quiet on your way out."

"Oh I wouldn't worry about that," Mr. Fisher reassured him. "We made a lot of noise fighting here but it hasn't done anything. It must be on the other side of the ruin."

"Don't monsters have enhanced senses?"

"Possibly, but wolves don't hunt by their hearing. They track their prey by using their impressive sense of smell."

A wooden creak bound them to a tense silence.

All eyes went to the fire poker.

"M-maybe it was a rat or something," Junior whispered.

A rhythmic creaking peeled away the silence. Mr. Fisher clamped a hand over the boy's mouth. It was above them. The attic.

It was, in fact, just a rat. "Huh, would you look at that?" Junior suppressed a chuckle as he watched the rodent push its head and arms through a crack in the ceiling. It crawled over to the fireplace and clambered up it.

"We should go," Mr. Fisher said as he grabbed his children's hands and made his way to the door. He grabbed the handle but paused. Shadows move under the door. "What the-"

With a collection of discordant squeaks, dozens of rats scurried under the door, then dashed to the fireplace without even sparing them a passing glance.

"Father?" Penelope asked as she shook her father by the shoulder. "Open the door. Let's leave."

Mr. Fisher held the door handle tight. A bead of sweat rolling down his chin. "I-I don't know...the creature smells us." He turned to Thomas. "I don't think we can outrun it in time."

Thomas bit his lip. 'He's right,' he thought. 'It's not like I can protect them. They can't run. The only option left is...to hide.' He grabbed onto the couch. "Alright, we don't have much time. Penelope, Junior, get into the fireplace and I'll block it with this. Mr. Fisher, it'll be a tight squeeze but you'll go under the desk."

"Are you sure?" Mr. Fisher asked.

"Nope but we're doing it anyway," Thomas insisted.

Several grunts later, the couch was heaved in front of the barren fireplace, in which two children huddled together.

'I'll throw myself at the lycanthrope and try to end it as soon as I can,' Thomas thought. 'I'll give in to my instincts and turn into my Shadox form. It's stronger than me after all. What can I do that it can't? There's still the risk of me finding the family after the fight but the others might get here in time.'

'Doevm will figure out some way to deal with those townsfolk and get here. They can help me get back to normal and, assuming I didn't find the family, they'll be safe. It's a risk I have to take. If only I had some kind of legendary sword or artifact like a real hero. The only thing I'm good for is my appetite.'

Mr. Fisher tucked his body under a desk but as Thomas went to block him in with a reading chair, the man spoke out. "Thomas, I do not mean to question your abilities but I must ask, why are you doing this for us? We can do nothing but weigh you down. Any other man would go home where it's safe." To his surprise, even though Thomas would likely die for them, he had a childish grin plastered across his face.

The noble chuckled: "I think, in the beginning, I just wanted to get out of the house. I'm sorry for laughing. It's just that I forgot something basic."

"Just to get out of the house? I don't understand. What'd you forget?"

"Nevermind," Thomas said with one last heave. He clapped the dust off his hands and drew his spear. 'I should just give into the Shadox? What was I thinking? A hero wouldn't do that, even if I was one. It's not a small risk that I'd find the family and eat them. It's definite. That means I can't afford to lose this fight!' He stood in the center and got into a stance.

One minute passed.

Nothing.

"I-is it coming?" one of the children whispered.

"I don't know," Junior replied. "Just stay quiet."

"I was being quiet," Penelope whispered back.

"Both of you, shush," Mr. Fisher hissed.

'Where is it?' Thomas thought. 'Those rats were running from something. The creature should have smelled the blood. Did we do something wrong? Is it asleep?'

He let his stance slacken. He crept to the boarded up window and peered into the empty courtyard. He frowned, sniffed the air, and caught a whiff of the lycanthrope. It was close but where? He turned to face the door. A faint ray of light shone through its keyhole and he crept towards it.

Thomas knelt before the door, glanced back at the family, then put an eye against the keyhole. The hallway was the same as he'd left it, empty. His hand wrapped around the door handle and twisted. Creaking it just enough to poke his head out, he looked left and right.

"Anything?" Mr. Fisher whispered.

"Nothing," Thomas said. He stepped into the hallway and his foot met resistance; a string suspended a foot above the ground.

The two ends of it snaked up and around the doorway to a pitchfork, its five points swinging down at his chest. He flopped onto his back, and it harmlessly raked through his hair. 'Did some of the bandits survive and set this up?' he thought. 'No, the lycanthrope isn't just a mindless creature. I'm not just fighting a monster. I'm up against a human as well!'

Wood erupted to his left and right as a set of jaws broke through the floor under him. He pushed off the ground too late as it crunched on his left arm and yanked him down to the first story.