The chickens Eddy had been looking for were frustratingly elusive. He managed to escape a spore beast without fallout, and leaned against a tree to catch his breath. He stayed a bit longer, lingering to admire a serene pond. A few flowers, some sugarcane, an apple tree, and even a lilypad.

  Among the quiet ambiance of the woods, he heard footsteps. Humanoid, and yet too heavy, too long of a stride. Eddy sharply turned in the direction of the steps, eyes searching for the source while his body stayed still. If it was some sort of Outlander, he needed to do everything he could to not meet it's gaze accidentally.

  A few moments later, it walked into view. It was barely shorter than the golem in his village, and significantly thinner. But despite it having the same shape as an Outlander, this was certainly no Outlander than Eddy had ever seen, and the realization of what this could mean sent a spike of terror through him. It wore armor. Outlanders never seemed to be wearing anything, as if simply black shapes cut out of the air, maybe covered in dirt or with some semblance of tattered cloth. But nothing about this creature was tattered or frail. It was sturdy despite it's elongated form. The armor was made up of various colors and materials, some a sleek black color so dark it hardly reflected any light, other parts were a purple that seemed shadowy in the light, but looked as if it was emitting light in the shadows. A contradiction.

  There was also this strange network of metal bits, more recognizable, as if made of iron or steel. These bits made it seem like it had once worn an even larger soot of armor over-top this one, but over time, it had crumbled away. As if it had tried to contain this monster, but it had cracked out. It's cage in rubble around it. The dark knight unsealed.

  But as he looked closer, Eddy saw it pass under another gap in the trees again, and he saw it. The sunlight caught a tiny gap in the armor just right, allowing him to see that the shadowy plates of metal were fused into it's skin. Maybe the armor was part of it’s body? No, it was for certain. It was like the legends. Ancient creatures of darkness and shadow that would drag people into the abyss. Fallen knights that sought to destroy the living out of their hatred and envy for life. Dozens of grandsire's stories came to mind where something like this happened. None of them ended well.

  Eddy's heart pounded in his chest, and he feared the creature might hear if it continued that way. He could feel his blood rushing through his body and bringing with it an almost painful heat. Thankfully, from what he could tell it had yet to notice him. He thought he could take comfort in that. Eddy crouched down to the ground next beside a tree, watching the creature with every ounce of his concentration.

  This story originates from Royal Road. Ensure the author gets the support they deserve by reading it there.

  Upon looking past it's Armor, Eddy realized that the leather strap he had assumed was the strap of some ancient cuirass used to contain the aura of this monster, was actually a pack of sorts tools and... wood? Yes... it as he watched, it took an axe from the pack and, with only 2 swings, completely cleaved through a tree as thick as his hand. In less than a minute, it had reduced it to multiple smaller logs, each about 3 ft long, and placed them in it's pack.

  A new spike of fear shot through him as he watched the creature do this. Not only was it strong, but it was far more intelligent than the Outlanders. They would just try to grab the trunk of the tree. Occasionally they would seem to take it, leaving the top half of the tree seemingly floating for a time. Eddy had no idea of how to explain it, but Outlanders always had strange things like that happen. This creature though...

  It was intelligent.

  The creature stood after slinging the pack onto it's back, newly fully of logs, and looked out at the pond. It wore a visor, but all he could see behind it was a void. True nothingness. Outlanders may have been empty holes, but this? There was clearly something behind that hole, and it shook him to his-

  It turned. For a split second, Eddy saw the glow of violet eyes meet his own gaze, even despite the distance, he knew he had make a mistake.

  Terror tore through him. Eye contact with an Outlander had ended many men. After a moment frozen, he reached for his weapon, instinctively knowing it wouldn’t be enough, but feeling as though he had to try. His Pride as a dwarf wouldn't allow him to be taken like this.

  A sound like the beat of a massive wings, warbled and straining the air around it, but clear as the snap of a whip. The creature vanished. For only a moment, particles of magic lingered where it had been, strange shapes and Eldritch symbols forming as they faded.

  Eddy waited for it to reappear, for it to attack. Even if he didn't hear it's screaming, he knew it was coming for him. He knew that it wanted him dead. He held his axe fimly in both hands and placed his back to a large bolder the the left of the tree, ready to attempt to block the creature’s strike. Ready to fight to the death.

  It did not reappear.

  After nearly an hour of waiting, muscles tense with terror. He finally stepped away.

  Behind the rock, hanging from a tree, he found one of his chickens. It was hanging by one leg, headless. Blood pooled and died into the grass. A threat.

  He returned home. A couple chickens weren't worth his life.