The knight arrived at dusk beneath a sky streaked purple and gold, his horse trudging through the muddy road with the exhaustion of a long journey. The little town of Dunmere sat in complete silence ahead of him, its windows shuttered tight despite the lingering warmth of summer evening. No music drifted from the tavern, no children ran through the streets, and not even a dog barked as Sir Aldric crossed beneath the crooked wooden welcome sign.

That unsettled him more than the letter had.

The messenger who found him two days prior had nearly collapsed from fear while begging for help. He spoke of a terrible beast haunting the village outskirts, of livestock vanishing in the night, of roads made unsafe after sunset. The man had refused to even say the creature’s name aloud, as though speaking of it might somehow summon it from the dark.

Now, as Aldric dismounted in the center of the empty square, he began to understand why.

A door creaked open nearby, and a woman wrapped in layered shawls hurried toward him with nervous, darting eyes. Though the air was warm, she clutched the fabric around herself like someone trapped in winter frost. She bowed quickly, almost stumbling in the process, and whispered, “Thank the heavens you came, Sir Knight.”

“I came as quickly as I could,” Aldric replied, removing his gloves. “Where is the mayor?”

The woman glanced around the square before answering, lowering her voice to nearly nothing. “Inside. We do not remain outdoors after sundown.” She swallowed hard before adding, “Not anymore.”

Before Aldric could ask another question, the tavern doors burst open and a short, pale-faced man hurried toward him with remarkable urgency. The mayor’s shirt was half untucked, and sweat glistened on his forehead despite the cool evening breeze. He seized Aldric’s arm immediately and began pulling him toward the tavern.

“Inside,” the mayor hissed. “Quickly now.”

Aldric frowned but allowed himself to be led indoors. The moment he crossed the threshold, the doors slammed shut behind him, followed by the heavy scrape of multiple locks being thrown into place. Candles flickered dimly across the crowded room, revealing dozens of villagers packed shoulder-to-shoulder in tense silence.

Every single one of them looked afraid.

The knight slowly scanned the room before speaking. “I was told a beast threatens this town. Start from the beginning.”

Nobody answered at first.

An old farmer sitting near the hearth finally leaned forward, his weathered hands trembling around a mug he clearly had no intention of drinking. “It came three months ago,” he muttered. “At first we only heard it at night. Strange sounds out by the fields. Then the animals started disappearing.”

“A wolf?” Aldric asked.

The farmer laughed nervously, though there was no humor in it. “A wolf leaves bodies behind.”

Another villager quickly spoke up from across the room. “My cousin saw it near the river. Said its eyes reflected lantern light like two pale moons.” He rubbed his arms uneasily. “Said it stood taller than a man.”

“And the sounds,” whispered a woman near the back of the tavern. Her face had gone completely pale. “Dear God, the sounds…”

Several villagers immediately crossed themselves.

Aldric rested one hand on the pommel of his sword. “You still have not described the creature itself.”

“That’s because nobody gets close enough to see it clearly,” the mayor snapped. “Anyone with sense runs.”

The knight studied their expressions carefully. These were not people inventing ghost stories for excitement. Their fear was genuine, deep-rooted, and exhausted, like something sharpened by weeks of sleepless nights. Even the children in the tavern sat silently beside their parents, clutching blankets with wide, fearful eyes.

Then a sound echoed faintly from outside.

HONK.

Every villager froze instantly.

One woman dropped her mug, and the crash against the floorboards made several people jump in panic. A child whimpered softly while his father pulled him close. The mayor himself looked moments away from fainting.

Aldric blinked in confusion. “What… was that?”

Nobody answered him directly.

The old farmer slowly stood from his chair and began pushing another table toward the tavern doors. “It’s nearby,” he whispered. “Barricade the entrance.”

The room exploded into motion.

Men shoved furniture against windows while others extinguished candles one by one until only a handful remained. Someone began muttering prayers near the staircase. Through it all, Aldric remained standing in the center of the tavern, utterly bewildered.

Then the sound came again.

HONK.

This time it was louder.

Closer.

Something scraped slowly across the tavern’s outer wall, producing a long wooden groan that sent visible shivers through half the room. Aldric’s expression hardened immediately as he drew his sword halfway from its sheath.

“No one goes outside after dark,” the mayor said firmly. “That thing wants you to.”

Aldric stared at him for a moment before sighing heavily. “You summoned a knight to kill your monster. That generally requires finding it.”

The mayor stepped directly into his path. “You do not understand what you’re dealing with.”

“I understand that your town is being terrorized,” Aldric replied. “And I understand that fear grows stronger in darkness.”

Without waiting for further argument, he shoved aside the barricade enough to open the tavern door and stepped into the foggy night.

The village street had vanished beneath a blanket of pale mist. Moonlight reflected dimly against puddles in the road while distant windmills creaked softly in the darkness beyond town. Aldric advanced carefully, sword drawn, ears straining for movement.

For several moments, there was nothing.

Then came the sound of flapping wings.

The knight spun toward a nearby alley just as a large white shape emerged from the fog. It moved low and fast, its dark eyes fixed directly upon him with terrifying intensity. Its long neck twisted unnaturally as it let out a furious hiss.

Aldric lowered his sword slightly.

“…That’s a goose.”

The goose screamed and charged him anyway.

Inside the tavern, the villagers listened to the distant sounds of panicked yelling, flailing armor, and aggressive honking echoing through the streets. The mayor quietly removed his hat and sighed.

“Well,” he muttered sadly, “he lasted longer than the last one.”