Some seconds after you answer the lord, both your eyes and ears magically return to normal as if nothing had happened, you are about to note on how strange that was but abruptly stop upon seeing Lord Édouard staring at the targets with an worryingly serious expression.

-        Dites-moi, since we last spoke, did you recover any of your memories?

  He inquires you in an apparently distant fashion but reason introduces itself once you, also, look at the targets: All of your shots, without a single exception, landed their mark at the precise centre of each wood and hay discs, surpassing even Lord Édouard's aim...

-        N-no, n-

  A sickening taste of blood rises to your mouth mid-sentence, cutting your words before they can be properly enunciated, yet, before you can even think of what to do, it subtly disappears. Lord Édouard continues to think for a little longer but Sigmundo begins staring at you worriedly but, oddly enough, his worry does not seem to come from you feeling unwell, no… He seems worried that you are recovering your memories. Curious – if not alarmed –, you cannot take it any longer and confronts him:

-        Do you know me from somewhere?

-        Wha-What?! I-I don't know what you're talking about, h-how could I?!

  His response's brashness and hesitance contrast strongly with the surprise and speed with which he jumps a step back... He is lying.

-        … I can't remember you but I have the impression that you know me, or at least, who I am...

  With those words you attract Lord Édouard's attention, causing Sigmundo to panic:

-        I-I really don't know you, I swear!

  Acting much the same as a cornered animal, Sigmundo still fails to sound convincing, however, due to how nervous he is, you quickly decide to not press much further… But not Lord Édouard:

-        Sigmundo, if you know something about Orion's past, now would be the time to spea-...

  Yet his words are abruptly cut mid-sentence as the sound of snow being stepped on echoes from near you and Sigmundo's face becomes paler than it... You and the lord are about to look back when a terrible growl reach your ears in complement to the view that meets your startled gaze: Of reddish-brown fur; with claws long enough to pierce deep in the snow even when at rest; large yellowish fangs and – although on all fours – a silhouette already taller than you… In other words, the Beast that you were supposed to hunt is here.

  It growls to you and the other like a starved wolf would growl to its prey. Lord Édouard reaches for a new cartridge inside his coat's pocket, carefully instructing:

-        Écoutez moi! On my signal, you two run to the village as fast as you can without looking back, understood?

  His plan is reasonable and you agree that it is the best alternative that the three of you have. But as you're about to nod confirming your agreement, the Beast darts a murderous look at Sigmundo and then begins barking, causing the boy to lose the – smallest amount of – calm he had remaining and run away panicking like a madman.

-        AAAAAAAAAHHHHHHHHHHHHHH!

  The beast charges his way leaving you and Lord Édouard no option but to run as well. Whilst reloading his rifle, the lord shouts at Sigmundo after seeing him turning right after passing the gate:

-        SIGMUNDO! The village is to the other direction!

  However, because of his state of extreme fright, Sigmundo continues to speed his pace, leaving you and the lord farther behind in a matter of seconds. As a result, the Beast speeds up as well, now chasing – primarily – the two of you, it is too close and big for you to try change course to the village and not get within its reach so Lord Édouard and you continue heading the same direction as Sigmundo.

  The cursed creature is getting closer and closer by the second as the road sinks into the woods, the right side of your abdomen hurts exponentially with each step you take but only when an oxidised taste of blood rises to your mouth and your sight begins blurring that the hopes of surviving truly appear questionable. Suddenly, Sigmundo – who was at about one or two metres ahead – makes an unexpected turn to the right, almost losing his balance due to the frosted ground but nevertheless managing to continue running, the same however cannot be said about you, who fails to react in time and continues heading dead ahead, up until no longer feeling the ground beneath your feet and barely a second later plunging into the intersecting rapids.

  The immediate adrenaline rush that the gelid water gives you allows your sight to de-blur revealing that the current drags you away from Sigmundo's course. You begin screaming for help whilst drowning downstream whilst – from a little further ahead in the forest – shots echo and from amongst the trees Lord Édouard reaches his arms towards the water to grab you, it works but not quite as intended, for a wood log – that was also running downstream – hits your back with such momentum that even the lord is pushed into the water merely a fraction of a second before the Beast jumps his way.

  Fortunately – or unfortunately, really – whilst the Beast lands harshly on the shore biting just air instead of Lord Édouard's flesh, the two of you continue being dragged downstream  almost drowned by the tree log for a few metres until, shortly after getting rid of it, Lord Édouard  holds onto a tree root that protruded from shore to your right and – in quite a feat of strength – stops all the momentum and hauls you towards it:

-        VITE! Get out of the water!

  With much struggle, you manage to reach solid ground and as you are on your knees still struggling to breather, Lord Édouard is already taking of his coat hurrying you as well:

-        Get up and take off your coat, we don't have much time until hypothermia starts!

  Doing as told, you then follow the lord through a road that cuts the forest near the shore for about two minutes or so.

-        This road leads to the north-eastern gate of the village. Hurry, we're not too far from it!

  He runs even faster now but keeping up soon becomes impossible due to all the water you swallowed when drowning as well as an agonising pain expanding in your lungs, you soon trip and fall to your knees, almost passing out upon reaching a bifurcation on the road:

-        Wait! I... I can't bre-brea-BREATHE!

  Soon after finishing your words, you look inattentive to the road that spawns from this one and sees the corpse of – based on its clothes and bag – a courier on the ground before a burnt bridge:

-        AH! The-there's a corpse over there!

  As he is mid-way back to you, he looks at what you are pointing at, soon cursing in frustration, growing even more hurried:

-        De Dieu de Dieu!

  Immediately after, he helps you to get up and you two resume running back to the village.  Given his reaction, it would seem he either knew the courier or that the burnt bridge may be quite a serious problem, whichever it is – or if it is even both – all of your efforts are focused in keeping up  with him, soon causing all your questions to disperse.

  After three more minutes of running, the village's gates are finally visible at the distance. Before being even at five metres away from them however, Lord Édouard already shots to the guards:

-        Open the gates, vite!

  They do as instructed, allowing you to run inside the village uninterruptedly at – what you fell to be – a superhuman speed. Heading towards the tavern, buildings and streets that you did not even know are but blurry shapes zooming behind, soon you and the lord reach the main entrance and dart hurriedly to the fireplace, surprising all inside the tavern.

-        What's going on?!

  Maebh asks concern as your soggy clothes drip all over the floor and your bodies continue to shake even with the warmth of the fire. Lord Édouard commands, once again, impatiently:

-        I need you to find captain Lötschental and order him to immediately send a rescue party to look for Sigmundo near the hills and mountain side. Warn him that we found the Beast there.

-        Jorge, Get us two winter covers, quickly!

  He adds as Maebh is already leaving the tavern. Then, instructing you, as he does so as well:

-        Take off your wet clothes Orion.

  That then causes Thaís – who was speechless thus far – to begin dispersing the few villager's sat at the tables and the bar:

-        Ok people, time to leave. We're closing now, come back at supper.

  Whilst she directs them to the exit and scolds any wandering eyes or shy giggles, Jorge returns with the covers and hands them to Lord Édouard and you. You cover yourselves and sit far too close to the fire, finally giving time for Jorge to ask the dreaded question:

-        So, what happened?!... Where is Sigmundo???

  His tone and the air in the room are rightfully heavy with concern and, whilst extending his hands dangerously nearer the flames – as if in a hurry to dry –, Lord Édouard responds:

-        The Beast attacked us at the field and while we were running away, me and Orion fell into a rapids and got separated from him... But he's still out there, I saw him climbing the mountain's wall before falling into the water...

  At the same time Jorge's face is occupied by an expression of terror, Lord Édouard gets up – having already warmed up enough to stop shaking – and heads towards the exit, but not without being stopped by Thaís halfway there:

-        Where are you going? You're still just a step away from hypothermia.

-        There is another matter I must solve now.

  He responds ominously and without stopping, leaving all confused even after the door is shut behind his backs. Thaís then looks at you inquisitively, almost as if she knows what that matter may be but still needs confirmation before even considering it, causing you to remember:

-        Oh! When we were coming back, we found a dead courier in front of a burnt bridge, southeast of here...

-        Meu Deus...

  She lets out her thoughts in surprise, covering her mouth with her hands and taking a step back, looking at Jorge.

-        What's going on?

  You ask under the impression that they are hiding something from you but she and Jorge just trade looks with as if they only had theories of what might be happening, but no proofs... However, soon Jorge's mouth begin fluctuating between shut and open, as if he is hesitant to say something. Yet, before he can make his mind, Thaís quickly changes the subject:

-        I'll make something hot for you to drink, Orion! it'll take just a second.

-        … Umm, Jorge, could you help me?

-        Oh! Aaa... Ye-Yes yes.

  Then they head to the kitchen before you can even protest, almost as if – in reality – they went to discus in private weather or not to tell you their suspicions.

  Alone in front of the flames and still shaking a little, you start to wonder what exactly are they hiding and if you could really trust anyone in this village... Yet, before you mind can even begin to answer such questions – much less, check if you are not falling into paranoia – nausea hits you intensely along with a “buzzing” in your ears, completely scrambling your sense of balance. You try to get up to ask for help but as soon as your mouth is opened, your sight blurs severely and consciousness leaves you, falling face first on the floor.