BaldurAnthology

"Well done you two." Whistler said, limping over to the thrashing Wendigo pinned to the tree. He lights it on fire with his flamethrower, and the thing burns to a crisp. "There. Done. Now let's find July."

Whistler stopped, and concentrated, using the psychic gift that helped him stay alive for 76 years, the ability of knowing where things will be. He shoots, and nails the wendigo in the leg. "GOT YA ya filthy cannibal!"

Lookin forward to it! And July, We're coming to help! Don't get killed!

"Is Tha' Everyone? Ah want tae talk tae everyone, before we go on tae the entrance." Byron called, gesturing everyone to the table.

Whistler pulled a cell phone from his pocket, and dialed a number. "Craig! Send word to Daniel! Whazzat? Ya already did! And how soon, right goodbye!" He puts the phone away, and says "Head Down!" A forest ranger plane roared over, and doused the fire with water.

"Watch for movement. These things are fast. Shoot first, and there will be no need to ask questions later!" Whistler says, limping along the trail. He stops, puts his hand against a tree, then shoots hos flamethrower at a figure in the branches, which runs off faster than humanly possible. "That was a Wendigo.! AFTER IT!"

Whistler turns the ignition and his 66 Corvette roars into life. Japanese pop music was being played from the Cd Player. He backs the car out of the drive, over the Iron border, then roars off down the highway to go on a hunt. It felt good to be back on the hunt, with youngsters it reminded him of his sister. After a bit, he pulled over near the map he saw in his vision, and switches the engine off. Getting out of his car, he says "Right. This is the place I saw in my vision. We should move quickly. He starts painting Anasazi Symbols around the cars in a wide circle. "In case we need a safe place, Wendigo are repelled by these symbols. Remember, fire or silver. Anythin else, is your ass." He slings the bow across his back, lights the flame thrower's pilot, and limps off in the direction he saw in the Vision.

"Ya can ride with me. No messin up the seat, and no complainin about the music! COME ON!" Whistler limps out of the house to his Corvette

"This wae, lasses! It's jus' around tha back, here." Byron led the group with the horses to where the best stable in the Inn was. There ye are! Nice and cleaned up!" Caladus walked over to the Shield Dwarf, and handed him a Willow Bark infusion. "Drink. For the Pain." He then resumes his seat, smiling once again at Ianthe's innocent fascination with something so simple.

"Nothin.. yet." Whistler pushed the fussing youngsters off him, and pushed a hidden panel in the wall. A small hidden door unlatched, and he pulled it open. Flickin the lights on, he got out 3 hunting bows, 3 quivers of silver tipped arrows, 3 homemade flamethrowers, and a book of Anasazi Symbols. "Here, we are gonna need these. Get your cars! your friend is gonna be attacked by a Wendigo."

Whistler came back down the stairs. "Got more than enough beds, and clean clothes." He noticed Raven talking on her phone, and then he got his first vision in 50 years. He saw July on a roadside near a map, her phone dyin, and an attacking Wendigo. He fell to his knees, clutching his head.

Whistler shooed Raven back to the table, and brought out bowls of Vanilla pudding to the table. "Eat your dessert. I'll go see how many beds are available. Nothin can getcha in here. If you want, you are welcome to sleep here." He limps off up the stairs.

"Nah, we left before ye did, tha's all," Byron stated, pouring Nawen a glass of Ale. "Here yeh go, fresh from the tap. The owner just brought it oot. Enjoy!" Caladus nodded and smiled at the Female Drow before reclining in his chair and gazing south again, watching for the othere.

"Bit late for that, boy." Whistler said, as he put the plates of food on the table, then sat down at the head, in the big carved armchair. "I was 26 when I started. A demon named Azazel came to visit. He had yellow eyes. This might be before your time o' course. Now, my sister and I, well, we were all that was left, after ma and pa died. We got by. Now Azazel came and was saying that I have a destiny and powers and stuff, and my sister was a hunter, and would hear none of it, pulling out a Kubar knife, they are for pinnin a demon to the spot, 'case you didn't know. Azazel turned on her and.." He breaks off, takes a pull on a bottle of Whisky before continuing." He killed her in front of me, but wouldn't kill me. I tried to stab him with that knife, but he smoked out before I could. For 20 years, I hunted that thing, killing whatever got in my way, and exorcising what I couldn't. I heard a while back that some kids managed to do that, so instead I started searching for other things. Heard of a weapon that could kill anythin, not the Colt, a Sword. I figured, if I was gonna provide one thing to be remembered by, it would be that." Whistler rubs his eyes with the back of his sleeve. "Eat, it'll get cold. I'll see about what desserts are here," He wanders off towards the pantry to get evaporated milk and jello pudding packets.

Caladus and Byron arrived at the Green Giant Inn, and ordered a few pitchers of ale. They took them to the outside tables, as well as several glasses, and relaxed in the shade, at the table under the tree.

"Good to have ya! Now, the guest house for you guys to shower in is around back, I suggest any girls shower there, guys can shower in the main house so there's no tom foolery!" Whistler directs Raven to the old barn, and walks towards the main house to start cooking. He got some cured meats from the freezer in the basement, which was powered by solar panels so it would never melt or be without power, and starts cooking in the kitchen, along with some canned vegetables, and fried potatoes, from the stock of potatoes in the root cellar.

Caladus looked behind them and saw that the Female Drow had left the city. He nodded, and kept walking. Knowing that she would talk to him when she was ready.

Whistler laughed. "I guess they do. Jim, was it? Never really spoke to you much before. Never needed to. Had I known you were a hunter, I mighta invited ya for a drink before." Still chuckling, he said, "Whomever needs clean clothes, food, water, meds I got everythin a hunter needs. Includin a good stock of ammo and other weapon maintenance tools. And a Bunker, in case of emergencies, but it usually ain't necessary Border repells most everythin. And the sprinkler tank is full of holy water mixed with salt. Nothin gets in undamaged." Whistler nods at that to himself, and continues "C'mon over! There's one of me and a bunch of you. I'm 76. What threat could I be?" Whistler starts down the road again, gesturing the others to follow. "C'mon! Don't be shy! House is big enough for all of you, and I could use someone other than myself to talk to. I'm gettin boring. Always the same things to hear from myself over and over." He grins.

Whistler felt bad for the youngster hunters, he heard somethin about a shower. He remembered the guest house in the old barn. He decided to take a look and make sure it was in good working order. He went to the key cupboard in the kitchen, found the right key, and went to unlock the guesthouse. As he suspected, the place was well maintained, as several other elderly hunters used the place as base or just respite, and well stocked with canned goods. He tested the pipes, and found that they worked too. He walked back down the road to the youngster hunters, and shouted out "Hey! July, and Raven and whatever the rest of yer names are, listen up! I got a guesthouse if anyone needs to take showers, or clean clothes, food, you name it. The farmhouse is a base for hunters, most old hunters have keys, I can get you lot spares if you need them." He offers the youngsters a sealed bottle of alcohol. "Think of it as a peace offering. I mean, a crazy old codger comes out of nowhere, and says it has to be a trickster from a little bit of overhearing? More to it, obviously. You see, my friend Craig is a traffic and weatherman, but also a sort of Eye in the Sky for hunters. he maintains a radio and keeps track of us all. He saw I was the closest, and said possibly a trickster in the area. That's all,"

Caladus takes the map and marks the locations of both the inn, and the Entrance to the Underdark on her map. "That should suffice. Be on your guard, and stay away from the washerwoman." He then handed the map back, and he and Byron left the city to return and wait at the inn.

Whistler drove his precious Corvette over the Iron Border, and felt relaxed for the first time in ages. He pulled his car up the drive to the overhang, parked it, and turned it off. He searched the glove compartment for the keys to the generator shed, and safe house main door, then locked his car. He went to the generator shed, unlocked it, and made sure it was in working condition and had enough spare fuel canisters before he locked the shed, and went to the main door. He unlocked it, and went to the basement to turn on the main power connection to the power lines. The generator was for the panic room and emergencies only. He flicked on all the switches, and nods as he hears the hum of electricity running through the house as the vents started circulating air.

"If this is everything, I suggest we leave. We seem to be attracting... undue attention." Caladus said, looking worried under his cowl. "I suggest we stable your horses at the Green Giant Inn. The owner owes us a favor, so I am sure we can get your Shield Dwarf friend a room to rest in, and a place for your horses."

"Nice to meet you, July." Whistler nods in her direction. "As for the length, or the reasons, I only know how to kill them, not why they do things. I heard the same one that put someone in a time loop, made some athlete get abducted by aliens, probed, and made to slow dance to Lady in Red." He chuckles. "Although funny, what purpose would it serve? It's amusement, or maybe getting away from something? Who knows, but I aim to find out. Now, I have a safehouse near here. It's a farm house just down the road. I was plannin on usin it as a base til I figured it out. I will be there, should you need shelter. Nothin supernatural can enter the grounds. I constructed a iron border filled with salt surrounding the property. Thing is devil proofed, ghost proofed, the works. I need to do some research. Later." At this Whistler walks back to his red 1966 Corvette, fires up the engine, and starts to drive up the road to the farmhouse visible on the opposite side of the road just further down.

Thank you Naktis! With that in mind, Don't be alarmed if he shoots Brutii's character. After all, 76 year old hunter, he shoots first, asks later that sort of deal :) Sorry in advance Brutii

"Good girl, always be on alert. CONSTANT VIGILANCE! That's the way. As for what I was doing, I was driving to visit my niece in Salt Lake City, when I got a call that somethin weird was goin down in this direction. I figured I would take a minor detour, and encountered the time stop. As I said, The only thing I can think of that could do this is a trickster. I heard that they made one person repeat the same day over and over, so a brief time stop don't seem that far fetched. I am a hunter, or used to be. I don't do many jobs anymore. I'm 76, I think I earned a little down time, hmm?" Henry looked sternly at the group of youngsters. Now, the only way to kill a trickster is a wooden stake through the heart, I will need to check my books, but I believe it needs to be covered in lambs blood. As I said, 76, gettin too old for this crap." He pulls the collar aside of his shirt, exposing the anti possession tattoo, 'That's to know I ain't possessed. Is that enough to satisfy your curiosity?"