The humanoid figure looked so much like a monster that Erend almost attacked him on instinct. His hands had already clenched at his sides as he prepared to strike while he watched the enormous creature standing several meters away.
But then the creature did something Erend had not expected at all. He spoke.
"Don't... come closer..."
Erend blinked. Confusion and surprise immediately crossed his face. For a moment he just stared at the five-meter-tall humanoid covered in thick brown fur. "What just happened?"
"What? You can talk?" Erend asked.
Even though the creature had spoken, Erend did not immediately relax his guard. There was always the possibility that this was nothing more than some kind of trick. Perhaps the creature had learned how to imitate human speech to make travelers lower their defenses before attacking them.
After all, a monster capable of mimicking a human voice was not something impossible.
