Something Strange is Happening in the South...

@Aetoris: Are you going to sneak up or just walk brazenly towards them?

@The rest: The big lizard bug like creature is too heavy for Kuz to carry alone. Especially, not the half an hour journey it would take to return to Fort Naleth. I think you came with a cart though, right? Anyway, the creature is unconscious yet stable. It will regain consciousness in 4 hours. How would you like to go about getting it back to the fort?

@Aetoris: You track the trio to a small grove. They are sitting around a fallen log. They seem to be passing a drink around and laughing as if someone just told a joke. They do not appear to have spotted your approach.

@Aetoris: You catch a snippet of conversation. A young voice says Me? Seemed like a good idea at the time. The Empire hasn't been at war for ages. Much better than living on the streets. Better life expectancy, that's for damned sure. You?

Then an older, gruffer voice chimes in Got picked up for petty theft. Took the King's Bargain. Better to serve my time in the military rather than rot in a jail cell. Still my time's almost up. Then I'll get outta here. Might go see my folks up north.

@Aetoris: The three men almost piss themselves when you suddenly appear amongst their midst. They are pretty shaken by your entrance and don't immediately respond to your statement. One, slightly bolder than the rest responds:
What's in it for us?
The others look at the speaker and then look towards you expectantly.

@the others: You manage to load the creature onto the cart and you drive it back to the fort. What would you like to do with it?

Is there anything anyone you would like to do with the creature?

You mamage to secure the beast by clearing out the stables. It is now fully locked in and chains secure the creature and severely limit its movements.

The sun begins to descend even further. The troops finish their drilling and return to their camps.

You know notice that there is approximately 2 hours less daylight then there should be. The days are clearly getting unnaturally shorter.

@Aetoris: You get the feeling that they don't fear you that much maybe because they don't have any personal experience fighting for you. In addition, threatening troops for slacking off and then sending them off into the wilderness to scout for you may not be the best idea in the world.

@Kuz: You don't notice any pocket of empty space around the creature. It doesn't appear to have any anti-magic properties.

And please give me a perception check for your perimeter watch.

Anyway, several of the crowd are taken aback as you drive the huge beast into the fort. You don't see anything that looks suspicious.