It didn't take Alec long to narrow his choices down to a few and one in particular seemed interesting. Picked the card from the board.
"Guard livestock from unknown likely airborne predators."
This seemed easy enough, if it was some wolves he could just throw some rocks and bang some pots. If it were birds he could just run at them. If this weird world had Chupacabras he could go all luchadore on them, or run away. And once he had ascertained what type of predators it concerned he could deploy counter measures, like barbed wire.
He checked the card out with the attendant, he handed his adventurers card in and she swiped it through a hidden terminal to the side of the board. As the attendant handed it back she looked him over critically. "Good luck." She said.
His place was promptly taken by another would be adventurer.
Slightly confused and with his card in hand Alec walked away. He turned his adventurers card over in his hand. A small projection appeared above it showing a map section with a yellow marker next to a large building. "Well that solves that problem." With that Alec left the building.
A lot of time had passed since he went into the building, the sun was high in the sky. But looking at his card there should be enough time to get over where he needed to go.
He followed the line and left the city bounds, ultimately arriving at a large farm. A massive brown barn rose from the ground with a small brick built house next to it.
He walked onto the property and quickly spotted the front door. He knocked, but no one answered. "They must be at work."
He left the front door and went around the building. He saw someone in the pasture near some cows. A large heavy set man wearing a coverall and a straw hat.
Alec walked towards the man. The cows were lazily grazing as the man tended to them.
"Howdy son, what can Is does for yous?" the large man greeted him, but spoke with the weirdest accent.
"I'm Alec, you hired the guild to protect some livestock."
The man looked him up and down. "And theys send yous?" He asked critically. "Yous have a card?"
Alec pulled his card from his pocket and showed it. "So what can you tell me?"
The man squinted. "hmpf, that's the best theys had? Fine, follow mes."
The man walked back to the barn with Alec right behind him. Alex heard more cows moo from the the barn.
The man stopped at a pen that held a cow who was laying in the corner. "Is Pete by the way. This here cow got attacked. It's not the first ones. Since a few weeks a few of mys cows would dies."
Alec peered over the gate at the cow. The back and flank of the cow were covered in scratch marks.
The man pushed Alec aside and opened the gate. "Haves a look."
Alec went in. Most of the scratches weren't very deep. There were some on the cows head as well.
"Any idea what did this?" He asked as he walked back out of the pen.
Pete shook his head. "Nos. Is haven't seen them yet."
"Any idea where in the pasture it happened? And why do you think they're airborne?"
"Is can't find much in the ways of tracks and Is haven't seen anys." Pete looked at Alec. His small eyes narrowed. "Yous sure yous can do this? Yous don't even have a bow and arrow."
"I can do this no worries, I have a throwing knife." Alec patted his pockets, he wasn't going to back down now. "You can sleep well tonight and I'll keep watch. Mind if I take a walk around the pasture?"
"Knock yourself out. I got work today. Yous bring your own food?"
"Err no. I forgot."
Pete sighed. "Is bring yous some right. Dinner in about an hour or twos." With that Pete lumbered away.
Alec just stared after him. He wasn't nasty, but it's obvious he had some doubts about Alec. Alec looked around the barn, he had lied a little about his weaponry. But barns were probably filled with makeshift weapons, not that he was going to take them along right now. But knowing where he could find them would prove useful.
He spotted some prongs and rakes. They would do in a pinch if needed.
His rusty knife wasn't going to stop a lot of animals. The scratches on the cow didn't give him much to go on. But the attackers probably weren't feline or wolves. He remembered from Discovery Channel that they instinctively tended to go for the jugular at the first opportunity. But most scratches appeared to be on the cows body. Maybe it wasn't even an animal, but some out of control cow tippers.
Alec spent the rest of the day scouting the pasture. He occasionally felt Pete watching him. But as Pete had said, there were no tracks to be found. The large wooden fence was also intact, but it being wood at least would allow him to enhance it with barbed wire once he knew what was happening. He did set up a place near the edge for him to hang out during the stake out.
As promised Pete brought him food. Something vaguely stew like. He ate it, that's all he wanted to say about that.
Night fell, but Alec was wide awake. Listening and staring. He was lucky it was a clear night so the moon provided some illumination.