As they travelled deeper into contested regions between territorial boundaries, the forest gradually began changing around them. The managed ecosystem of Golden Mane territory gave way to something altogether more sinister and disturbing.
The first indication that they were approaching hyena-controlled areas came in the form of territorial markers that were fundamentally different from the claw scratches that had defined Pride's former domain.
Just like the golden beetle had said before, skeletal remains began appearing with increasing frequency, not scattered randomly as natural deaths might produce, but arranged in patterns that spoke of intelligence and artistic mind. Human-like ribcages formed archways over natural pathways, while skulls of various creatures were stacked in pyramid formations that served both as territorial warnings and macabre sculptures.
