The wilderness greeted them with a biting wind and the scent of damp earth. The path ahead stretched like a scar through the forest, tall trees hemming them in with their looming shadows. The canopy shivered with restless energy, as if the woods themselves knew violence was coming.
Seme cracked her neck, hand resting lazily on her blade. "Yo, woods quiet as hell. That means trouble."
Kenshin flexed his fingers, arcs of faint lightning crawling between them. "Facts. Ain't no birds singin'. Somethin' out there waitin'."
Drathan yawned, stretching as though they were on a morning stroll instead of entering hostile territory. "Then let it come. Easier if they bring the fight to us."
The tension broke with a rustle in the undergrowth. Then came the first roar—guttural, sharp, echoing through the trees. From the shadows burst a pack of ironhide boars, tusks gleaming like jagged blades, eyes glowing red with frenzy. Their hooves pounded against the ground, each step kicking up sprays of dirt and shattered roots.
"Here we go!" Kenshin grinned, vanishing in a crackle of light. ZAP! He blurred between two charging boars, fists sparking with voltage, and unleashed a blast that sent the beasts squealing, smoke rising from their charred hides.
Seme stepped forward with brutal efficiency. Her blade sang as it cut through the air, sparks flying as steel met ironhide. One boar screeched when its tusk shattered under her downward strike. She grinned fiercely, muscles flexing with every motion. These things tough… but not tougher than me.
Drathan merely raised a hand. Shadows coiled from his palm, snaring two of the beasts mid-charge and yanking them into a pocket of void before spitting them back out broken and twitching. "Weak." His voice dripped with disdain.
Velra's squads followed behind, shields locking, spears thrusting in well-practiced rhythm. The clang of steel, the screams of beasts, and the crash of magic painted the forest in chaos. Fireballs arced overhead, exploding with waves of heat that burned away branches. Arrows rained down, some clattering uselessly against thick hides, others finding the soft points beneath.
"Formation, damn it!" Velra barked. Her voice cut through the noise like a whip. "Don't break the line!"
Even as she rallied her people, more shapes emerged from the tree line—fangmaw wolves, lean and vicious, their maws dripping froth. Their movements were unnaturally sharp, eyes rolling with the same frenzied glow as the boars. They darted between adventurers, slashing at exposed flanks, dragging down stragglers.
Kenshin zipped into their midst, fists glowing with electric fury. ZAP! ZAP! The smell of ozone thickened as wolves convulsed, sparks dancing across their fur. "Stay off my people!" he barked, his grin wild.
Seme cut another down, blood spattering her cheek. Her breathing was steady, but her eyes narrowed. They ain't fightin' normal… something pushin' 'em harder. Frenzy like this don't come for free.
Drathan's gaze sharpened as he observed the beasts' erratic movements. He felt the pull of the void humming faintly in his veins, a whisper in his mind. Someone's stirring the wilds… This ain't chance. Raising his hand, he spread shadows like smoke across the battlefield, creating a domain that slowed the beasts' steps, their frenzied rushes faltering as time bent against them.
Velra's group capitalized instantly, spears piercing slowed targets, blades cutting clean through. "Keep pressing!" she commanded, eyes flicking briefly toward Drathan's lazy form—power dripping from him like it was nothing.
Within minutes, the clearing reeked of blood and ozone. The ground was churned mud and crimson, littered with twitching bodies. The adventurers panted, some wounded, others wide-eyed with the shock of how quickly things had escalated.
"Yo," Kenshin exhaled, wiping blood from his cheek with the back of his hand. "That was just the warm-up, huh?"
Seme planted her blade into the earth and leaned against it. "Feels like it. Beasts don't frenzy like this unless somethin's driving them."
Drathan smirked faintly, the shadows retracting around him. "Good. Means this mission gon' be worth my time."
The group reorganized, medics rushing to bind wounds, Velra barking orders to keep morale steady. Yet in the back of everyone's minds, the same thought lingered: if this was just the beginning, what nightmare waited further down the path?
They pressed on, the forest path narrowing as the canopy grew thicker. The light dimmed to a muted green glow, shafts of sunlight filtering like broken glass through the branches. Their boots sank into damp soil, every step accompanied by the crunch of roots or the squelch of moss.
By nightfall, they made camp in a small clearing surrounded by oaks twisted like ancient guardians. Fires crackled, throwing sparks into the cool night air. The smell of roasting meat mixed with the damp scent of earth and pine resin. Laughter bubbled here and there, but exhaustion clung to most.
Seme sat cross-legged, sharpening her blade with steady strokes. "Still feels like eyes on us," she muttered, glancing at the tree line.
Kenshin sprawled on his bedroll, hands behind his head, grin crooked. "Yo, if somethin' watchin', hope they like the show. We puttin' on fireworks tomorrow too."
Mira sat closer to the fire, her gaze troubled as she rubbed her hands together. That frenzy wasn't natural. If something's riling beasts like that, it means the land itself ain't safe anymore.
Drathan leaned against a tree, arms folded, eyes half-lidded as though already asleep. Yet the flicker of his shadow swayed unnaturally, curling like a serpent tasting the air. The void whispers louder out here. Whatever waits, it's close.
Velra walked among her squads, checking wounds, ensuring rotations for watch duty. Her voice was steady, but her inner thoughts churned. If morale cracks before we even reach the ruins, this whole expedition could crumble. Gotta keep 'em sharp.
The night deepened. The fire's glow faded to embers, the sounds of the wild returning in cautious chirps and rustles. For a moment, there was peace—but beneath it, everyone felt the tension, the silent promise that tomorrow would test them even harder.
And so the first night of their two-day march ended under the watchful eyes of the forest, the sky hidden behind its endless ceiling of leaves.