Dangers of the Woods

The caravan had to move two by two through the woods, the carriages packed tightly together and still just barely able to not end up snagged on branches or wind up running into trees or bushes. The air was rife with the sound of animals, both the common and the strange. If Raen had been awake he would have been happy to watch outside the back, catching sight of some of the more curious creatures.

Though a few could have been considered monsters, none were of actual concern. Small feathered and scaled creatures were the most numerous, about the size of a turkey and as colorful as a peacock. These were Gizzen, omnivores that rarely attacked humans, no more threatening than coyotes. 

Less common were deerlike creatures with spindle legs and thin, bony frames. They had large ears over twice the size of their heads and quickly lost interest in the caravan after seeing it. People could see them using three long tongues to reach into trees, picking off fruits, nuts, and leaves. These were Balla, non dangerous monsters that tasted similar to the deer they resembled though with so little meat on their bodies most people would leave them be...unless they were raiding fields and eating crops.

Mia sat in the back and listened as the men grumbled, still not talking to one another thanks to what Aldrich had done. If only Raen was awake she might have had someone to talk to, or Ceres for that matter. When she left with Aldrich he wouldn't speak further on the matter, merely pouted like a child after being reprimanded. It was laughable how ridiculous grown men could behave.

Further up the caravan Vyral was as enthralled as Mia, her ears twitching under her hood as her head whipped to and fro. Melinda could barely hold in her laughter at the demihuman's antics, all too obvious that she had likely never seen past her own home. Granted she wasn't the only one, but the further one went up in class the less obvious one would be while marveling at the world around them. Too many wanted to maintain their prim and proper airs.

For her own part Melinda was doing what all drivers were at the moment, watching and listening for signs of threats. No one would dare to strike a Guild caravan with non adventurers, even an army could fall to the hands of strong adventurers. However that did not mean the Guild lacked enemies out in the wild or even in civilized society. A few recorded instances of kingdoms driving herds of monsters to run across caravans did exist and there was always the threat of renegade adventurers turned into bandits or thugs who could pose somewhat of a threat.

Beyond that, it was more likely that a wandering monster would be a threat. Monsters tended to remain in their natural habitats but had a nasty habit of trying to expand into new territory should populations get too large. In fact a few years back on this very route the caravan had been attack by roving monsters, resulting in the loss of a few recruits.

Up ahead with the elites Geise was the same as Melinda, the stronger adventurers placed in front not only to match those they were protecting but to let their better senses catch wind of threats long before they could reach the caravan. He really wasn't expecting much as the recent reports told of nothing out of the ordinary but even as strong as he was a stealthy or lucky monster could easily kill a foolish adventurer.

In fact a few of the recruits had noticed the change in the mood of their drivers, putting them on edge. Many wondered why adventurers would be worried in woods that were so close to one of the Guild's district branches. A few such as Bhromir actually knew why they were concerned, but those who did dared not say a word since this information wasn't supposed to be known by the public.

Hala had noticed Bhromir pacing and acting a bit jittery, she had even asked him a few times what was wrong but the large beastman wouldn't say a word. Eventually she turned back to the few others in the carriage and listened as they discussed details of recent explorations done by the Guild. Though they had not included her in the conversation, it wouldn't keep Hala from listening with rapt attention. Apparently their families were all working for Bhromir's father directly, which explained why they were in the same carriage. They didn't understand why Bhromir was keeping the low class human around but he must have a reason so they were at least politely ignoring her.

The mood of the entire caravan continued to plummet as they delved deeper and deeper. Wildlife became more scarce and what did show up were low leveled monsters, nothing to worry about with their numbers but still a sign for just how dangerous a place the woods could be.

Back in the carriage with Raen and the others, Mia had finally gotten the group to stop showing their anger at one another, though only by chance. While watching the monsters it just so happened that a large spider had snuck its way onto the roof of the carriage, crawling into view just above her head. Mia screamed and woke both Raen and Ceres, the two dazed as the others scrambled about. It took a moment but eventually Aldrich flicked the spider back out with his practice sword, Mia clinging to her saviour and refusing to go near the rear of the carriage again.

Ceres had gathered his wits and noticed what Aldrich had done, huffing before he relented and reached out a hand to his friend. The two of them shook hands and slowly the rest relaxed. Raen was quite happy to see that they were getting along again but noticing the sight of a strange wolf like creature out of the back of their carriage he quickly lost himself to curiosity.

Mia however would not go back to watch with him so Raen was left alone to identify what he could from the books he had gone over. The odd wolf like creature had been one such beast to find itself in those books, known as a Maraq. These creatures were roughly the size of wolves but had two large claws on each foot and a scaled underbelly, putting them as a mix between a mammal and reptile. Most notably was that Maraq operated with a hive mind like capacity, making them exceptionally dangerous in large numbers, and extremely magic resistant bodies, making them even greater threats.

Thankfully Raen only saw one every half hour or so, its multiple tails whipping about as they dove back into the foliage. Granted even if he had noticed more it would be the adventurers who caught wind of them first. So if they were not worried then he wouldn't be either.

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Unknown to any of the new recruits, the entire caravan was on guard for just such a reason. The stray Maraq Raen had seen were just outliers, single individuals that were rotating checks at different points on the caravan. It had happened roughly three hours ago that the first small group had appeared, not enough to be a threat really. But they were quickly joined by wave after wave until now the Maraq completely circled the caravan, staying hidden off in the dense woods. The adventurers had only not acted to keep a panic from spreading, more so as the Maraq had still not decided to strike. Perhaps they did not feel comfortable even with their numbers, it was said they could tell the difference between Awakened and common folk and tried often times to not confront adventurers.

From those up in front such as Geise to even the lowest of the low, Lerris and the thin man next to him, every adventurer was more than prepared to fend off what looked to be a certain strike. Hopefully that fear would be unfounded, but within a few moments worst fears were realized.

Shockingly enough it wasn't a Maraq which struck first. A red tiger about three times one's normal size came sprinting out of the woods, roaring loudly which upset more than a few of the mounts. Adventurers everywhere pulled out their weapons and prepared spells, those who were quicker even launching them at the beast though just a hair too late. The tiger's claws glowed first red and then a hot white before coming down across a horse, blood not even spraying as the wound was cauterized as soon as it was made. The horse didn't even have a chance to cry out before it's left foreleg was sliced clean off and the immediate shock killed it.

The driver stabbed down with spear and lodged the weapon into the tiger who roared and took the leg to run off. But that would not be the end as the Maraq had seen a moment of weakness and were choosing now to strike. All around adventurers were crying out as they tried to huddle the caravan into smaller groups for defense, the recruits cowering inside if they were smart. Two who had stuck their heads out were quickly pounced upon, dragged out into the sea of teeming monsters and torn to ribbons while screaming pitifully.

Raen had pushed everyone back before Lerris called out and the thin man hopped in the back with them, rocks swirling around the carriage as a makeshift barrier. Everyone had quickly armed themselves but knew better than to think that meant they could be of use, mostly it was just a fight or flight reflex.

Vyral had actually gotten her weapon as well, a rectangular piece of metal that had a blade only on one side and with a handle on the fattest part of the weapon which made it look like a cross between a cleaver and longsword. Melinda was about to yell at her to get back with the others but surprisingly enough Vyral swung true and cut the head clean off a Maraq that had leapt at their carriage.

Up ahead Geise and the other higher ranking adventurers were having little trouble, their charges staying put in their carriages unless told otherwise, some due to knowing better while others were nearly wetting themselves.

The wave of Maraq slowly dwindled as a few more cries rose up, even one unlucky adventurer meeting his end while shoving a recruit back into the carriage when she tried to flee. Thankfully he was the last however, the wounded hive retreating before they took anymore losses while the caravan hurried on once their mounts had calmed down. A few bolder adventurers claimed a few of the Maraq carcasses since the pelts and scales were rather valuable and made for excellent armor, but most now rode the razors edge as they quickened the pace and brought the caravan out of the forest depths. A sad event, but one that showed the new recruits not only how dangerous the forest was, but how dangerous the life of an adventurer could be.