Discovery

They discussed what direction to take the next day.

They went south-east into the forest yesterday and roughly through the eastern area, and want to try north next time.

"With this I'd be satisfied. Tomorrow will be last day gathering herbs, then after only one more night here we are going back."

Bjorn said, stretching as he helped putting down the fire.

Mikael was again the first sentinel, and after being told it was safer for them and him, he stood directly at the entrance.

'Like this I can observe far better, and in case of a conflict won't be trapped in that narrow environment.' he looked towards a row of trees, its branches moving in the weak cold wind.

'Didn't the Goblins came from north? Wonder if we encounter any more tomorrow if I guess correctly.'

He sat there for some hours, waiting for the sand to finish. Hammer standing next to him, a cloak over his knees borrowed by Leon.

'Guarding is so boring. How can Beron do this every day?' he wondered, playing with a stick in the dirt.

Suddenly he heard a weird shuffle, as if something dragged its feet through some leaves, stepping on sticks.

'To this time? Could it be another hunter?'

He got back on his feet, walking to a wide tree that managed to conceal his profile.

Peaking from his cover, he looked in the general direction of the sound.

The intruders came soon, two skinny, brown Goblins, their pointed ears hanging like they were tired.

'I had to say it was boring' Mikael scolded himself. The creatures walked along, until one of them began sniffing the air. Like on command the other mimicked him, and their eyes wandered to the cave.

'Just move along.' Mikael thought. He was tired, his legs hurting, but soon these feelings were suppressed by the following adrenalin.

These creatures made weird noises, now walking more cautious towards the entrance.

'I can take two. No problem.'

He hyped himself up, waiting for these two to get closer. He himself stood some meters away, so should they pass him, a ambush would be most likely result in victory.

Standing there, he waited, not daring to mess up his timing.

The Goblins walked closer, sniffing the air and sometimes the ground. Some Salvia dropped from their mouths, bodies beginning to shudder.

'Now!' he thought, silently charging towards one. He was slightly diagonal them, in a dead corner of their eyes. When they reacted, the first already got hit hard on the temple, not making a sound and falling a meter further to the left. The other reacted more quickly, wanting to rush towards the entrance as Mikael ended his swing.

'No, you stay here.'he made a very short sprint, his legs longer and speed superior. He got close behind the creature using his left hand grabbing the arm. Then he pulled, his strength downright yanking it from his feet, dislocation its shoulder.

Pulling the Goblin past him, he used his foot to make it stumble. Hitting earth and facing the ground it couldn't make another sound other a pained hiss.

"Quiet, we want to sleep." Mikael unnecessarily whispered, using his weight and like Leon crushed the neck with his boot.

He took some steps, breathing out and letting his gaze wander.

Two of them killed, in a matter of seconds.

'Before one already made me fear for my life. Incredible that now it's so different...'

He knew he had to move the bodies somewhere farther away. Not doing so only increased chances for other creatures to disturb them.

'It's Leon's turn anyway, he can help me. And cut of the ears.' He did not have a knife other than his memento from Brom.

Everytime he maintained his gear, he took it out, carefully cleaning it.

'It shouldn't do a dirty job like that.'

Remaining there for a minute, careful of other sounds that may have been attracted already.

The he shook awake Leon, who was mildly impressed Mikael had slain these two alone, without even waking them up.

"Look at that. Our newbie hunter is doing serious work."

Together they threw the corpses some distance away and collected the proof of subjugation.

Mikael then slept undisturbed until woken up like last time.

"Can't you kick with less force?" he asked, feeling the short sting in his foot.

"Want to make sure you're wide awake. Or should I throw cold water over your head?"

"No thanks, least I need now is a cold."

He walked out, again a fire already burning without the surprise breakfast this time.

'Looks like some more creatures came."

Some faint blood splatters on leaves and a metallic smell lingered in the air.

They ate their rations together, Mikael his own loaf of bread he bought previously, quite hard and maybe sawdust was baked into it, but it was cheap and filling.

"Had to take out some more Kobolds tonight. What was weird they were few, and not as energetic as I usually encounter them." Sophia reported, taking out some of the teeth and handing them Leon.

"There is something weird going on. They come from the northern direction, sharing the same symptoms. Thin bodies, reduced numbers, changed behavior. Whatever affects them, it has to be going on since a short time. I for my part didn't hear about this a month ago."

Bjorn nodded, adding:" If I had known about that maybe I would have taken more with us, or the Guild would have ranked the quest differently. A threat like that shouldn't be handled by us, not even by accident. So let us be careful today. We return earlier, minimizing the risk."

Mikael followed their conversation silently. 'Was this maybe the reason I encountered no threat when escaping? Did all the creatures already fled or hid?'

He played with his fingers, thinking back reluctantly, but to no avail. Back then he couldn't notice anything strange.

Shortly after they packed up, beginning to walk through Nodan towards north.

The first hours of walking passed peaceful, Bjorn discovering plenty of herbs and Mikael deepening his knowledge as he sometimes asked for specific plants.

He drastically reduced his questions to him, because when he explains something, he can talk for a quarter hour straight, loosing sight of his objective. So when he asked once, he was bombarded with color differences, shapes, harvest seasons, smell, feeling, processing, cultivation and reproduction method of a single fungus. All it did in essence to reduce pain, and this key information made Mikael ask in the first place.

After walking another 15 kilometers, Leon halted them, walking between trees, turning the leaves and inspecting the grass.

"The activity here is increasing. Seems like we get nearer to one of the points where groups separated or got divided. I see no signs for the source tho. No marks of a predator or territorial monster."

"Must be a huge one, else it couldn't force away so many different monsters. To make Goblins flee when they either attack with numbers or flee in a disadvantage is curios." Sophia also said, studying also the footprints left by a fleeing Goblin group."

"Could humans be the reason they fled?" Mikael questioned. After all when he was chased, they were the only predators he encountered.

On his suggestion he got only some interested glances, quickly shot down by Leon.

"Shouldn't be. The creatures here couldn't have had much contact with our species. The Guild opened up a branch in the village because Nodan woods is a big unexplored region. We still linger around the far outer parts, and are already nearing the deemed less risky area. So monsters would attack first, and not flee in these masses."

Knowing they would get no answers here, they continued their way.

The tracks grew in number, making Leon more careful as he scouted and even Sophia closed her distance to a few meters behind.

At some point they found another small cave, only big enough to maybe function as a resting area.

"Can we take a look into it? Mushrooms grow in these kinds of moist, dark ares especially well."

Not having anything against it, they entered it, but soon regretted their decision.

Bjorn had to suppress a gag reflex, and Mikael also put a hand before his mouth, walking out and spitting out the horrible taste he tasted.

Also with a discontented feeling Leon took a look deeper inside. After a solid minute he emerged again, ringing for air.

"Whatever lurks in these woods, it may be near. In there is a human, a female hunter." He held up a ID and wooden strip, one much like Mikael got when accepting this mission.

"Arianna was the name, on a mission to scout Nodan. She had no major injuries, not that I could really make out any. Only her foot looked hurt. It was strapped to a branch, a makeshift leg brace."

"And the explanation for that smell is?"

"It is her decaying body. Whatever made her hide in there, she remained." He went back inside, shortly afterwards coming back, backpack in hand, throwing it on the ground.

Sophia crouched down, spilling the contents.

"Looks like the normal stuff. Bandages, tools, camping gear, ropes. Was there a weapon?" she looked at the head shaking Leon.

"No, and that's even weirder. All her stuff untouched means nothing went in there looting, and no sane person would enter Nodan unarmed. And no food either, all ration used up. Scouting takes mostly a week, it all gone and injured hiding means most likely she starved in there."

"To be so afraid to go out, even with a injury, starving in hope of a rescue. What can make one so full of angst?" Mikael concluded their thoughts, resulting in a short silence they shared.

Bjorn broke it, saying:" I think we got enough from out mission. Let's go back to our base camp, and tomorrow return to Chrysalis."

"Shouldn't we bury her body? To let her rest in peace?" Mikael objected. Even in their dire situation, he thought that much had to be done.

"First, no time for that. I'd also like to go back, sooner rather than later. Second" he held up a pendant, an simple arrow made from silver.

"A follower of Marius. So we would betray her faith by burying her. Telling her story and handing in her identification should suffice."

Mikael wanted to object, but knew for some folks their faith were their rules.

He resigned himself.

"Then let's go."

'Hopefully we won't encounter whatever made her afraid. The last fights against Goblins and Kobolds were already taxing enough.'