Chase

I probably shouldn't tell them about the Vulnogs, it would just make them panic. So, what are my options?

The first one is to wait for them to leave, not ideal and unlikely, not to mention that I will get stuck here at nighttime.

The second one is to use the workers as bait, have them go forward while we wait for the monsters to attack them then sneak past. It most certainly won't work. Judging by what I know they can do, these workers won't even be a decent distraction.

The third one is to break trough, yeah, it won't work. how about going around them, impossible, the area between the town and the forest is a wide-open field.

Hmm, I can't just let the workers die, it will affect my reputation and no one will want to work for me then.

While fighting with this dilemma I decided to take a look and see how they are doing. I pull on the connection and return to the bird. The world changes and I find myself flying above the huts. I once again lost sight of the damn thing, it probably hid underneath the snow somehow like it did at the beginning, how it even manages to hide its massive bodies underneath the snow is a mystery.

It makes no sense whatsoever.

As I keep staring at nothing the bird starts to reach its limits and disintegrate. I never experienced this so I just keep watching. The process is not instant but gradual, it starts from the wings and legs and up to the torso.

It is quite peculiar especially because I can't feel anything different about the bird.

As the last part of the foot disintegrates, purple shining dust starts coming off of it, my mana, I imagine.

The purple dust covers the ground marking it with specs of color, not purple, but actual color. So the only thing not purple is my mana, which explains why my body is not colored even when I see it using a summon.

Suddenly something unexpected happened, the mana coated the entire snowfield underneath the ground with the exception of one spot, a number which coincided with the number of Vulnogs that I had seen chasing me.

The mana just disappeared as if absorbed by the thing, it allowed me to spot them even while it was hiding. What a treacherous beast, to think that it waited here, hidden underneath the snow while its brethren were hunting the bird. Waiting in ambush to see if anyone would dare come back to the broken hut.

Shortly after, the bird fully disintegrated and I find myself back in my body, well, that was not very helpful, I even wasted a good 5 minutes on this.

Let's make another bird and send it forward to scout. As I think that I try and burp out more mana only to notice that there is still a connection left.

I shiver slightly at the feeling this connection gives me, it is unlike mine, a way to describe it would be more... tight?

I still pull on it anyway, not like I am playing with a force I can't understand or anything. I pull and nothing happens, I pull harder and still nothing happens, how odd, this never happened before.

Still, I am not one to give up so I keep pulling, just to see what happens. I got my answer shortly as a roar came from right in front of us. The noise scared my eyes open only to see a shining purple light between the trees, heading towards us.

That was my mana, I could tell that I was connected to that, so, if my mana is on the Vulnog, and I can feel my mana approaching rapidly, then that means...

''Vun, Ubam, run to the right!''. I bolt it towards our right side as fast as I can, snow be damned. My guards seem surprised but also follow, overtaking me shortly.

The workers that heard the roar also start running behind us. The situation changed, I can only assume that it felt me pulling on the connection and decide to come investigate, this is great as it is no longer blocking my way to the city.

So, the only logical plan is to book it right and start running, a truly marvelous plan if I say so myself.

As we keep running it does not take long until I am drenched in sweat and panting, my cloak keeps getting caught in dry branches and the like, at least it's not tearing.

I have no idea where we are but as we went left and pretty much forward I can assume that going left will get us out of the forest.

''Turn left, we are running back to the city gates!'' Vun does as told and changes direction, he doesn't go exactly left but at an angle, I assume he knows the way better than I do.

The workers are also following only at a slower pace, we started running at the same time but now there has formed quite the gap between us. One of the villagers screams at us. ''What happened, why are you running away?''

This idiot, don't scream you neanderthal, you are just attracting it here. And, as expected, another howl comes from behind us, my guess is that it got to our initial location then lost us and this idiot screamed and told it exactly where we were.

I quicken my pace, why did I not sacrifice these guys, I swear if I die because of this I will haunt them for generations to come.

As I keep cussing at them mentally the exit comes in sight, my legs are burning from all the running and I can't keep my eyes open due to the sweat that keeps falling in them. This truly is one hellish jog.

The workers are not even in sight anymore as we left them behind long ago.

The field in front of us is the same one we saw before, to the left, in the distance are the remains of the huts. They don't look very far away, probably less than 500 meters or so.

Still, we don't stop, got to keep running, I also take this opportunity to inform my guards of what happened.

''There was a Winter Beast on our way back to the city, my summon managed to spot it, I believe that it is now running behind us!''.

Ubam shouts. ''What!?, how can that be, they never wander out of the forest''. Oh no.

''Shut up you oaf, stop making so much noise!''. He looks at me then purses his lips, I don't know if he got offended or just actually shut his mouth.

''I know they don't come out of the forest, the noise of the hut falling down must have attracted it, now run, the sooner we reach the city the better''. Speaking so much is very tiring, I should try and do some cardio from now on, just in case.

Ubam then asks me in a much quieter voice. ''What about the workers Boss, what happens to them?'' Why would I give a rats ass about them right now?

''I don't know, we warned them, they heard the howls, they saw us running, if they are not smart enough to realize what's going on then they might as well get eaten and assure our escape''. I feel like all this adrenaline is turning me into a crass person.

No one speaks anymore, we just run. Soon the muddy road comes into view together with people, the gate is just in front. Now that we are safe we stop and look back, there is no trace of any of the workers.

I put my hand on my knees and bend forward, I can barely breathe at this point, The only reason I am not puking is because my throat is too dry. Breathe in, cough, breathe out, the usual.

People just stare at us as we look back the way we came. We wait there until the sun starts going down, the whole world turning orange.

No one came.