CHPT 147: Reptilian

"Low ranked Tangent Break in the wilderness Northeast of SkyHaven. It's reported that Kobolds were inside the Tangent and now roam the wilds of that area. No reported casualties."

"Yea. No reported casualties 3 months ago." Claude commented after he finished reading the Quest Entry and folded it up into his pocket.

"[Lets not make it any longer then, Hm?]" Arne said.

Claude agreed and started off into a sprint through the city. He reached the gates soon after and the guards hurried to let him out— seeming to understand his urgency to be somewhere fast.

Once him and Frosty were out, they abandoned the human roads and plunged into the wild bunches of nature surrounding SkyHaven.

They ran under the stars and over uneven natural grounds until he was able to recognize where he was.

As he came to a stop at the edge of the forest, he immediately recognized the intersection in the distance. The only individuals that ran the dirt road were returning and leaving Night Runners that paid him no mind as he emerged from the bushes.

"Leafland Forest. Long time no see— well not really." He said while studying the wooden sign just outside the path that led into the small neighborhood he fought so hard so save not too long ago.

He stepped inside just to see how they were doing with Frosty sniffing the ground in remembrance at his side. The smell of burning wood made its way through his mask after a few steps down the dark path.

After a few more steps, the smell increased and he soon understood why.

The people of the small neighborhood all sat around a large campfire, seeming to simply be enjoying each others company. Kids slept in their parents arms while the adults around the fire quietly talked and laughed.

Before any of them could stare of into the dark and notice him watching in the distance, he was gone, as silently as he came.

Once him and Frosty were back on the road, they continued North— where he'd find the Raiders camp and the Kobolds.

***

The two headed further north with Claude studying the map until he was close enough to no longer need it.

Claude and Frosty abandoned the roads over half a mile ago and had been running in the forest for at least twenty minutes. The only problem was, the map said he was right next to— if not on the camp. But there was nothing but forest around him.

"Did I read this wrong?" Claude questioned as he looked over the map again.

"[Ignore the map. Use your senses to find it.]" Arne instructed.

"Alright." Claude replied before putting the map away and using his nose to see what the map may have been missing.

Frosty joined him and they both began sniffing around the forest intently.

"Nothing. They must've moved a long time ago." Claude said after a few minutes.

"[Ok. Onto the next one. Even though your nose is one of your strongest senses— it's not the only one, look around you. Are there any signs of man having come through here? Use your eyes, any pieces of cloth caught on twigs? Markings on trees?]" Arne explained.

Claude immediately stopped trying to smell for things and strained his eyes to seek out any indicators of Raiders walking through that area he was in.

His hands ran over the bark of trees, feeling for markings only to find none. He moved on to the nearby bushes and found the same.

"Dammit." He grunted after both options failed.

After a few moments he heard Frosty walking behind him, crushing the dry leaves with his large paws. The sound triggered an idea.

He immediately dropped to the ground and began sweeping away the hundreds of dead leaves to reveal the packed dirt underneath.

"Here we go."

"[Very well done.]" Arne said while Claude studied the fast fading footprints pressed into the dirt.

He continued sweeping away the leaves until he was able to make out a slim path— barely wide enough for one person.

"They really didn't want to be found." He commented while studying the prints for a moment longer.

"[You see it, don't you?]" Arne pointed out.

"Aside from the different shoe sizes— somebody was barefoot. Not a Raider." Claude assumed as horrible ideas of what it could mean flooded his mind.

"[Raiders are known to take people from small villages. It's not known what they do after— but it's not hard to assume either. I hate to point it out Claude, but whoever's it is....is dead.]"

Claude took a deep breath and rolled his shoulders. "I assumed so."

After continuing to follow the footprints, he was led out to the end of the forest. Just outside of its reach he could see a small clearing with a cliff edge that overlooked the whole area. Down below were the remnants of a medium sized camp. Something wasn't right.

"It's destroyed.." Claude noticed.

He immediately exited the forest and approached the torn and shredded remains of the camp.

The camp was simple, he could already see in his mind what it must've looked like when it was functioning.

A small campfire sat in the center, lined with small round stones and old burned sticks. Animal skins were placed around the fire— which he assumed were beds of some sort although they no longer looked that way. Rips and tears lined them with dark old blood soaked into the skins. He could smell it all around him.

There were weapons racks near the entrances of the tents. What made him uneasy was that all the weapons were still there. Serrated swords, crudely made bows, broken arrows and spears all lay around the racks.

To Claude it looked like a massacre took place inside the camp. No signs of struggle— no signs of a fight. Only death, as if the Raiders were violently overwhelmed by something.

"What the hell happened?" He asked.

Before Arne could speak, he heard rustling in the distance.

He spun around to face the direction of the noise. His sword was in his hand before he realized it and Frosty was snarling into the dark at his side.

He activated his skill, (Sensory Focus) and listened as the faint rustling blossomed into the sound of dozens of quiet rushed footsteps. They smashed the crunchy leaves beneath them and breathed heavily, making hushed snarls and snapping sounds in between steps.

"Multiple breaths and footsteps...hm...at least a small group. What are you—AH!"

"RRRAAOORR!" A reptilian sounding high pitched roar broke through the forest and blasted his eardrums.

By the time he was recovered, he heard them. Just at the edge of the forest in front of him outside the clearing.

The adrenaline rush ran through his body causing his muscles to bulge and light black fur to split his skin. His eyes changed, making the dark no longer seem like a hindrance.

He could see them. The outlines of wiry muscled bodies and angular slim heads. Not human— but not animal.

Claude raised his left hand and sent the Phantom Wolves into the shadows next to him.

The beings in the dark stepped back in fear for a moment as Wolves suddenly formed out of the dark, snarling and snapping at the air around Claude.

One of the beings in the dark made an odd clicking snarl sound before stepping forward. After a few steps, the light of the stars and moon illuminated its features and showed Claude the vicious orange reptilian eyes that studied him menacingly.

"[Looks like they came to us.]"

"Fine by me."