Out Of Initium And Into Danger!

Avic, Custos, and Eliisabet took their first major step outside of Initium. A whiff of cool fresh wind immediately pushed against their faces, causing their hair to flutter like that of the gentle wings of a butterfly. Their eyes immediately took in the gorgeous sight ahead of them.

There were very few trees but there was an abundance of fresh green grass that swayed back and forth to the rhythm of the wind. Every few meters, a different boulder could be seen along the side of the long winding dirt road. The road wriggled itself up and around small hills and corners as far as the eye could see.

Birds could be heard chirping and other small animals ran through the grassy fields. Despite the area outside of the town walls being called the Wilderness, it was surprisingly calm.

"I've never felt like this before! Having the wind blowing against my face, the scent of fresh grass..! This place looks great to just lay down and take a nap!" Exclaimed Avic happily.

"Well, thanks to you, that's not even close to being possible. We need to hurry and get out of here if we hope to get to Discite... That's if it's even possible to still make it," murmured Custos.

"You're still upset about that..? I know it's bad that we're late but you must never forget that sleep is just as important as anything else."

"Sigh..."

"Well, we shouldn't dwell on it forever. We should place all our energy into getting to Discite. That's the only way we'll make it in time," determined Eliisabet.

Custos and Avic didn't argue. Instead, they quickly agreed before moving forward. As they walked hastily, they observed their surroundings. They couldn't get over how peaceful the Wilderness was. Given the stories they heard and their general knowledge of the Wilderness, they were certain that it was supposed to be an area swarming with dangerous monsters and animals. However, that hardly seemed to be the case.

"For a place called the Wilderness, it's rather peaceful," muttered Avic.

"Well, we probably shouldn't let our guard down. I'm sure you've heard plenty about the kinds of monsters the Wilderness has," warned Custos.

"Yeah, but what if they were all just rumors?"

"Sigh... I wish that was the case but it's anything but. If they were just rumors then why would every kingdom, empire, city, and town build walls?"

Avic pondered as he looked back at Initium which was now growing smaller in the distance. He looked at the 60m walls that surrounded the town, keeping it safe. It was made of solid concrete, steel, and other hard materials which made it extremely sturdy.

"Custos is right, Avic. Even if they were somehow rumors which I'm sure they aren't, it's always better to be safe than sorry," supported Eliisabet.

Just then, a loud growl like that of a hungry tiger flooded their ears. This was followed by a few terrified screams and the loud nays of frightened horses. The three immediately pulled themselves to a stop, placing their hands on the hilt of their weapons.

"What was that?" Quickly asked Avic.

"It looks like someone's being attacked! Look up ahead!" Pointed Eliisabet.

Peering their eyes about 200m ahead, they saw a man with eyes that were the color of freshly cut grass and cool chocolate-brown hair trying to fend off a pack of monsters. Hiding in the safety of a carriage that was being pulled by two horses were a woman and a small child who were difficult to see very well in the chaos. Their carriage was full of different goods and supplies which implied that they were a family of merchants.

"This is such a pain in the ass! Of all the times for someone to get attacked, it has to be now!" Complained Avic as he ran off to help the family.

"Avic, wait! Don't just charge in without a plan! Those things are Razor Hounds! They're highly dangerous!!" Warned Custos.

Unfortunately, Avic wasn't listening. He plunged toward the group of monsters as fast as he could, not able to stand by and watch them die.

"We need to help them! Avic's going to get hurt if we leave him to fight all those monsters alone!" Complained Eliisabet as she ran off after Avic.

Custos hissed with frustration. He knew they needed a plan but Avic was far too impatient to even wait around for a second. Having no other choice but to follow, Custos bolted off behind them.

On the other hand, the owner of the carriage did his best to fend off the monsters with a flaming stick. He was scared to death, sure that he and his family were about to die.

"Back! Back, you damned mongrels!" He shouted, waving the flaming stick like a flag.

The monsters growled and snarled aggressively. They highly resembled wolves and had brownish-black fur and glowing red eyes. They had three rows of razor-sharp teeth, strong enough to bite through the bark of a tree as easy as pudding. Their claws sank into the ground, leaving detailed claw marks behind as they darted from side to side, looking for an opportunity to attack the merchant.

"Honey, be careful!" Cried the woman from inside the carriage.

Regrettably, the man was not even close to being a match for the Razor Hounds. In the blink of an eye, one of them managed to swat the flaming stick from his hand before another pounced on him, knocking him to the ground.

The man panicked, doing his best to crawl away, rubbing his trousers through the dirt. Sweat washed his face and his eyes were full of fear.

"No..! No..! No..!!!" He screamed.

Bearing its sharp teeth and claws, one of the Razor Hounds jumped at him, ready to make its first kill of the day. The man stared down the Razor Hound's throat—the place where he was sure he was about to go.

With a powerful slash and a painful yelp, Avic jammed his dagger into the side of the Razor Hound's neck, saving the man's life in the nick of time.

The man trembled with fear, looking up at Avic. He was still caught in a moment of shock. He expected himself to be dead which confused him significantly.

With the Razor Hounds now angrier than ever because of their fallen pack member, Avic stood with his back facing the man and raised his dagger horizontally in front of his face, ready for battle.

"Don't worry! Let me take care of these puppies for you!"