Following the attack, Lia went into deep research on the beast corpses which she requested for. There wasn't much she could deduce from it, but one single aspect stuck out, the residual energy in the beasts was foul and corrupted. There was only one conclusion, and that was that it had to be sothing done by the demons.
With each passing day, the situation only got worse, so Lance decided to take a more hands-on approach. He was going to tag along with Zarra and her scouts, Rynne along side a few warriors, including Rikka and Dran, and Lia also insisted on tagging along.
More settlents had fallen and more were set to fall. It no longer seed like so feud by the different races and tribes, it was clear that this was being orchestrated by soone and the beasts were the tools.
After traveling for a bit, they reached a clearing marked with deep claw marks in the soil, the ground torn as if sothing massive had been dragged through. Zarra knelt beside the markings, scanning every detail.
"This isn't natural," she said, running her fingers over the grooves. "Whatever made this was bigger than anything we've seen so far, certainly not sothing these forests usually see… and it wasn't just passing through either."
Lia crouched beside her, her hands glowing faintly as she examined the energy lingering in the area. "It's the sa here too," she murmured. "The sa kind we saw in the mutated beasts before… It's everywhere…" Lia's golden eyes narrowed as she stood near a nearby tree, her fingers tracing a faint, symbol carved into the bark.
As they ventured further, the forest grew darker, the air heavy with an unnatural stillness. The usual sounds of wildlife were absent, replaced by an eerie silence broken only by the occasional rustle of leaves.
"Stay sharp," Rynne said, her spear gripped tightly in her hand. "This place feels wrong."
Lance nodded. 'If this is demon activity, we need to figure out what they're doing here—and why.' He thought to himself.
As they moved, faint whispers began to echo through the trees, barely audible but unmistakably present. In fact, it felt more ethereal than anything, as though it was transmitted directly to their heads instead of their ears.
"Do you hear that?" one of the warriors said.
"It's not just the wind."
The whispers grew louder as they pressed on, forming fragnted words and phrases that sent chills down their spines.
"...sacrifice..."
"...the sacrifice..."
"...return to power..."
"…origin…"
The whispers continued until the group erged into another clearing, this one dominated by a large, circular altar made of blackened stone. The air around it was saturated with a dark energy, and the ground was littered with bones and dried blood stains, both animal and humanoid.
"This is…" Lia said, her voice barely above a whisper. "Rituals have been held here."
Rynne stepped forward, her golden eyes blazing. "What kind of rituals?"
Lia's expression was grim as she knelt beside the altar, her fingers brushing over the runes carved into its surface. "I have no idea, sorry."
"No, no need to apologies." Rynne said.
Rikka pointed to a cluster of twisted, blackened roots nearby. "Look at the land. Even the plants are dying."
Zarra found more carvings on nearby trees, resembling the ones they had seen in other places, especially around affected tribes. "These symbols aren't just random, huh?"
Lance clenched his fists, his mind racing. 'Are they planning to use all of use around these parts for their dark sinister plans? Why now of all tis?' He would be reasoning with his elders, but he couldn't do so with others around. The little information that had been spread around was enough fear inducing knowledge for the tribe.
"We're the perfect targets… vulnerable and isolated all around," Lance said under his breath "And the major races and forces won't notice until it's too late."
There wasn't much that could be done about the altar at the mont. Just as they began to discuss their next steps, the whispers intensified, turning into a low, guttural chant.
"They know we're here," Rynne said, her spear at the ready.
'Is this a magical world or supernatural and horror?' Lance questioned, his expression a little grim, after all, who wouldn't hate the thought of a zombie apocalypse… well, that was thinking too far. Even then, battling against fire and wind was better than battling against ghosts and blood sucking ghouls from Lance's perspective.
The forest erupted in chaos as corrupted beasts burst from the shadows, their figures twisted from how it normally would be, disfigured to the visible eyes.
"Defensive positions!" Lance shouted, his voice cutting through the din.
Rynne led the charge, her spear flashing as she engaged the first wave of attackers. The scouts moved to higher ground, pulling out bows, raining down arrows with sharp precision.
Rikka and Dran joined the fray following behind Rynne while Lance remained behind with Lia who chanted quietly, preparing protective spells for the group alongside so spells for the beasts.
As the battle raged, Lance joined the fray, leaving behind Lia who had made a protective spell around herself. Her spells played crucial part in the attack as she aided in distracting and slowing down the beasts so they beca easier to take down. Unfortunately, she didn't posses a lot of attack spells, so the most she could do was support.
…
After a long battle, the group managed to take down all the corrupted beasts. The forest fell silent once more, the whispers and chants fading into nothingness.
The group gathered near the altar, their breaths heavy and their bodies battered but unbroken, a state that Lance easily fixed..
"This is just the beginning," Lia said, her voice steady but grim. "Whoever's behind this won't stop here."
"We need to destroy this altar," Rynne said, gripping her spear tightly.
"Agreed," Zarra said, her golden eyes narrowing. "But we also need answers."
"To have these beasts here at the ready, the one behind this must have planned extensively. I'm sure this was so automatic defence system for whoever infiltrated this place… well, more like found, this place."
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