Mark shook his head to himself. "This isn't right. Damn it."
Realizing there was nothing he could do here—it wasn't like he could just walk up and ask the two tribal won what they were doing—Mark decided to retreat. He turned back, weaving his way through the trees toward where the others were waiting.
In his mind, a heavy certainty began to form. The influence of whatever had awakened... it had already reached this part of the forest.
Still, Mark clung to another possibility—one he desperately wanted to believe. Maybe those tribal won were simply performing an ancient ritual, sothing that had nothing to do with the awakening of the forest god.
Maybe he had just never seen it before because it was rarely done.
Yeah... hopefully, that was all it was.
Because if the influence truly had spread this far, then they might already be too late to stop anything.
Mark finally erged from behind a thick cluster of bushes. His party and Eccar, who had been chatting lightly, turned toward him the mont they saw his face—stern and grim.
"Did sothing happen?" Selene asked, her voice tightening with tension.
Mark nodded once, then said, "I saw two tribal won performing a strange ritual while skinning a deer."
Eccar frowned, not understanding imdiately. He glanced at the others and noticed that their faces mirrored Mark's. They clearly knew this wasn't a good sign.
"What does it an?" Eccar asked.
"The forest tribes have a deep bond with the forest and whatever dwells inside it—like the deity that slumbers here," said Kaela, the hooded woman. "If the tribes are showing strange behavior, it usually ans sothing strange is happening within the forest itself."
Eccar nodded, understanding now. This must be connected to the forest god's awakening.
"In that case, we need to move quickly," Eccar said. "Later, I'll contact a friend of mine to ask for information."
"This friend of yours... does he have strong divination abilities?" Mark asked, fixing Eccar with a sharper, more serious look.
"Uh... yeah. You could say that. His power is mysterious, but it's always accurate," Eccar replied.
Mark nodded. Good enough.
"Alright. We move on. Kaela, you and I will scout the path ahead. I have a feeling the forest tribes are getting more active, and it's best if we avoid them. You and I will look for the safest route. If you spot any tribe mbers, we'll reroute imdiately."
Kaela nodded in agreent. Without wasting any more ti, they moved out. Mark veered in one direction while Kaela moved to cover the opposite side.
Thorne, Selene, and Eccar walked behind them, their vigilance heightened.
Sighing in resignation, Eccar thought to himself, "I thought I might get a relaxing journey in this foreign territory. But maybe that's asking too much for a Dragonborn."
The sun climbed higher, but the forest remained cool. A gentle wind stirred the air, and the giant, ancient trees shielded them from the harsh sunlight.
Using communication Magic, Mark and Kaela reported their findings to Selene from afar. She relayed the information to Eccar and Thorne.
Along the way, they spotted more forest tribes, each performing different, eerie rituals. Different tribes, different rites, yet they all acted at the sa ti—clear proof that sothing was happening, and the forest itself was reacting to it.
They kept moving carefully through the forest, the ancient trees looming high overhead like silent watchers.
Selene kept checking the faint thread of communication Magic she maintained with Mark and Kaela, her hand twitching slightly each ti a ssage ca through.
Every minute, like clockwork, they received a short report like "Clear path ahead," or "Two tribes spotted to the west." It kept them moving swiftly and safely.
But after a while, the thread remained silent. Two minutes passed, and then three. Selene's fingers trembled slightly at her side. She looked at Eccar, then at Thorne. Her face showed a flash of worry although she tried to hold herself steady.
Thorne, who had been scanning the trees around them, stiffened. His eyes narrowed slightly as he caught the change. In one smooth, practiced motion, he held up a hand—an unspoken commans to stop.
All three of them froze where they were.
Thorne's next gesture was swift and sharp: down.
Without hesitation, they dropped into a crouch, bodies low, movents silent. The thick brush and giant roots gave them so cover.
Whispering just enough for the others to hear, Selene asked, "What should we do now?"
Thorne didn't look at her imdiately. His gaze was fixed into the trees ahead, scanning, listening, weighing. Only after a few seconds did he answer with low voice.
"We wait for the report to co," he said.
Selene nodded, though her body remained tense. They all knew that in unfamiliar, dangerous territory, patience could be the difference between life and death.
Eccar, crouched a little awkwardly beside them, studied Thorne with a new understanding. It was clear now that this man wasn't just a strong arm in the group. He was second only to Mark in authority, and they trusted him with the sa weight.
Eccar, though he was relatively new to their dynamic, decided that he would follow Thorne's command as well.
A soft hum drew his attention.
Eccar glanced sideways and saw Selene clenching her fists tighter. The gloves she wore, normally a simple-looking pair of black leather, now glowed faintly. Pale blue runes pulsing slowly along the surface. So kind of Magic, clearly.
But one thing was clear, Selene was preparing herself for a fight.
The forest around them felt heavier. The wind had stilled.
Mark and Kaela were still missing for now and that concerning him.
Not long after, they heard the rustling of leaves from around them. Instantly, they tensed up and turned toward the source of the rustling. However, that wasn't the worst part.
From another direction, more rustling sounds could be heard. Then another, and another. The rustling, growing louder and closer, ca from all around them, surrounding them.
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