As Jiembe and his mother had just finished treating the huntsmen, Jiembe approached his best friend.
"Tell me what could have done this to you guys, and how did you armor end up in such a state." Jiembe asked his friend with a concerned look in his eyes.
Serty looked terrified his hands trembled as he Began telling his second family what happened earlyier that day.
5 hrs ago
Serty was extremely happy, the best hunting squad on the town had asked him to join their group since he had shown in school and on extermination missions that he was reliable in combate. He had gone with them a few times to hunt with them and his skills helped the team greatly. Today was another such mission this time they were sent to scout a section of the forest that had gone silent No monsters or wild life was reported in the area for over a month.
The party moved silently through the woods. Lok was in the rear, Derek in front with Keji and Serty in the middle, forming a small square formation. as the party moved closer, they entered the section of the woods they were sent to investigate. The group became unsettled due to the silence encompassing them.
"This is unnatural, even the trees are silent. I don't like this." Says Derek as he looks around at the surrounding area his eyes scanning for danger
Lok looks at Derek and says " I think we should head back and report now something is wrong in this forest."
Keji nodded in agreement" we don't know what happened here to make this area like this or even what could have done it there are simply to many unknowns in this situation"
Serty felt a little unease but he was confident in his skills and spoke up" we were sent here to do a mission so far we haven't run into anything dangerous, besides worst case we use some of my magic to hold them off as we flee"
Derek paused and looked at his companions. " Serty is right we were sent here to scout and scout is what we will do who knows if whatever did this spread to the rest of the forest. We have to at least see the cause so that the city can devise a appropriate plan."
The group continued forward heading deeper into the forest, after about 30 min the forest began to look withered and decayed even the ground was dry and cracked as if all life in the area had been sucked dry.
The group stoped moveing Derek gave the signal to get ready.
A stench of death and decay began to spread, the group began to cough as the smell assaulted their senses, in front of them was a pile 2 stories high of dead monsters and animales even a few people they looked hollow and drained their body's left to rot in the sun.
Lok vomited his breakfast at the sight Keji was pale his body trembling. Serty was terrified he felt a void there was no mana in the air, trees or the bodies.
An arrow covered on black miasma shot out from the darkness hitting Serty in the chest, he felt something crack as one of his ribs Broke luckily the enchanted armor that jiembe has given him took the brunt of the damage.
"RUN"
Derek at the top of his lungs, screamed at the team. They all bolted away, running as fast as they could, as a huge explosion happened right behind them blowing Lok and Keji of there feet. Lok flew and hit a tree chest first his rib cage made a crunching sound that no ribs should ever make. Keji hit the ground hard however he used his hands and arms to soften the blow.
Derek took postition behind them and began to cut at the arrows that where flying at them, " SERTY heal Lok we need to get the hell out of here or we are all going to die, I don't know what's attacking us but I can't fend these arrows off for long."
Serty rushed over to Lok he used some of the healing glyphs that Jiembe fought him and applied a quick fist aid treatment to his ribs, Keji and Serty picked Lok of the ground and began to run, Derek behind them was fending off the arrows as he ran trying to keep the group safe. Serty looked behind him to see a large figure running up on Derek he tried to cast Jet stream but the mana was blocked from forming all that happened was a small gust of wind that blew the smoke away revealing a large humanoid 8 feet tall muscular build with purple runes glowing across his skin his eyes glowed with a purple hint as all the mana in the air even in thier body's began to flow into the figure, his axe raised high in the sky slammed towards Derek. Thanks to Sertys gust Derek had enough time and recited quickly and dogged the attack, the ground trembled as the axe hit the earth the amount of strength the barbarian had was crazy, they had heard they were strong but this guy was on a whole other level. Keji knocked an arrow into his bow and fired at the mountain of a man hitting him in the foot, ridiculously the arrow only when half as deep as it normally would. However this was enough to buy them time to continue their retreat leaving the barbarian howling with anger.