It took the small group 13 hours to reach the start of the Rocky Hills of Verne, where the wolves and Jora were reported to be. They were able to slip in a lucky 8-hour rest period on the hike; thankful because they knew better than to skip sleep before an encounter. The less sleep one has, the more likely they'll contribute to the Dead Man's Money.
They had to trek through 20 miles of dense forest, with nearly the entire trip being on uneven ground. Korokin Woods; the inspiration behind the city, and most likely the supplier.
They were on high alert, hiding behind a group of bushes that stood between a couple of dying trees at the base of the Rocky Hills. They could only look up, which hindered their perception greatly, and with the sun beaming down on them, it hindered them even more.
8 wolves, 1 human, all rotted, and the rotted wolves will go after the living before they attack other rotted, even working with those of a different species. Neya gulped. The closer they got to danger, the more her nerves began to act up.
"Remember, make sure the hearts are destroyed before we leave a body, unless we can't get to it immediately; but we have to be sure their hearts can't come back" Tashi whispered, warning the team.
Neya rolled her eyes, they were level 67, she had 50 scales; she knew how to rid the world of a rotted creature permanently. She pulled a fan out, swiping it open and immediately began to fan her face as if to tell him she knew already, without having to say a word. Tao huffed trying not to laugh while Tashi scowled at the both of them.
"We should hurry, the sooner we get this done, the sooner we can get home to our babies," Neya whispered to Tashi. Even though they were just below where the wolves were spotted and Jora was killed, they remained cautious. The smell of living bodies could be picked up on by half a mile, and a rotted being would never pass up devouring flesh that had warm blood pumping through it. Their targets most likely knew they were already in their territory.
Tashi nodded, before motioning for the other two to begin following him up the hill made of stone; the only terrain that separated the lushness of the Hill of Verne that had branched off of Korokin Woods, and the brutal Mountain of Verne that was only a 5 mile distance from them straight ahead.
They kept low to the ground, moving as silently as possible and using cover whenever available. The three courageous guildmembers always carried out their contracts with the utmost care, they had too much to lose to be sloppy.
Tao, while not being related by blood, felt the same. He wanted to be their support on and off the field; he loved them. They were his family, blood or not, through thick and thin.
He placed one finger of his left hand onto the ground, closed his eyes, and then snapped the fingers on his right hand, emitting a loud click that echoed throughout the area. A cold rush washed over Neya and Tashi as their blood froze, holding their breath to listen to their surroundings. They had the bare minimum amount of cover. The trees were no more, but there were a couple bushes that remained from the hill below, as well as a few boulders from the mountain above that had come loose. They felt naked; not even a million completed contracts could fulfill the feeling of being fearless.
As Neya and Tashi moved their hands slowly to be able to wield their weapon quickly if needed, Tao continued to concentrate; relying fully on his comrades. He had emitted an echo into the ground using his magika, spreading it around him into an expanding circle, attempting to pick up on a possible enemy nearby. His eyebrows began to scrunch in confusion as the distance became wider and wider and there were no signals of life or death other than the three of them. "I'm not sensing anyone," he finally whispered, causing the Suki's to relax slightly. It was good, yet bad news. "I can't pump anymore of my magika into this," he informed them, indicating he has already looked further than 2 miles.
"They're most likely up the mountain more," Neya suggested, "There wasn't much life on the hill, and Tao can't sense anything around here either, so they probably moved up for more food."
Tashi turned to Tao as the three of them stood up to stretch, feeling more comfortable that they were temporarily safe from danger. "I have a magika potion, can you scout the air?" Tashi asked Tao.
"You know the deal," he quickly replied.
"Of course. We will protect you with our life," Tashi promised. Tao smiled before he laid onto the ground, flat on his back, and made himself comfortable as he closed his eyes once more. He took a deep breath before snapping his fingers, causing his entire body to go limp, before his jaw began to stretch open, detaching to open wider. Neya looked away in disgust as Tashi peeked in amazement. A large eyeball with a red iris emerged from Tao's mouth, levitating above his limp body briefly before shooting vertically into the sky, disappearing into the sunlight.
"Do you think he can see anything?" Neya asked Tashi quietly.
"Not yet, but I can still hear and talk," Tao butted in, reminding her that he wasn't completely useless.
"Right."
It was only a brief moment before Tao gasped, "there!" he shouted in panic, unable to spit anything else out; his fear suffocating him. Neya and Tashi drew their weapon and went into high alert, but Tao was still panicking. "They're coming right for us!"
"Who!?" Tashi yelled out sternly.
"Jora and the wolves, but everything about him was wrong!" Tao shouted back, his voice shaking badly. "He's level 60, his weapon is legendary-" he paused slightly, "South!" They were coming from the hill, where the dense woods ended; how did Tao not sense them?
Tashi quickly pivoted, doing a 180, as Neya stood a few feet west of him at the ready, standing close to Tao to protect his lifeless body as she watched her husband helplessly.
The bushes that surrounded the trees rustled lightly before Jora burst from them, directly at Tashi. Their swords clashed with a loud clank as the metal fought each other; one powered by life, the other death.