Keen stepped forward, his voice steady but firm. The strangers shuffled back, fear evident in their wide eyes and trembling hands. He raised his hands in a gesture of peace. "Everyone, weapons down," he commanded.
"What?" Wild snapped, her grip tightening on her club. "If this is because they helped, maybe it's just because they didn't want to—"
"Look at them!" Keen cut her off, his tone rising. "They're not a threat right now. Do as I say—weapons down!"
The group hesitated, the weight of Keen's words pressing on them. Slowly, one by one, they complied. Even Wild, though her frustration was clear, lowered her weapon reluctantly.
Keen exhaled, his shoulders relaxing slightly. "Good," he said, turning back to the strangers. He extended a hand toward the trembling man, whose face was pale with fear.
The man flinched, recoiling slightly, his eyes darting between Keen's face and the outstretched hand. When nothing happened, he hesitated, then cautiously reached out. His grip was weak, his fingers trembling as he accepted the gesture. Keen helped him to his feet before offering the same to the woman at his side. She accepted with visible hesitation, standing and clutching her companion's arm for support.
"Now look," Keen said, turning to the group. "Remember, the ones before—the hostile ones—they wore different clothing." He gestured toward the strangers' robes, a vivid orange that seemed almost alive in the dappled light of the forest. The intricate embroidery glinted faintly: a beast bathed in flames.
Serene and Shot had climbed down from the trees, approaching cautiously. Serene's gaze locked onto the strangers' robes, her brow furrowing in curiosity. "Grey," she said, nudging him gently, "look. Isn't that… from the scroll?"
Grey turned, his eyes narrowing as he focused on the golden emblem stitched onto the fabric. It depicted a majestic beast, its mane a roaring inferno, flames cascading down its body as if it could reduce the world to ash.
His heart raced. Grey glanced at Serene, who met his gaze, her expression a mix of wonder and unease. "It's just like the vision."
"We'll circle back to that," Keen said, chuckling lightly at the cryptic revelation that clearly escaped his understanding. He turned his attention back to the two strangers, his tone softening. "First," he began, "who are you?"
The strangers exchanged uncertain glances, their confusion evident. They stared at Keen blankly, as though he had spoken an entirely foreign language.
"Maybe speak slower," Grey suggested, stepping closer. "Remember, the last ones could barely speak like us, except for that old man."
Keen nodded and repeated his question, enunciating each word carefully. But the only response was a string of strange, guttural syllables that sounded more like a chant than speech. He frowned, turning back to the group. "What now?"
"Move, I'll try," Brawl said gruffly, stepping forward.
The strangers flinched, shrinking back as the burly man approached, his imposing stature doing little to ease their fear. His rough, no-nonsense demeanor wasn't exactly inviting, but he pressed on.
"Brawl," he said, pointing to himself with deliberate gestures. "Brawl." He repeated the motion, making his meaning clear.
The man among the strangers seemed to understand. His posture straightened, and he performed an unfamiliar gesture. One arm swept behind his back, his waist bent slightly, and he dipped into a bow, "Aedric."
"I think he's saying his name," Serene whispered, her tone uncertain.
"Yeah, but what's he doing with his head?" Shot asked, her brows knitting together as she watched the unfamiliar motion.
Grey narrowed his eyes, studying the man's odd gesture. "Maybe it's… a kind of signal? Or how they introduce themselves?"
The hunters exchanged cautious glances, the air thick with tension. The stranger's movements, though fluid and intentional, seemed alien. It wasn't threatening, but its purpose was beyond their understanding.
The girl mirrored the man's gesture, her movements more hurried but no less deliberate. "Liora," she said softly, her voice carrying a melodic lilt that seemed to calm the surrounding tension, if only slightly.
Brawl, ever direct, took charge. He motioned toward himself with a waving gesture before stepping back. "Come," he said firmly, his tone leaving no room for debate.
Liora and Aedric didn't budge, their confusion clear as they exchanged wary glances.
Brawl let out an exasperated sigh and marched over to Aedric. The man yelped as Brawl grabbed his arm and, with little effort, dragged him a few steps forward. Turning toward Liora, Brawl repeated, "Come!" more emphatically, the frustration evident in his voice.
Trembling, Liora hesitated before slowly approaching. Once she joined them, Brawl released Aedric's arm and stepped back, repeating the gesture again with a sharp, "Come." This time, both strangers cautiously followed his lead, their movements tentative but compliant.
As the group watched the scene unfold, Shot struggled to suppress her laughter. "Why isn't he a father yet?" she asked, her voice bubbling with amusement. "He'd be amazing at training kids."
Keen smirked and chimed in, "Who do you think watched Stilra?"
The group froze for a moment before the absurdity of the revelation hit them. Laughter erupted, their amusement breaking through the heavy tension of the moment. Even Grey chuckled as he glanced at Brawl, whose face had turned an unmistakable shade of red.
The uproar only grew louder as Brawl muttered under his breath and turned away, clearly flustered. The strangers, meanwhile, stood awkwardly to the side, their confusion palpable as they watched the hunters laughing with tears in their eyes.
"It was a fleeting but much-needed moment of levity amid the dangers they faced.
"Not that I'm eager to carry corpses, especially with no sled," Shot began, her laughter subsiding into practicality. "But I doubt these two want to leave their colleagues behind."
"I can carry one, maybe two," Wild said, her tone steadier now that the strangers' lack of hostility had calmed her nerves. "But that's it. There's ten here, and they look pretty scrawny." She poked Leora's side with a finger, causing the girl to yelp in a high-pitched squeak. "Very, very scrawny."
"They're definitely not physically strong," Grey observed, noticing a pale red aura emanating faintly from both strangers. It was a stark contrast to the vibrant orange nodes of Will they had manifested earlier. His mind wandered to Elder's teachings, about how their own village's ancestry allowed them to strengthen their bodies. The old man from the serpent strangers must have been an anomaly of some sort.
Brawl, undeterred by the strangers' protests, walked over to the fallen bodies. He grabbed two with little effort, lifting them as though they were bundles of firewood. Aedric's eyes widened as he rushed over, waving his arms and chanting in rapid, panicked syllables.
"Now what? We're trying to help—relax," Brawl said, shoving Aedric back with an exasperated grunt.
Aedric let out a frustrated huff and reached for the ring on his finger.
Without warning, a large wooden cart materialized before them, its sturdy frame more than large enough to accommodate all ten of the fallen strangers.
The hunters gasped collectively, instinctively stepping back. Serene nearly stumbled over her own feet in shock.
"What the heck?! Fireballs are one thing, but this?" Serene exclaimed, pointing at the cart as though it might vanish.
Grey's heart raced, recognition flashing across his face. He darted toward Aedric, his eyes fixated on the ring. The memory hit him like a wave—the man who had given him Tear had also left him with something else, something he had hidden under his home ever since. Now, it was tied around his neck.
"How…?" Grey muttered, grabbing Aedric's hand to inspect the ring.
Before he could study it further, Leora rushed forward. She shoved Grey back with surprising force, raising her hands in a protective stance in front of Aedric. Orange nodes of light flickered to life around her fingers, the intensity of her aura growing.
Aedric reached out, forcing her arms down with a sharp command, his voice firm but calm.
"Grey," Serene called, her voice breaking through his thoughts. "What's wrong?"
"Nothing," he lied, releasing Aedric's hand and stepping back. "That ring… I just wanted to know how it worked."
His mind swirled with questions he wasn't ready to share. Enough revelations had surfaced today. He'd tell the others later.
"Be careful," Wild said as she approached the cart, gently lifting a body into it. "They might've thought we were trying to rob them or something."
Brawl took a step forward, his sharp gaze fixed on Aedric. He jabbed a finger at the ring and then pointed to himself, his movements deliberate. "Come," he said firmly, then immediately raised both hands in front of him, palms out, forming an unmistakable barrier. "No," he added, his tone hard but calm.
Aedric and Liora exchanged wary glances, still unsure but visibly processing his gestures. Brawl repeated the sequence—pointing to the ring, then himself, then holding his hands up again as if to reinforce his point. "Come. No." His gruff voice carried a sense of finality.
To further clarify, Brawl shook his head emphatically while stepping back, creating space between himself and Aedric. He jabbed a finger toward Grey and then toward the cart. "Help," he barked, motioning toward the bodies being loaded. He gestured down the path and waved his hand forward, urging them to move on.
Aedric's furrowed brow eased slightly as understanding dawned. He touched the ring on his hand, glancing at Brawl before nodding hesitantly. Liora lowered her head slightly, her body language relaxing as she mirrored Aedric's response.
Brawl let out a satisfied grunt, crossing his arms as he turned back to the group. "Good," he muttered, his expression one of quiet triumph. "Now we move."
The group quickly got to work, gathering the bodies with a care that did not go unnoticed by Liora and Aedric. The strangers exchanged quiet glances of gratitude as they watched the fallen being handled gently, placed with respect in the cart.
Once the task was done, Keen stepped forward, gripping the heavy harge and dragging it with some effort. "Let's head back," he said, his voice firm but carrying a hint of relief. "We'll stop by and check if the first beast is still there."
At the sight of Keen effortlessly hauling the monstrous harge, Aedric and Liora gasped audibly. They exchanged hushed words in their language, their tone somewhere between awe and disbelief.
Brawl turned to them with his usual directness. "Come," he said, gesturing with a sharp wave of his hand. The strangers hesitated briefly but seemed to understand, quickly falling in line behind him.
Meanwhile, Grey stepped forward, gripping the cart loaded with the ten fallen. With an ease that defied logic, he pulled it, his movements smooth and unstrained despite the weight. Liora's eyes widened, her gaze flitting between Grey and the cart as if trying to reconcile what she was seeing.
Their path took them back to the site of their earlier battle with the first beast. As they approached, Brawl walked over to its hulking form, hefting it onto his shoulder with a grunt of effort. Once again, Liora and Aedric gasped, murmuring rapidly in their tongue. Their astonishment was clear, though the group paid it little mind, their focus on returning safely.
The journey back was silent, their steps measured and deliberate to avoid drawing unwanted attention. Each creak of the cart and rustle of the forest seemed amplified in the tense quiet, but no threats emerged. Finally, they reached the barrier, the shift from the vibrant outer woods to the snow-covered stillness of their village land both jarring and welcome.
Liora and Aedric froze as they crossed the barrier, their expressions a mix of awe and confusion. Aedric knelt briefly, running his hand across the snow-covered ground as though trying to make sense of the sudden, radical change in climate.
The group didn't pause, continuing forward as the cold air wrapped around them. For the first time in days, they crossed the threshold victorious, with no losses for the village. Ahead lay new mysteries—and whatever answers the two strangers might provide.