A suffocating darkness engulfed the forest, the towering trees blotting out what little moonlight dared to pierce through the thick canopy. The usual chorus of chirping crickets and croaking frogs was drowned beneath the rhythmic drumming of raindrops against the leaves.
But that night, the forest was anything but tranquil.
A lone horse thundered through the undergrowth, its hooves striking the damp earth in a desperate flight. Moments later, the sound multiplied another set, then another. A unit of pursuers trailed behind, their movements frantic as they struggled to catch up.
"Where the hell did he go?!" the temporary captain of the unit bellowed, his frustration cutting through the rain.
"I'm sorry, Captain! We lost him!" a soldier called back, his breath ragged.
The captain cursed under his breath. "Damn it! Spread out and find Veldar! Now! If you see anything anything alert me immediately!"
Without hesitation, the soldiers scattered, their torches flickering as they vanished into the maze of trees. Silence followed in their wake.
A shadow moved.
High above, nestled within the thick branches, an old man exhaled softly, his grip tightening around the bundle in his arms a baby, swaddled and sleeping, blissfully unaware of the peril surrounding them.
Veldar listened for a few moments, ensuring no patrols remained close. Then, like a wraith slipping through the night, he dropped soundlessly to the ground.
"Alright, those bastards are gone," he muttered, scanning the forest floor. His sharp eyes searched for the horse he had sent away as a decoy, his pulse steady despite the urgency of the moment.
A low whistle, barely audible over the rain. He waited. Another whistle.
Minutes passed before the familiar sound of hooves approached softer this time, cautious. A dark silhouette emerged from between the trees, the horse returning to its master's call.
"Good," Veldar murmured, shifting the child in his arms. Even in the dim light, the baby's features stood out golden hair damp from the mist, a face untouched by the cruelty of the world. The face of a future emperor.
A future stolen before it had even begun.
"Up you go," Veldar whispered, gently placing the child into the saddlebags, wrapping him securely. The baby stirred but did not wake.
With practiced ease, the old man mounted the horse, gripping the reins. Then, without hesitation, he spurred the beast forward, disappearing into the depths of the forest chasing the fragile hope that they would live to see another dawn.
*********************************************************************************************************
Several Years Later
The forest stretched endlessly, thick with towering trees and tangled undergrowth. The occasional beam of golden sunlight filtered through the dense canopy, casting shifting patterns across the dirt path. Crickets chirped in the distance, their rhythmic song blending with the occasional croak of a frog. The scent of damp earth filled the air, mingling with the faint rustle of unseen creatures moving in the underbrush.
Three figures moved cautiously down the narrow trail, weapons in hand, eyes sharp for any sign of danger. Despite their high alert, the tension was shattered unsurprisingly by an all-too-familiar voice.
"OUCH! Watch it, Grim, you pig!" Serephina shrieked, her voice sharp enough to pierce through the tranquil forest like a damn war horn.
Grimwald barely flinched. "Goddamn, can you be any louder? Maybe set off some fireworks while you're at it?" He snorted, rolling his eyes. "Quit whining. I barely stepped on your foot by accident, mind you."
Serephina's eyes narrowed. "Oh? Then let's see how you like it!"
Before Grimwald could react, she lifted her boot and slammed it down on his foot with all the force of a charging beast.
"AAGHHH! You crazy bitch!" Grimwald howled, stumbling back. "What the hell was that for?!"
Serephina smirked. "Oops. Accident."
"You damn psycho that actually hurt!"
"Oh, now you care about fairness? Suck it up, you overgrown gorilla."
Draven, who had been walking ahead in blissful ignorance, came to a slow stop. His fingers twitched at his side before he turned toward them, an unreadable expression on his face. He took a deep breath, visibly restraining himself.
"You two…" His voice was unnervingly calm. "Why don't we stop acting like dumbasses in the middle of a monster-infested forest? You can do that, right? Right?"
Serephina and Grimwald froze. They recognized that tone. The, I swear to the god I will strangle you tone.
"Oh yeah, of course! We weren't fighting, just…talking," Serephina said, clearing her throat.
"Yeah, just having a friendly discussion," Grimwald added, nodding far too quickly.
Draven's eye twitched.
"We'll shut up now," they muttered in unison.
Satisfied, Draven turned and continued walking, savoring the silence. That peace, however, lasted an impressively grand total of ten seconds.
"Look, all I'm saying is…"
"You've got to be kidding me, it hasn't even been a freaking 10 seconds" Draven groaned, dragging a hand down his face. Without another word, he spun around and smacked them both lightly on the head.
"You two can't go five minutes without bickering. Are you toddlers?"
Serephina and Grimwald clutched their heads, eyes brimming with tears from exaggerated betrayal.
Draven sighed. "Let's go. We need to find a place to set up camp before dark."
Muttering under their breath, the two followed behind, their silhouettes stretching long against the dimming horizon as the sun dipped below the trees.
The trio trudged along the winding forest path, the dirt beneath their boots damp from last night's rain. Shafts of sunlight pierced through the dense canopy, offering fleeting warmth in an otherwise cool, humid air. The rhythmic rustling of leaves and distant chirping of unseen birds filled the silence until Serephina, as usual, broke it.
"Ugh… I'm so hungry," she groaned, dragging her feet. "It's been three damn days since we've eaten anything but fruits and mushrooms. I swear, I can feel myself wasting away."
Grimwald scoffed. "Oh, I'm sorry, Your Highness. But maybe just maybe if someone hadn't eaten half your food rations before we even got through the first week, we wouldn't be starving right now."
Serephina glared. "Excuse me?! I wasn't that bad."
Grimwald crossed his arms. "You ate three days' worth of your jerky. IN ONE DAMN NIGHT."
"…I was stressed." Serephina muttered.
Draven let out a slow breath, rubbing his temples. "Both of you, get it together. We'll reach Vihadi by nightfall, or worst case, tomorrow morning. There'll be food there, so let's keep moving."
"Yeah, if we don't get eaten by monsters first," Serephina muttered under her breath.
"You don't have to worry about that." Grimwald smirked, tapping his nose. "My instincts are top-tier, you know. I can sense monsters from a few hundred meters away, … though, uh, pinpointing the exact direction is a bit tricky."
"That's true," Draven admitted. "Thanks to you, we've managed to avoid trouble so far. Just make sure your senses aren't dulled from hunger, Grimwald."
"Hah! Please. Nothing dulls my instincts." Grimwald puffed out his chest. "Not hunger, not exhaustion, not…"
Serephina cringed. "Goddamn it, stop. You're embarrassing yourself."
The group continued forward, the banter keeping their minds off their empty stomachs until Grimwald suddenly froze.
His entire body tensed, his nostrils flaring as his head snapped from side to side, scanning the trees with wide, alert eyes.
Draven slowed to a stop, watching him carefully. "What is it?"
Grimwald didn't answer. His muscles were coiled tight, his hands hovering over his weapon. His usual smugness was gone replaced by a cold, focused intensity.
"Something's coming" he said.
Serephina sighed. "Look, if this is another one of your dumb pranks, I swear…"
"IT'S NOT A PRANK!"
Grimwald's voice boomed through the forest, his usual smug demeanor replaced with raw urgency. Draven and Serephina froze, their bodies tensing Grimwald wasn't the type to lose his cool over nothing.
Without hesitation, they drew their weapons, falling into a defensive stance.
"What do we do? Should we run?" Serephina asked, gripping her staff tightly.
"I think that's our best option," Draven said quickly. His mind raced, calculating their chances. "Grim, can you pinpoint the direction? We need to run the other way."
Grimwald inhaled sharply, his nostrils flaring. His face paled. "It's coming from behind us. The density is so overwhelming I can pinpoint it exactly."
"Then we keep moving forward," Draven ordered.
Without another word, the trio bolted, their footsteps pounding against the dirt path. The wind howled past them as they sprinted like their lives depended on it because they did.
Then, a thud shook the ground.
A deafening impact, like a mountain slamming into the earth. A shockwave of force nearly knocked them off their feet. The sheer pressure of the landing sent a tremor through their bones.
Dust exploded into the air, obscuring their vision. And then
A roar.
Deep, guttural, and overwhelming, the monstrous bellow reverberated through the forest, shaking the very air around them. Birds and beasts alike scattered, fleeing into the night.
Draven's heart hammered in his chest as the dust settled. A towering shadow loomed before them. The creature's form became visible, its golden reptilian eyes piercing through the haze.
A Lycan.
"You're kidding me…" Serephina's voice trembled. "Is that… really a Lycan??"
The creature's obsidian-black fur shimmered ominously under the dimming sunlight. Twelve feet tall at the shoulder, its massive wings were half-unfurled, dust still rolling off its frame from the impact.
"What the hell is a Calamity-class monster doing here?! This route was supposed to be the safest one!" Grimwald exclaimed, panic creeping into his voice.
"Ahh… we're dead," Serephina whispered, her voice barely audible. "Even at full strength, we wouldn't last ten seconds… and right now, we're barely holding on."
Yet, despite the despair clawing at them, they tried to stand their ground, weapons raised.