Adapt or perish
Chapter one
The caravan had been traveling for many days without rest. Huge wagons pulled by beasts with armored sides and reinforced wheels. Various colors from hides and fabric adorned them displaying what was offered by the owners. The worn and mud-spattered guards who walked and rode tamed beasts kept a diligent watch for threats of any aspect.
The beasts themselves looked tired and worn. Some even showed signs of hunger from lack of grazing or forage due to the pace they were traveling. These beasts who were pulling the wagons had come from a noble stock at one time. Their larger size and extra legs allowed for purchase in different terrains while still being able to pull immense amounts of weight. The shaggy fur and thick hide are proof against thickets and thorny plants. Even mortal weapons could not penetrate their hide. The head shape was similar to a buffalo and the body is capable of startling flexibility.
The beasts being ridden by guards looked like raptors with various colors of scales and a thick tail for balance on two legs. The eyes revealed an intelligence as proved by the lack of harnesses. The guards sat in the saddle with clasps holding them tight so bows and spears could be employed. A saber was sheathed on the left leg and a buckler on the right. Chest armor and helm seemed to be optional but all had leg and arm bracers.
A rider was returning to the caravan from scouting ahead. His face looked troubled by what he had to report. "Master pathfinder here to report to caravan leader Mairena."
"What did you find, anyplace we can stop and rest yet?" The exhaustion in her voice from days guiding the convoy was showing through her tone, while her face maintained by her will stayed stoic to whatever bad news was forthcoming.
Stolen from Royal Road, this story should be reported if encountered on Amazon.
"You remember that town we were heading for, Yaris holdings. There seems to have been an outbreak of some sort. The walls and buildings are untouched but piles of ash and bone are all over as if everyone burned where they fell. A few survived but were too far away to know what caused it. A child was found naked in an alchemy cauldron, where it looks like a guardian put him to keep him safe."
"We have no choice but to make camp soon." After some consideration, she gave the orders to shift in the direction of Yaris holdings. "The youth are to remain sealed in wagons till we know what happened to them. Do a detailed search of the area and post guards as you see fit." With hand signals going up and down the convoy it began to shift direction to a hopefully safe resting spot where they could make repairs and replenish supplies.
The village walls were made from stone mud and wood. Whole trees were used as a framework to support the mud wall that rose over 30 feet and has a thickness of ten or more feet. The rocks and huge boulders were placed on the outer surface of the wall as armor to prevent monsters and wild beasts from digging through. Branches are woven together, for platforms and a trench with removable bridges showed how strong a defensive parameter is needed in the harsh jungle of the Fang Kingdom. Any significant outpost would need a substantial amount of defense to discourage predators be they fellow humans or beasts. Monsters driven mad by crystal blood poisoning wouldn't care and attack anything that crosses their path, even each other.
The village was made of buildings two and three stories high with platforms and bridges fastened to the highest floors. Narrow doors at ground level and widows only on second floors contributed extra protection in case of a breach of the walls. The village compound encircled a large gatherings field with a huge cauldron and shaped logs as seating for the ceremony. The piles of gear and ash were windblown by the arrival of the convoy. The seventeen survivors including a young boy wrapped in random clothing were sitting on the logs chatting with the scouts and seemed to be lost at what to do next.
Over the next few days, the village was stripped of all valuable resources that could be hauled away and the event was researched to understand what had happened. The conclusion reached was, a poison was released by a traveler who was visiting. The poison caused blood to ignite and flash burn killing hundreds. A package and name were found with the boy's name on it. The boy was adopted by the clan running the caravan and raised as their own. His name is Feng Hei.
End of character one, part one