The road wardens charged into the forest clearing, pine needles flying up beneath the hooves of their horses, still maintaining their distance from the pursued creatures. Moments later, the transformed beings appeared to their left. Now everyone could see their twisted, grotesque limbs, hands with deadly claws, and faces frozen in cruel grimaces. If the transformation had made them taller, it was barely noticeable.
Upon spotting the riders, the creatures reacted with unnatural speed, turning and charging toward them in a half-animal gait, leaning forward and occasionally using their clawed hands for propulsion. The thought that these abominations had once been living humans only made the task ahead more harrowing. Otan sniffed loudly, then loosed the first arrow. It struck one of the creatures in the shoulder, knocking it to the ground. Yet it only rolled, scrambled back to its feet, and kept running, though not for long—Berk's second arrow sank deep into its right eye socket, and another pierced its chest near the heart. The wretched being staggered a few steps before collapsing.
The others didn’t hold back either, loosing volley after volley. The creatures didn’t fall as quickly as living men would, but a few coordinated barrages silenced all snarls and howls soon enough.
Cautiously, the wardens circled the now-motionless bodies from a safe distance several times before Moira declared, "In my opinion, that should be the end of it. But cover me while I check if there’s another trick hiding behind this." She dismounted, her mare obediently standing still.
Ashan dismounted as well, handing his reins to Tex. The rest followed Moira's request, keeping their weapons ready. Ashan, however, approached her silently with his axe in hand. When she frowned at him, he simply said, “I can guard you just as well from here,” and positioned himself to her right. She considered insisting he stay back, her face momentarily set in a stubborn expression, but ultimately let it go.
Together, they approached the nearest body. With her hand extended, she cast a spell to commune with the dead. Yet all she could hear was the same eerie howling they had encountered earlier; no answers came. Frustrated, she ended the futile attempt and examined the transformed creature closely. As with Larkan, the body was covered in numerous runes—though fewer, if she had to guess. She cut open the man’s shirt to inspect him thoroughly.
“Look here,” she said to Ashan, pointing at the wrists marked with clear bruises. “Binding marks.”
“On the ankles too,” she confirmed, rolling up the torn pants leg to reveal abrasions caused by ropes.
“Do you think they were—” Ashan broke off, turning away in anger and shaking his head in disbelief, his frustration palpable.
“They won’t be getting back up,” Moira said to the rest of the group, who were still circling the area with bows ready, just in case any of the creatures had a second wind.
“Ashan?” Tex called, approaching him quickly to check what was wrong. Meanwhile, Moira moved on to examine the other corpses, scrutinizing the runes used in their transformation.
“These weren’t trusted disciples, Tex,” Ashan said, his voice taut with rage. “This wasn’t some deranged cultist sacrificing themselves. This—” he gestured at the nearest body—“was a prisoner. Bound in life, then turned into this after death.”
The others joined them, exchanging words of disbelief, curses, and bitter comments. When Moira finished her inspection, she rejoined the group and explained in a subdued but methodical tone. “Similar marks are on all six bodies. The runic language, ancient as it is, isn’t one I know well. But from what I can decipher, the spell’s components activated upon their death, no matter the cause.”
It was now clear to everyone what had likely occurred: captives, abducted by the Last Tribe, dragged to the Elder’s experiments, murdered, and turned into these creatures to spread chaos.
“The coalition of cities must know about this,” Tex said firmly.
“We’ll inform Kaarv’s overseer personally and send letters to Kardum,” Moira suggested. The group agreed and was about to mount their horses when they noticed Moira wasn’t moving.
“Moira?” Ashan asked, one foot already in his stirrup.
“Before we head back, I’d like to check the spot where you first sensed them,” she replied hesitantly, pulling her cloak tighter around herself. “Some of them—well, some have fresh blood on their claws. Someone might still need our help.”
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They retraced their path initially, then slowed as they ventured into denser parts of the forest. After a few minutes, they spotted thin trails of white smoke rising through the trees—then another, and another—until the trail led them to a small charcoal-burners’ camp. Among the tents and earthen mounds where charcoal was made, the ground was littered with clawed and bitten bodies of men and women.
The team split up to search for survivors, but it was in vain.
“I could—” Moira began, intending to offer her necromantic spell again, but stopped when she saw the weary, grief-stricken faces of her companions.
“Nothing they could tell us will help now,” Tex said, putting an arm around Moira’s shoulders from behind. “Does it really matter if the creatures came from the left or the right?” She released her but kept a hand on her shoulder. “Help us move them, will you?” she asked gently. When Moira nodded, Tex gave her a soft pat, smiled faintly, and added, “Thanks.”
They set to work, wrapping the victims in cloth, hides, or whatever canvas they could find in the camp. Carefully securing the bodies for transport, they brought them back to Riverside, the nearest settlement they knew, where the charcoal-burners might have lived. The return journey took a little longer than the ride out, but they arrived before nightfall.
Back in Riverside, they informed the guard they had spoken with before heading to forest, carefully omitting their theories about the creatures’ origins. They trusted that the overseer would decide by himself how much and when to reveal to his people. Local forces were devasted, that not far from here, such monstrosities were roaming freely. They took the bodies promising that they will try to find the families of the deceased and although an offer was made, that they can stay the night here, before going back to Kaarv, the need to report back to overseer without undue delay was understandable and accepted excuse.
After a brief stop to water their horses, the group continued on to the town to speak urgently with the overseer and dispatch a report to Kardum. He received them with gratitude and assured them that he would take the necessary measures to protect the people from the fate of those abducted and transformed intro undead wild creatures. He encouraged them to rest behind the town walls after what he assumed had been a grim expedition, after which they deserved a good rest.
As they departed, they could still hear him urgently summoning his adjutants to issue the necessary orders, while still keeping his well-trained calm demeanor. “He got it covered” remarked Otan with a hint of respect, when they were back at the front of the building.
“Let’s call it a day,” Tex said, yawning immediately. They all agreed, trying not to yawn as well, which was impossible, and one by one they followed her example before jumping back on their horses and moving on.
They ended up back at the same tavern as before. Exhausted from the ordeal, they gladly welcomed the chance to sleep in proper beds and eat a warm meal or two, much to the delight of the couple who ran the place, as they were once again the only customers that night.
The next day, instead of heading upriver, the group decided to inspect the grounds where the new army was assembling. Early regiments from villages and settlements in other districts had started to arrive. They left right after the hearty breakfast.
Moira and Ashan employed every method they knew to meticulously search for any cursed objects, lingering hexes, or signs of magical sabotage. They combed the area for evidence of plots tied to the Last Tribe. However, it seemed the overseer had been correct—neither within the city nor in its immediate surroundings had any cultist dared risk detection. At least at this stage, there was no indication of subversive activity. Satisfied, though remaining vigilant, they prepared for their next move.
“Since everything seems in order here, let’s check the situation in the nearby settlements to the north. There might be more incidents like this,” Tex suggested during a break, after they had completed their second circuit of the camp, which was steadily transforming into a full-fledged barracks.
“I hope not, but I agree. The overseer has things under control in the city. On our way back, we’ll inspect these barracks again, but for now, it’s better to see if anything is brewing closer to the border with the region of Hooren they’ve taken,” Ashan replied with determination. He added after a moment, “Something we might not easily see with our eyes or from a bird’s flight perspective.”
“Fair enough,” Moira agreed, mounting her mare. The others followed suit, and soon they were on the other side of the river on the trail heading north.
With each furlong, patrols and the sight of armed men became less frequent, until finally, they found themselves entirely alone on the trail. The opportunity was seized by Moira's ravens, which descended significantly, gliding closer to their mistress. Whole group kept a moderate pace, not pushing their horses too hard, and maintained a loose formation, which naturally allowed for casual conversation. Accompanied by the rhythmic clatter of hooves on the well-trodden trail, they reminisced about the dumplings some of them had sampled with Otan, while the others demanded that they all go together once they returned to Kardum. Tex launched into an enthusiastic monologue about the superiority of Master Shaven’s fencing techniques, praising their innovation and simplicity.
Despite the seemingly lighthearted banter, it was clear to everyone that the conversation served a purpose beyond mere entertainment. It was a collective effort to shake off the weight of the previous day’s grim events, to stave off dwelling on the same fears that had haunted them. Each member of the group played along, hoping the charade would buoy not just their spirits but those of their comrades as well. Though laughter occasionally punctuated the dialogue, their eyes remained sharp, scanning the horizon and the thin woods that flanked the road, ready for anything that might break the fragile peace of the moment, as they moved further away from the Kaarv and its forces.