Kyt shared Torj’s opinion of the diminutive otherworlder but the magical carriage was certainly a marvel. It was called a pickup which was a strange name. She tried to study how the otherworlder was operating it but she didn’t think she would be able to do it herself. She looked out the back window at Torj who was holding on tightly as the vehicle bounced over the rough road and nearly laughed at his grim expression. She was glad the seat she was on was comfortable. There were lots of strange scents she had not smelled before. The best part was that although the windows were closed to keep the dust out, which should have made it quite warm in the vehicle, cool air blew on her from openings in front of her. The otherworlder called it air conditioning. They drove until noon when they stopped for a short break. Torj stretched his muscles and shook the dust off. He didn’t seem to be enjoying the trip so far but they hadn’t run across any monsters at least. She didn’t know if it was the strange noises it made or the strange smells it gave off, but the monsters were leaving them alone so far.

After the break, they continued on until she told the otherworlder to slow down. Her keen eyesight had caught something on the road in the distance. As they got closer she could see it was the wreck of a wagon. They stopped and got out to investigate. The otherworlder grabbed a strange metal tube wrapped in wood which she assumed was some kind of weapon. Torj jumped down and kept a wary eye on the nearby forest while Kyt walked up to the wreck. “There is no doubt. It is the armored wagon that was sent out but it looks like it was heading back toward the city.” She said looking around for bodies. Unfortunately there was nothing, even the draft animal was missing. Considering the amount of dried blood on the ground, she doubted there were any survivors. She pinched some between her fingers and sniffed. “I would say it happened last night.” She said wiping her hand on the grass. The wagon was up on its side with half its wheels broken and the cover shredded. Pieces of wooden ration crates were scattered among the wreckage but their contents were also gone. Torj knelt down, looking at the ground for tracks. “They were chased down the road and then the attackers went back into the forest there.” He said pointing to a patch of trees where branches had been broken. “I’ve never see tracks like these. They remind me of forest ants but larger.” Torj continued frowning. “Also forest ants wouldn’t be able to catch a wagon.” Kyt pointed out.

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“Do either of you think there is any point in following the monsters into the forest?” The otherworlder asked, staring at the forest. “No, monsters don’t take prisoners, they are only food.” Torj replied. “That’s what I figured. Anyway, our job is to check out the outpost and find Fol so let’s get moving.” The otherworlder said walking back to the pickup. Torj and Kyt looked at each other, shrugged, and then followed. In a few more miles the forest started spreading out on both sides of the road and they slowed down as the trees surrounded them. After some more progress, the road started angling upwards. The outpost was on the top of a hill in a cleared area. She had been there twice before. “We are getting close. We should stop and check it out on foot.” Kyt said pointing toward a break in the trees ahead of them. “Good idea.” The otherworlder said pulling over. He grabbed something out from behind the seat and they all went forward quietly.

She could hear a weird rustling noise coming from the clearing which made her feel uneasy. They all crouched down and crawled the rest of the way until they could see the outpost. The clearing and outpost walls were covered in strange black insects. She couldn’t even begin to count how many there were. The otherworlder put something to his eyes and scanned the surroundings. She figured it was some kind of spy glass. He finished and handed it to her, showing her a dial at the top. She copied him and put it to her eyes. It was a little blurry at first so she fiddled with the dial and soon everything came into focus. The insects seemed to have wings and sharp mandibles. She looked at the outpost which was just a wooden fort. The gate was intact and there were still a few guards manning the walls. She handed the spy glass to Torj who also scanned the outpost. When he was done, he motioned back the way they came and they all slowly crawled backwards. They made it safely back to the pickup. “Giant cockroaches. At least it isn’t spiders I guess. I hate spiders.” The otherworlder said with a shiver.