The Signs of Incursion (2)

Earlier that day.

Ilian, Kalux, Manulus and the other twenty members of their group left before the break of dawn. They thread their usual course whenever they go out hunting. 

To the west of the outer circle. 

The group's speed of moving around the woods isn't slow. The orcs transformed into their beast form.

They are all from the same clan as Sibal so their fur is blueish with a tinge of green and grey. The distinct features of the then Azure Wolf Tribe. Their huge bodies in the beast form are nimble and they make faint afterimages as they dart around the woodland.

The moon elves on the other hand are not left behind. Their superior physicality is in full show. They are running not far behind their orc comrades with just their own two feet. 

No matter how uneven the terrain or how big the protruding tree roots are, they can easily speed up with ease. This can be attributed to their moon elf blood. However, it is an indisputable fact that this expert level of movement is honed from their constant plight as an ostracized rogue group.

Most of these young individuals grew up running for their lives.

It wasn't that long until they reached a tunnel entrance that caved in. There are black traces of burning on the ground. This must be the work of their good friend.

"This is what Xagrien had told us, right?" a moon elf asked as he stopped in front of the supposed tunnel exit.

Kalux nodded in confirmation. Before they left they manage to meet up with Xagrien. They saw the man holding an unconscious bearer in his arm as he limps his way back into their small dwelling.

Kalux remembered that they were supposed to ask about the identity of the bearer that Xagrien brought. However, they are immediately shut down with a warning about a horde of underground creatures lurking in their tunnels.

Xagrien advised them to stay away from the tunnel in the meantime since these creatures are very tricky to deal with.

The strongest moon elf in their group even said that they need to make a thorough plan if they will ever initiate an attack against those creatures.

"Should we open up the entrance?" One of their orc comrade with a relatively brave personality asked.

"No, I don't think that is a good idea. If there is indeed a horde of root crawlers in this part, then will be bad for us since our home is not that far from here. Besides, Xagrien wouldn't say such a warning if it isn't true." Ilian said proactively while his face is covered with dripping sweat. He bent his body to catch his breath and wiped his wet and flushed face with his wide palm. 

While he has considerable stamina, his fleshy body makes it a little heavy to sprint with his fellowmen.

It is inevitable for him to come last.

The entire hunting group stared with a hint of helplessness at the moon elf with a distinguishing healthy looking body. And thought of a single phrase, 'Xagrien's yes-man through and through'.

All of them are aware of that and they must admit that they are a little bit like Ilian. However, this chubby fellow is incomparably worse than them.

"What?" Illian's beady eyes looked around his comrade.

"Don't mind them, Ilian," Manulus said. He then faced others and boldly declared. "Actually, he's got a point. It will be dangerous for us if we touch it if it's just us. For now, let's travel above ground. We will hunt along the way, and then we will go back immediately."

No one dared to say anything about that. Manulus and Kalux are one of the respected individuals in the group, Sibal and Xagrien. Kalux is a silent strong man. While Manulus, despite the lanky image, has the aptitude to lead.

The two brothers are also the brains behind their earth houses and the tunnel network.

The group went deeper into the woods.

It seems that they are lucky today and a lot of mystic beasts and animals are active. They had even seen an entire herd of four-pronged stags moving around and they manage to get most of them, just leaving five young adult stags to fend for themselves.

The group then manage to hunt various mystic beasts whose meat is all edible. There is some meat that they haven't tasted yet!

The total game that they manage to hunt for an entire day is enough for them to last until another full moon!

Both orcs and moon elves are talking happily as they drain the blood of today's prey.

"This is probably the most bountiful hunt that I ever experienced!" Nereen exclaimed excitedly. He was so over the moon that he even forgot the pain of his injury the other day.

He is a young moon elf with an unremarkable face. However, he is known for his amiable personality.

"Slow down. Don't be too excited. Let me remind you that you still have wounds." an orc said in a reprimanding tone. "Move recklessly and your wound will fester, I am telling you."

"I am fine at all, can't you see?" then the moon elf made an exaggerated circular arm movement to prove a point. "Besides, I am using my wind power to lighten up the load on my arm."

There are other members of the hunting group who were injured from the other day's ordeal.

"Hey, those jerks from the other day must have healed by now, right?" another moon elf said.

"You bet. They must have a potion to heal their injury." Since they lack access to hemostatic potions, they can only apply some mashed herbs or medicinal juice from the herbs that they are familiar with. This method has little healing effect but it is better than nothing.

"Maybe, but someone must have died on their end. Kalux mercilessly slashed that young moon elf with his saber."

"Do you think they will come after us?"

"Maybe the new moon elf lord can help us?" Nereen said, hopeful.

'Fantasy' they all whispered in their heart.

Why would the moon elf lord waste their time for someone like them?

Silence reigned over the originally hearty conversation. It has been a taboo for them to kill any moon elves that are related to a clan especially if it is a nearby clan.

Some of them are not born as a rogue so they are knowledgeable about how most clans work.

Those moon elves would even chase to the ends of the continent for the sake of vengeance.

Hence, it was agreed among them to avoid any lethal altercation with the clans that they pass by.

"Do you have to worry about that? You just happen to meet them without us. This time we will beat their asses." an orc declared bravely.

"So you want to expose yourself so we can all die together?" Ilian deadpanned.

"You!" The orc exclaimed and was ready to pounce at Ilian.

"Hey, hey, stop it," Manulus said putting a stop to the impending horse playing.

The two retracted their claws from each other and resumed their respective work.

"Anyway, don't you find it weird?" an orc named Cain said. He transformed back into his humanoid form just like the others and is helping with the cleanup. "The beasts and animals are too active this time," he voiced out his opinion. 

This is what they observed during their hunt. Most of the mystic beasts and even the simple animals are wandering about.

Those creatures don't seem to be migrating or frantic so they didn't put it in mind as they are hunting. But thinking about it now, this is a little suspicious.

"Maybe there will be a storm coming?" Ilian guessed. He looked at the sky, through the lush canopy of the trees, it is easy to see it was sunny and cloudless. "Or maybe not."

"Perhaps it is just normal in this forest. Just looking at how rich the food resources are here and few predators, the plant-eating mystic beasts and animals must lack any difficulties in acquiring food so they can move around easily." Noreen expressed his understanding while discreetly caressing his aching arms.

"That is possible."

"Yes, could be right."

They only moved here for more or less thirty days, so they easily concluded it just like that.

The comrades shifted back to other topics as they cleaned their harvest.

They decided as they are conversing to smoke the excess to preserve the meat.

Their hunting lasted until the evening when the moon has just appeared.

All in all, the hunt was successful. Each and every member is satisfied with today's prey. 

All moon elves and orcs enjoyed the hunt so much that they failed to realize that they'd strayed too far from their place.

They also dug a tunnel in this part of the outer circle but they just passed through it.

"Wait, why don't we use the tunnel here? It's dark and it is problematic to deal with those nocturnal predators." Noreen suggested.

The entire group stopped in its tracks.

"I don't think that is safe,"Manulus answered back. "Let's continue walking above ground and resume our defensive formation. If we maintain our current pace then we can reach our home by midnight."

Nereen's eyes flashed with an unfathomable emotion. 

He then said as a concession, "If that is the case, then let us scout first the tunnel and if we ever see any traces of those root crawlers then we will continue walking."

Others are about to express their disagreement. But Nereen said quickly, "Just 300 steps, if we ever see a single root crawler then we will back down. And besides, if we try to find the extent of the infestation then that could help Xagrien and all of us in the future."

The group is silent for a while.

"I think what Nereen said is reasonable," Ilian said after a while.

Kalux's face changed, "It's already this dark, don't you think we will be at a disadvantage if something happens."

The others openly expressed their disagreement this time.

"I see, then I've no choice then." Nereen nodded his head. "Let's hurry back home."

The hunting group moved forward in silence.

Nocturnal beasts have come out and are making various sounds.

"Hoot. Hoot," a sound of an owl resounded through the woods. It echoed through the cold air of the night.

That is probably the last thing that they heard when suddenly, they saw hundreds of bloodshot orbs surrounding them.

It was the horde of root crawlers that they have been warned about.

Chaos happened after that. The root crawlers attacked them fiercely and the group is at a disadvantage due to the insurmountable number of the beasts and the nimbleness.

"Breakthrough and run!" Kalux yelled as he made earthen spikes and sent them flying to the abominable root crawlers. The members also used their powers and blades to cut the attackers.

After opening up a path, they all sprint forward to safety.

"Nereen!" Manulus yelled after seeing that Nereen was left out. 

Hearing this, the group looked back and they saw how the proboscis of the root crawlers pierced through the chest of the moon elf.