Chapter 5: Forest devils

Akira and Thorin had been on the road to Alverest for about 4 hours now. The surroundings had long since turned to dense forest as the road ahead being the only visible ground. Thick brush and vines veiled the interior of the forest, and some intrepid vines creeped along the dirt path.

"Thorin, what kind of creatures inhabit these woods?" Akira asked as he feared the thought of running into some of the horrors that inhabited mythology and fantasy in his past life.

"Well, I can't say for a fact what inhabits these particular woods, but overall, dense forest of all kinds tend to be teeming with giant beasts like spiders, bats, and different forms of ogroids." Thorin gestured towards the surrounding brush as he spoke, "Ogroids are beings like trolls, goblins, and more rarely seen giants. They will line the roadside either in ambush or in outright confrontation. Goblins are a greedy bunch of halfpints who are a tad brighter than their cousins. We dwarves have had our fair share of conflict as the Goblin hordes would pillage our holds for the wealth we have. They will attack at the slightest sign of wealth or beauty, and will kill and rape their victims regardless of gender. Trolls are hulking brutes whose heads are as hollow as some of these trees. Their strength is to be wary of. They can easily split a tree trunk in two with a fist then wield it as a weapon. Trolls haven't the slightest of idea what money is, nay they are beasts who will devour a man like a roast chicken. Now Giants, boy, are a being to steer clear of as their size alone are their greatest strength. Usually they are passive as they see us the same way we see ants. Just don't be underfoot or you won't get the chance to dodge." Grimacing, Thorin recalls the few times he's witnessed the aftermath of a passing giant. There wasnt enough recognizable remains to put in the poor man's coffin.

Just as they were rounding a bend in the road, high pitched cackling echoed from further down the path.

"Heehahaheehee" The maddening laughter was obviously from many mouths at once. It's pitch rising and falling amongst crunches, and snaps.

"Akira, be on your guard. I only know what type of beastling that laughs in such a maddening way, Mene Stoma, a variation of goblins, but far more vicious and beastial. They travel in herds and will rip to shreds any living being they can get their hands on, even their own wounded kin. A herd tends to have fifteen to thirty individuals, and they will attack on sight. Come on!" Thorin pushed aside some brush allowing Akira to follow him into the copse of spruce trees alongside the path.

The maddening cackles got louder, and louder until finally the first Mene Stoma appeared on the path. A wrinkled, grey skinned goblin-like creature of about two and a half feet tall waddled out into view. It's beady black eyes seemed to gleam with a feverish light. Akira slowly pulled his bow from his back as he stared at this horrid looking creature. It's arms seemingly too long for its body with claws curled against its palm. But the worst part of this creature was the maw that constantly released the same insane giggles, and what a maw it was as it easily took up half its face with a double row of needle-like teeth.

Akira paled as twenty of the little devils rounded the corner. Just as he was about to move back and draw his bow a hand clamped down on his shoulder forcing him to keep still.

"Hush, lad. Keep still these little beasties have no nose, but they do have keen eyesight when it comes to movement. Let them pass before you fire, otherwise they'll be upon us before you get a second volley off." Only after seeing Akira's faint nod of assent did he withdraw his hand.

Waiting with stifled breath, moments passed as the herd cackled all the way up to their hiding place. Tension mounted as one of the herd waddled past trailing its claws along the tree Akira hid behind, but it waddled on down the path. Once they were thirty yards away, Akira looked to Thorin for agreement. Seeing Thorin nod, Akira stepped out from the tree and nocked an arrow. Pulling it to the shape of a full moon, Akira took aim and released on the closest Stoma. The arrow sailed straight and true, before burying itself in the spine of the beast. It dropped with a wheezing chuckle, but as it hit the earth with a thud it's herd mates turned as one with laughing growls reminiscent of a hyena pack. Falling upon their own brethren with the ferocity and speed of a school of piranha. It's blood and guts flew through the air as it was ripped apart. Akira was dazed for a moment stunned at the sudden gore.

"Now Akira! Fire while they're distracted!" Thorin barked out in reproach, breaking Akira out of his stupor.

Akira drew and fired once, twice, and thrice before the devils broke out of their gluttonous feeding frenzy. As they were piled on top of each other in their frenzy none of the arrows were fatal except one which pierced through a Stroma's temple killing it instantly.

The herd let loose a yipping screech, and rushed towards them on all fours. Akira loosed two more arrows before they were upon them. The herd's number was now down to sixteen, but three of them stayed behind gnawing at they're most recently deceased brethren's corpse. Dropping his bow, Akira unsheathed Wise Fang and readied himself to meet they're charge. But Akira was not prepared when two of them leaped at him mouth's agape.

The only thing that prevented the beasts from tearing out Akira's throat was the sudden blur of an axe that split both of the beasts in half at the waist. "Keep your wits about you lad. These beasts fight less like men, and more like rabid dogs!" As if to prove his point, Thorin kicked out catching one acriss the jaw as it was attempting to bite his ankle. The Stoma's neck snapped with an audible crack, and it's corpse rolled off the path.

Akira slashed out with Wise Fang cleanly separating a Stoma's head from it's shoulders. With a quick reaction he stepped aside as one lunged for him, before reaching out catching its bony arm and slinging it around and slamming it into another that made a dive at him. Akira realised that although they were making progress there was too many of the damn things. So for the first time Akira reached deep with in himself calling, and with a feral howl his form bulged grotesquely. Bones snapped and reshaped audibly, before silver fur grew at a rapid speed covering his now naked form. Finally, Akira now stood on all fours as a six and a half foot tall wolf. For the first time since he'd seen the beasts, the Mene Stoma showed something other than a maddening hunger. Primal fear shook the little beasts to the core, and they yipped with high pitched anxious tones. They're instincts were blaring warning them to run as they now were the prey. They scrabbled backwards before turning and fleeing, but they didn't make it far...

A silver blur flashed past and an audible crunch echoed out as Akira bit through one of the creatures necks. He landed on the shoulders of another bring it down to the ground easily crushing it to death. Making use of his claws, he ripped the face from a Stoma. Sweeping with his half a meter long tail sending another three Stoma sailing to smack into a tree with an audible crack.

"Logi's Flaming Arse, Akira that's you ain't it lad?!" Thorin couldn't help but curse as the sheer ferocity of the beast Akira transformed into.

Turning his now bloodied maw in Thorin's direction before grinning wolfishly and nodding in affirmation. Akira made short work of the remaining Stoma before his form collapsed inward returning to his human form. Fully clothed, thankfully, his father's amulet seemed quite handy.

The forest slowly regained it's natural symphony as birdsong picked back up and animals chattered in the trees, bringing an end to Akira's first fight against monstrous foes, and his first time experiencing his families gift.