Chapter 6

“Jasper, hold up...” grunted Amelia, gripping her bow tightly as she traversed the densely packed foliage. “Enemies could be hiding in the forest; you can’t just march ahead like that!” The other scouts, six including Amelia and Jasper, followed the pair without missing a beat, investing their surroundings with keen eyes and grumbling among themselves.

“There’s nothing out here!” called out Jasper, swinging his blade through a thick tangle of protruding branches and coiled vines. “Schur has us chasing after rumors and hearsay. Nothing would make it this far into our woods unnoticed. There’s nothing to be found—”

“You’re wrong!” barked Amelia, interrupting the man. “Reasoning like that makes us vulnerable. We can’t dismiss the potential of an enemy incursion until we’ve combed the entire area. One mistake, and the consequences can be fatal…” After a short pause, the woman continued, glowering at Jasper who turned back to face her. “And it’s commander Schur to you. Lest he finds out you’ve taken to referring to him too lightheartedly!”

Jasper snorted, turning forward once more and sliding his blade into its sheath. “Oh, please! What will he do if he finds out? Sit on me?! I’ve seen how his armor struggles to contain that gut of his…”

“I’ve seen him spar with a younger feller once,” pitched in one of the other scouts – an older man, with a gray beard and olive-green hood draped over his head. “An up-and-coming officer he was; can’t remember his name. Made a jest ‘bout the commander’s weight. Schur challenged him to a practice fight and broke three of the poor sod’s ribs with a swing of his mace…”

Jasper seemed to stiffen up after hearing his compatriot’s short recollection, lowering his head and moving forward without another word. Behind him, Amelia could not help but smile.

The scouts moved further into the forest, eventually arriving before a small woodland opening. Parting to make room for the blue skies above, the leaf-woven ceiling of the woods faded away ever so slightly, allowing for rays of pure sunlight to reach the soft grass below. The scouts moved across the natural clearing, inspecting it with curious eyes – though the location seemed untouched. Amelia stopped as she reached the center of the small glade, noticing a patch of flattened grass surrounding a large log. With an audible groan, she pushed the log to the side with both arms, pressing her body against it and heaving with tensed muscles. Rolling over, the log revealed a sight that sent a chill down Amelia’s spine: there was a patch of gray soot on the ground, with the finely powdered ash confirming her fears – someone had been here.

Without wasting another moment, Amelia dropped to her knees and removed a leather glove from her right hand, pressing her exposed palm against the fire-stripped patch of dirt. Warm, she thought. This is recent.

“Someone was here. I found traces of a campfire. Keep your eyes open!” called out the woman, sliding her glove back on and taking hold of her bow.

“Probably hunters!” responded Jasper from not too far away. “There is game to be found in these woods!”

“No!” barked the woman dismissively. “The sight of the fire was hidden. Whoever they were, they tried to cover their tracks!” As she spoke, Amelia felt the hairs at the back of her neck prickle and rise, roused by a sense of danger she could not shake off.

“You’re being paranoid, Amelia!” stated Jasper with a laugh, moving towards the edge of the clearing and leaning to inspect the trunk of a large, moss-covered oak. The moss, Jasper thought it was moss, was thick and spongy, spilling over from the oak’s bark in thick, darkened layers. With a single erect finger, Jasper pressed into the mound of moss, muttering under his breath as he did so. “Ugly thing, aren’t ya…”

In the single second he had to notice the two eyes that were staring right at him, poking out like specks of pure ivory from the grimy surface of the oak’s trunk, Jasper tried to move away. That’s not moss, raced the man’s mind – the moment of realization stretched to what seemed like an eternity. That’s a BEARD! As Jasper made to rise, the camouflaged Dweghom’s dagger struck out towards the man’s throat, emerging from the matted covering of moss and decaying leaves that had made up the intruder’s hiding spot. “WATCH OUT! ENEM—” cried out the man one last time, right before the Dweghom’s blade slid into his throat with a generous spurt of blood.

Amelia was already behind cover when the other two hidden Dweghom emerged, barely dodging a crossbow bolt that whizzed by her head. “Enemies!” she screamed at the top of her lungs, seeing that the other human scouts had already drawn their weapons despite the unexpected ambush. With a deep breath, Amelia stood up and pulled back the string of her bow with an arrow at hand, searching for her target. Jasper, she thought as her mind raced and her heart pounded in her chest. You damn fool!

Hundred Kingdoms scouts from the city of Pravia have been attacked by Dweghom ambushers! Who will be victorious?