Free Web NovelChapter 25: A Week Later
Seven days passed and the retribution the Blood Shaman promised never came.
After the execution of the goblin envoys, the Vaal’kor Colony completely withdrew into its own territory. No hunting parties ventured beyond the outer borders. Every watchtower remained manned day and night while warriors patrolled continuously between the cave entrance and the newly expanded drainage ditch.
The entire colony lived beneath an invisible shadow. Every unfamiliar sound beyond the trees caused dozens of heads to turn instinctively. No one knew when the Ashmork Clan would strike or from where.
Rather than waiting idly, the colony threw itself into preparation. The veteran hunters became instructors for everyone, and intense training resumed for Ka’z’s group since they could no longer leave the territory to hunt.
Every morning, before sunrise, Lan’ka gathered Ka’z, Kurg, Za’r, Tu’ka, and Ru’k outside the cave entrance.
"Again!"
Fire arrows streaked across the clearing, exploding harmlessly against wooden targets.
"Again!"
Dark spears pierced tree trunks with frightening precision.
"Again!"
Earth spikes erupted from the ground repeatedly until Ka’z, Za’r, and Kurg were drenched in sweat. Lan’ka refused to stop until every last drop of mana had been squeezed from their bodies. Only then would he toss them into the bathhouse to recover within the aether infused waters.
Most of the time they woke up floating inside the pool, their exhausted bodies having absorbed enough aether to restore their strength.
Whenever bathing and recovery were over, they joined everyone else in gathering stones, carrying logs, and reinforcing the colony’s defenses. No one remained idle. Even Lady Zira’s younger students spent their days hauling baskets of stones toward the defensive line surrounding the colony.
However, despite all the preparation and coordination, the atmosphere remained exhausting. Every extra day spent hiding underground meant another day their food reserves dwindled. Yet no one dared leave the safety of their territory for fear of the Ashmork Clan’s retaliation.
Eventually, even Tud’or admitted they could not remain trapped forever.
The colony needed food.
On the seventh day, Ka’z’s team was finally allowed to leave once more.
The familiar scent of the Evergreen Forest immediately greeted Ka’z’s nose the moment they stepped beyond the Vaal’kor territory.
Cool winds drifted between the towering ancient trees while birds chirped somewhere high above the dense canopy. For the first time in days, he felt as though he could breathe properly again.
West happily darted between bushes, sniffing the ground while his striped tail swayed from side to side.
Ru’k moved effortlessly from branch to branch overhead, serving as the group’s eyes, while Tu’ka silently walked behind everyone without making the slightest sound. After spending an entire week confined within the colony alongside everyone else, it was only natural that he would prefer keeping some distance now that they were outside again.
Za’r and Kurg stayed close beside Ka’z, nervously glancing around every few seconds as though expecting goblins to leap from the bushes at any moment. They were the only two who clearly hadn’t wanted to leave the colony.
While Ka’z had never considered himself particularly brave, neither was he a coward. Honestly, he believed that if the goblins intended to attack, they would have done so already. In fact, he had every reason to believe they might not even know what had happened to their Blood Shaman and the riders.
No one had survived.
How could they possibly know?
Even if he was wrong, Ka’z believed that if they encountered only a handful of goblins, his team should be capable of handling them.
He had grown quite confident in their strength.
Despite everything, the forest looked peaceful. After nearly an hour of searching, West suddenly froze. The little dire weasel lowered his body before cautiously sniffing the air.
Ka’z noticed immediately.
"West?"
The creature quietly padded toward a nearby patch of bushes, and the others followed behind. Beyond the bushes stretched a narrow animal trail.
"An antelope," Za’r whispered.
Kurg’s ears immediately perked up.
"We finally found one."
West lowered his nose once more before following the trail, and the group quietly followed behind him.
At first, everything appeared normal, then Ka’z suddenly stopped. His eyes narrowed as observed the crimson droplet rested upon a broad green leaf.
"...Blood."
The others quickly gathered around while Za’r crouched beside it.
"It hasn’t dried yet."
Kurg slowly swallowed while Ka’z’s frown deepened.
That could only mean one thing.
"Did something attack it?" Ru’k asked from a nearby tree branch.
Ka’z didn’t respond, but he knew that was most likely the case. Something had been hunting their prey.
Now the real question was what?
West continued following the trail. Just as expected, more blood appeared. The droplets gradually became larger until streaks of crimson stained the forest floor.
The trail continued for several more minutes before Ru’k suddenly dropped from the trees.
"There."
He pointed toward a patch of exposed soil.
Everyone looked and they found footprints they had become painfully familiar with only a week ago.
Goblin tracks.
Silence immediately descended upon the group. There weren’t just one or two. There were at least five.
Some had clearly been carrying heavy loads judging by the depth of their footprints, while others had walked back and forth repeatedly.
Ka’z slowly lifted his head after examining everything.
"The goblins are here."
He looked toward the trail disappearing deeper into the forest.
"And they’re hunting in our lands."
Buzz!
Everyone’s faces twisted with horror.
Even Tu’ka, who usually kept his distance from the group, quietly approached the tracks. His tired gaze followed them into the depths of the forest.
"What do we do?" Za’r asked.
"We go back," Kurg answered immediately. "They’re goblins. We should tell Lan’ka."
Ru’k folded his arms.
Strangely enough, he agreed with Kurg. This wasn’t their fight. It was something the adults should handle.
"If we all go back, they might disappear before we return," Tu’ka suddenly spoke, drawing everyone’s attention.
His weary eyes examined the footprints once again before following the direction they led.
"I agree. We need to know where this leads and what they’re doing at the very least," Ka’z nodded.
"I’ll go," Ru’k suddenly volunteered.
From a purely logical standpoint, he was the fastest among them. Even if all five ran together, he would still reach the colony first.
Still...
Ka’z could tell this devious stepbrother of his was simply trying to put as much distance between himself and danger as possible.
But who was the better choice?
Kurg?
Absolutely not.
Kurg would be far too terrified to travel back alone. He would move cautiously the entire way, and if they truly needed help, it would never arrive in time.
Za’r?
She was the lifeline of the team.
Her Light Affinity was their only reliable defense against wounds and poison. After seeing how easily even Lan’ka had fallen victim to a goblin trap and been poisoned, Ka’z refused to take that risk.
Then there was Tu’ka.
He was the only one Ka’z trusted to stand and fight if things truly went wrong.
As much as he hated admitting it, Ru’k was the best option.bKa’z let out a defeated sigh before nodding.
"Alright. Just make sure you tell Tud’or everything."
Ru’k grinned and nodded with unnatural enthusiasm, looking exactly like someone who had just escaped a disaster.
"You guys better not die before I get back."
Wind gathered beneath his feet as he shot back in the direction they had come from. The next moment, he disappeared into the forest.
With Ru’k gone, the remaining four quietly continued following the trail. The farther they travelled, the stranger their surroundings became.They noticed changes they had never seen before while passing through this part of the forest.
Freshly cut tree stumps.
Discarded ropes.
Broken branches.
Deep grooves carved into the earth as though something incredibly heavy had been dragged across the ground.
It looked as though countless trees had been felled for the purpose of constructing something.
Ka’z’s heartbeat gradually quickened.
"This isn’t a hunting trail," he whispered to himself.
Initially, he had assumed the goblins were merely stealing game from their territory. Now he realized it was something far greater.
Tu’ka suddenly raised one hand and everyone stopped immediately. Only then did Ka’z notice the faint voices ahead.
They were low and difficult to make out because of the distance. But they were unmistakable.
Goblin voices.
The four slowly lowered themselves before crawling toward a thick patch of bushes overlooking a small rise.
Carefully, Ka’z parted the leaves and his pupils contracted. Beyond the ridge stretched a wide clearing. Nearly thirty goblins moved about with purpose.
Some chopped massive trees into logs while others erected sharpened wooden stakes around the perimeter.
Several tiger striped boars dragged enormous tree trunks across the clearing while groups of goblins dug defensive trenches around what was rapidly becoming a fortified camp.
Half completed watchtowers already overlooked the surrounding forest while smoke drifted lazily upward from several cooking fires.
Kurg and Za’r watched the armed sentries patrolling the perimeter while instinctively covering their own mouths to keep from making a sound.
Hidden beneath the bushes, Ka’z slowly lowered the leaves back into place.
His heart pounded violently inside his chest as the realization struck him. The Ashmork Clan hadn’t merely entered the southern region. They had already begun building their foothold.
