The jungle had grown darker as the night deepened, the thick canopy swallowing most of the moonlight and leaving only thin slivers of pale silver filtering through the leaves. The air was humid and heavy, and the distant sounds of creatures moving through the undergrowth never truly stopped. Branches creaked, insects buzzed in uneven rhythms, and somewhere far away a deep guttural roar echoed through the trees before fading back into silence
The group moved steadily through the jungle with Thalen walking slightly behind the others where he could keep a close watch on Soren. Draven and Korr moved ahead of them, pushing through the brush and clearing the path while keeping their senses sharp for any monsters that might appear. They had deliberately chosen to travel through these dangerous areas because the alternative was worse. If they used the main roads or passed too close to villages and towns, someone would inevitably recognize Soren from the bounty that had been issued across the kingdom
The king himself had declared the bounty
That meant the reward was enormous, but it also meant every bounty hunter, mercenary, and opportunist within the region would be searching for him. Anyone who brought Soren back would not only receive the gold but might also gain the favour of King Stormguard himself. Because of that the kingdom was crawling with people looking for the same prize
Which was why they had no choice but to move through monster territory
Draven slowed slightly as he pushed aside a thick branch and glanced back over his shoulder. His eyes swept across the trees and the sky above them before narrowing suddenly
"Watch out!"
The warning came a split second before Draven thrust his arm forward and gathered mana into his palm. A massive sphere of flame erupted into existence, the heat of it instantly scorching the surrounding air. With a sharp motion he launched the fireball upward toward the canopy where the shadows above them had suddenly begun to move
The explosion lit the jungle like a second sun
Fire burst outward in a violent bloom, and the sound of burning flesh filled the air as dozens of dark shapes dropped screaming from the sky. The creatures were large mutated bats with four twisted wings and elongated bodies covered in black and dark crimson fur. Their mouths were filled with jagged teeth that glinted as they screeched and spiralled toward the ground
Korr looked up and swore loudly
"Oh shit. Those are Fangwyrms"
The burning corpses of the first swarm had barely hit the ground when the sky above them seemed to darken. Hundreds more shapes began to pour out of the canopy as the creatures swarmed together into a massive writhing cloud
Their shrieks were deafening
The sound alone felt like a thousand knives scraping against metal
Draven clenched his jaw and immediately began gathering mana again. Another massive fireball formed in his hands before he launched it straight into the heart of the swarm. The explosion tore through the cluster of Fangwyrms, ripping dozens of them apart and sending burning bodies spiralling through the air
But the swarm barely slowed
More and more of them kept pouring from the darkness above
Korr raised his hands and lightning burst from his palms in violent arcs. The electricity cracked through the jungle air as it chained from one bat to the next, frying them mid flight and dropping their twitching bodies to the forest floor
Yet for every monster they killed another dozen seemed to take its place
Thalen's voice suddenly cut through the chaos
"There are too many. Stop wasting mana and follow me"
Without waiting for an answer he turned and began sprinting through the jungle
Draven did not hesitate. He grabbed Soren by the arm, lifted him effortlessly, and threw him across his shoulder before taking off after Thalen. The world immediately became a blur of rushing trees and snapping branches as they ran
Behind them the swarm surged forward
Thousands of Fangwyrms poured through the air in a screaming tidal wave of wings and teeth
Soren twisted slightly where he hung over Draven's back and glanced behind them. The sight was almost surreal. The sky itself looked alive as the swarm surged forward in a black and crimson storm, their bloodthirsty cries echoing through the jungle like a chorus of madness
Korr ran beside Draven, occasionally turning and firing bolts of lightning into the pursuing mass. Each strike blasted holes through the swarm but barely slowed their advance
"Where are we going?" Korr shouted
"Just keep running," Thalen replied without looking back
They weaved through the dense jungle as Thalen led them along a narrow path between thick clusters of trees. As he ran he reached into the pouch at his side and began pulling out several small glass vials filled with murky green liquid
One by one he smashed them against the trunks of trees they passed
The liquid spread quickly, hissing as it seeped into the bark and vines
A faint green mist began to rise from the broken vials
Draven and Korr noticed immediately
"Poison?" Korr asked
"Just keep moving," Thalen said calmly
hey continued running for several more seconds before Thalen suddenly raised his hand
"Now"
Draven and Korr reacted instantly
Draven spun around and launched a massive fireball directly into the cloud of poison mist that now hung between the trees behind them. At the same moment Korr fired a concentrated bolt of lightning straight into the same spot
The reaction was immediate
The lightning ignited the volatile poison vapours while the fireball fed the explosion.
A massive blast ripped through the jungle behind them
Flames and crackling electricity erupted outward as the entire swarm of Fangwyrms crashed directly into the burning toxic cloud. Hundreds of the creatures were incinerated instantly while others dropped from the sky choking as the poison filled their lungs
The swarm scattered in chaotic panic
The screeching mass broke apart as surviving Fangwyrms fled in different directions to escape the burning poison cloud
Draven slowed slightly as the sounds of pursuit began to fade
After another minute of running they finally stopped
The jungle returned to its uneasy silence
Korr bent over slightly and let out a breath
''Thank god for you Thalen! We would have probably have been dead there if it weren't for you''
Draven carefully lowered Soren back onto the ground before wiping sweat from his brow
Thalen simply adjusted the pouch at his belt and glanced back in the direction they had come from
"They hunt in swarms," he said calmly. "Fighting them head on would have drained us dry"
Soren said nothing
But as he stood there with his hands still bound, his eyes moved slowly between the three men. Soren's life right now was completely in the hands of his capturers and whilst some might fight that Soren knew better. He would use them and escape soon enough when the time was right, so even amidst all of the chaos he drowned out everything around him out and instead just kept searching for openings, patterns, anything that he could use later. It was in utter chaos where he unusually thrived as if his mind awaked something supressed that drove something deep in his brain out. No it was better to say that an innate survival instinct of his was amplified and took control, like that time in the forest or even better like that time in the cave
Under times like this Soren was different
Soren stood quietly as the jungle slowly returned to its usual uneasy silence. The echoes of the explosion still lingered faintly in the distance, and the smell of burned flesh drifted through the humid air. Draven and Korr spoke briefly between themselves, half laughing in relief after escaping the swarm, but Soren barely listened. He was thinking. He was observing. Everything that had just happened was being filed away, analysed, understood
'Without Thalen all of them would have been near death. Draven and Korr are strong, yes, fast, but reckless. They would have burned all their mana trying to fight through that swarm. Only Thalen saw the danger and acted. Only Thalen forced an escape instead of a fight'
'Smart'
'Thalen watches me. He always knows where I am, he doesn't reveal anything. Not once. Not even a flicker of his intentions. That makes him the real threat. Draven's easy. Everything he does points to his daughter, to the money. That's predictable. Korr's simple. Selfish. Impatient. Greedy. Wants the bounty. Nothing more'
'Thalen never shows anything. No excitement, no fear, no slip of desire. He just watches and I cant get a sense of how he acts. He is too unpredictable and I feel like he is suspecting me'
Soren's eyes now widen with hate and he now clenches his jaw
'He has to go first!'