After hours of moving through the darkness, the group had finally stopped
Draven set his pack down first and slowly scanned the area. Even in the dim light his presence carried a faint sense of heat, the kind that seemed to linger around him even when he wasn't casting a spell. The burn scars that ran across parts of his forehead and forearms caught the firelight briefly as he moved, reminders of the countless battles his fire magic had seen
"Good enough," he said quietly
Korr dropped his own pack beside a fallen log with far less care
"Finally"
The taller mage stretched his arms behind his head as he sat down. His long silver hair fell loosely around his shoulders, glinting faintly whenever the firelight touched it. Small sparks danced across his fingers for a brief moment before disappearing, electricity flickering through him like restless energy
"We've been walking all night," he muttered. "Could've stopped sooner"
"We stop when it's safe," Draven replied calmly
While the two of them spoke, Thalen had already begun moving around the edges of the clearing
The smaller mage moved with quiet, almost fluid precision between the trees. His short green hair and pale skin were easy to spot whenever he passed through the firelight, but his presence itself felt strangely muted. A faint green mist clung lightly around his sleeves and arms, swirling gently as he walked, reacting subtly to his movements
He checked the surrounding brush and ground carefully before finally returning to the centre of the clearing
Soren remained where they had left him
He sat against the base of a thick tree with his wrists bound tightly by the mana sealing restraints. The metal bands pressed firmly against his skin, their carved runes cutting off the flow of mana through his body completely
Even trying to gather energy created nothing but a dull pressure in his arms
Thalen approached him first
Without speaking, he crouched down and grabbed the chain linking the restraints together. His dark eyes examined the locking mechanism closely before he tightened one of the clasps slightly
The movement pulled Soren's wrists closer together
Soren didn't react
He simply sat still and allowed Thalen to finish checking the restraints
For a moment Thalen remained there, studying him silently before finally standing again
Across the clearing Draven knelt beside a small pile of gathered wood. He raised his hand and a faint glow formed in his palm before a controlled flame appeared, catching the bark and slowly spreading into a steady fire
Orange light flickered across the clearing, pushing the shadows back just enough to illuminate the group
Korr leaned back against the fallen log and rubbed his neck
"Monster territory," he muttered. "Great place to sleep''
Draven gave a quiet chuckle
"It's the only place no one will be looking for him"
Korr glanced toward Soren
"Yeah well I'd still rather deal with people than half the things living out here"
Thalen had already begun unpacking supplies. A small metal pot appeared first, followed by strips of dried meat and a pouch filled with herbs. He began preparing the meal with quiet efficiency, cutting the meat into smaller pieces while the water in the pot slowly warmed over the fire
Soren watched him for a while before speaking
"Why do you always prepare the food?"
The question was simple, almost casual
Korr glanced over first
"Because he knows how," he said
Draven nodded
"Thalen's careful with what we eat"
Thalen continued cutting the meat without looking up
For a short while the clearing grew quiet again. The fire crackled softly while Thalen continued preparing the food
Korr shifted slightly on the log
"Still glad we stopped," he said. "Running through the jungle all night isn't exactly fun"
Draven smiled faintly
"You weren't complaining when the bounty was announced"
"Yeah well that was before every hunter in the region started chasing the same target"
Korr jerked his thumb toward Soren
"Kid's causing a lot of trouble for someone who hasn't said much since we caught him"
Soren looked down at the restraints around his wrists
"Talking wouldn't change much"
Korr smirked faintly
"Probably not"
Across the fire Thalen finally spoke
"Why are you still so calm since we've caught you"
The words cut cleanly through the conversation
Soren lifted his gaze
Thalen was watching him closely now, his dark eyes sharp and focused
Soren shrugged slightly
"Not much point fighting when I'm already caught"
Thalen stared at him in silence for several seconds and the he responded
''Your whole vibes done quite the one eighty since we first met you''
Soren didn't respond
"You ran straight into a swarm of monsters like you didn't care whether you lived or died"
Draven looked up from the fire now, listening more closely
Thalen continued
"But since we captured you, you've been far too calm for someone who has the whole of the western region chasing after him"
His eyes narrowed slightly
''Your suspicious''
Korr chuckled quietly
''My God, Thalen calm down your making a big deal out of nothing anyway. Look at him, once we put those cuffs on him there is quite literally nothing he can do. He cant absorb any mana from the air. He's powerless!''
Draven now joined in
''Korr's right Thalen, everything is going to plan there's no point on focussing on needless things we can't afford to be distracted''
Thalen didn't respond immediately, though his gaze lingered on Soren for a few seconds longer before he finally returned his attention to the pot over the fire
The tension around the clearing slowly faded
Korr eventually stood and stretched again before walking toward the edge of the clearing, glancing out into the jungle as he kept a lazy watch
A few minutes passed
Then Draven approached Soren with a small metal cup, kneeling slightly so he could hold it to his lips
"Drink"
Soren leaned forward and took a few slow sips before pulling back
"Thanks"
Draven nodded faintly before standing again
Soren hesitated for a moment before speaking
"That bounty must be pretty big"
Draven looked back at him
"Big enough"
Soren glanced toward the trees where Korr stood watching the jungle
"You planning to split it evenly?"
Draven gave a small shrug
"That's usually how these things work"
Soren paused before adding quietly,
''Still that's quite a lot of money are you sure those two are on the same page as you?''
Draven frowned faintly and glanced toward the others without meaning to. Korr was standing near the edge of the clearing, lazily watching the jungle while sparks occasionally flickered across his fingers. Thalen remained near the fire, calmly stirring the pot as the faint green mist around his sleeves drifted slowly through the air.
"They've worked jobs like this before," Draven said after a moment
Soren nodded slowly
"Right"
He shifted slightly against the tree, the chains around his restraints clinking softly
"I guess when that much money's involved people usually start thinking about it differently though"
Draven didn't answer this time
His eyes lingered on Korr for a moment longer than before before he finally turned back toward the fire
A little while later Korr wandered back toward the centre of the clearing while Draven stepped away to gather more wood
A large crack sounded somewhere outside the cave
Then the crack in the jungle was followed by another sound
Heavier this time
Branches bent and snapped somewhere in the darkness beyond the clearing as something pushed violently through the undergrowth. The peaceful quiet of the forest had vanished completely, replaced by an uneasy stillness that made the air feel tight
Korr straightened immediately
"You hear that?"
Draven was already on his feet, his hand lifting slightly as heat began to gather faintly around his palm
Thalen moved quicker than both of them
"Inside," he said sharply
There was a narrow rock opening just behind the clearing where the jungle floor rose slightly into a shallow stone formation. It wasn't much, but it was enough to provide temporary cover
Draven grabbed Soren by the chain attached to his restraints and pulled him up before quickly dragging him toward the opening. Korr followed right behind them while Thalen remained last, watching the tree line carefully as he backed toward the cave entrance
The moment they stepped inside, the jungle outside seemed to grow even quieter
Only the distant rustling of leaves remained
They moved deeper into the cave, just far enough that the darkness of the interior concealed them from outside while still allowing them to see the entrance clearly
No one spoke
Draven held his hand up slightly, a faint glow of fire gathering quietly in his palm
Korr's fingers twitched as thin strands of electricity flickered along them, small sparks briefly illuminating the sharp angles of his face
Thalen stood closest to the cave entrance, his eyes fixed on the jungle outside
Soren remained seated near the cave wall where Draven had placed him, the cold stone pressing against his back
For several long seconds nothing happened
Then the sound came
A deafening shriek tore through the jungle
The noise was so loud it echoed through the trees and into the cave itself, vibrating through the stone walls. It was high pitched and violent, the kind of scream that immediately sent every creature nearby fleeing
Korr swore under his breath
"What the hell was that?"
Thalen didn't answer
He stepped forward toward the cave entrance and slowly turned his head toward the sound
The others followed
Outside, the jungle canopy shook violently as something large moved above the trees
Then it dropped
A massive shape slammed into the ground just beyond the clearing, sending leaves and dirt scattering across the forest floor
Even from the cave entrance they could see it clearly
A Fangwyrm
But this one was different
The mutated bat was easily twice the size of the ones they had fought before. Its wings stretched wide as it slowly rose from the ground, dark red membranes spreading outward like torn banners. Its body was thicker, its claws longer, and its jagged teeth glinted faintly as it opened its mouth again
Its eyes burned with a dull crimson glow as it stared directly toward the cave
Korr let out a low whistle
"That thing's huge"
Draven narrowed his eyes
"That's not normal"
Thalen watched the creature carefully
The Fangwyrm's wings twitched slightly as it shifted its weight, its gaze locked firmly on the cave entrance
Then Thalen spoke quietly
"Alpha"
Draven looked at him.
"You sure?"
Thalen nodded slowly.
"I mean look at it"
His eyes narrowed slightly as he studied the creature
The Fangwyrm let out another shriek, louder than before, the sound echoing violently through the jungle
Korr grimaced
"Please tell me that thing isn't here for us"
Thalen didn't take his eyes off the creature
"It is"
Draven frowned
"How would it even know we're here?"
For a moment Thalen said nothing
Then his gaze shifted briefly toward the ground outside the cave where dark stains still marked parts of the forest floor
"The blood"
Draven understood immediately
"The swarm from earlier"
Thalen nodded
"We killed dozens of them"
His voice remained calm
"An alpha could track the scent"
Outside the cave the massive Fangwyrm slowly spread its wings again, its enormous body blocking part of the faint moonlight filtering through the trees
Its glowing eyes remained fixed on them
The creature had found them
And it wasn't leaving
Inside the cave the three hunters stood ready
Fire flickered faintly in Draven's palm
Electric sparks crackled quietly around Korr's fingers
A thin green mist drifted slowly around Thalen's arms as he reached toward the vials on his belt
None of them moved
Outside, the Alpha Fangwyrm waited
The jungle had fallen completely silent around it
The standoff had begun