"Well, this doesn't look threatening in any way now, does it?" Lucius muttered with biting sarcasm as the trio gazed across the open plains. The tall grass swayed gently under the midday wind, the scene deceptively calm if not for the ominous silhouette of the forest, its shadowed edges a constant reminder of lurking danger.
"Yeah… doesn't exactly seem like the best place to linger," Flavian said, narrowing his eyes toward the treeline.
"I'll agree with that," Olivia added, though hesitation lingered in her tone. "So do we take the sea route, or try going inland and around?"
"We'll head back to town, check if any ships are available, and plan from there," Lucius replied, already turning to leave.
But Olivia caught his arm and pointed toward the forest. Following her gaze, they spotted the strange butterfly once more, gliding lazily through the air. Beneath it, several black-furred pups bounded playfully, spitting embers at the elusive creature. The butterfly hovered just beyond their reach, almost as though observing them.
"It's that thing again," Lucius muttered, his hand tightening on his weapon's hilt.
"Yeah, great," Flavian said dryly, eyeing Olivia. "So why exactly do you have that look on your face?"
Olivia's lips pressed thin. "Oh, come on. Aren't you two even a little curious about what those pups are? Or the butterfly?"
"No," both men answered in unison, turning to walk away.
"Oh, come on!" Olivia huffed. "How do either of you expect to become top Yoman Generals or Martial Masters with such a cowardly approach to life?"
That landed. Both men froze mid-step and turned slowly, glaring.
"You're trying to bruise our pride just to drag us closer to that cursed forest, aren't you?" Flavian asked, his eyes narrowing.
"What are you even talking about?" Olivia replied airily, though her gaze never left the pups. The urge to draw closer tugged at her, almost irresistibly.
"This is a bad idea, Olivia," Lucius said firmly, his tone sharp. "You know as well as we do where the young are, the parents are never far. And if we make one wrong move, we're finished. Do you understand that much at least?"
"Yes, I know," she said quickly, brushing it off. "We won't go too close, just near enough to get a look at the little ones."
The two men exchanged a long, exasperated glance before sighing in defeat. With reluctant gestures, they motioned for her to lead the way.
They crouched low, shuffling through the tall grass as quietly as possible.
"This plain is taller than it looked from a distance," Flavian muttered, pushing stalks aside.
"Shh. They might have sharp hearing. We could already be in range," Olivia hushed, stopping when she thought they were close enough.
Through the blades of grass, they watched the pups play. Their charcoal fur gleamed under the sun, horns glowing faintly, one curled like smoldering embers, the other jagged and straight, glowing faintly red. A triangular blaze marked each chest, more like a warning sigil than a natural pattern. Despite their playful bounds, their crimson eyes carried a predator's sharpness, tails flicking like flame-tipped whips. They moved with a bold confidence, untouched by fear.
"Look how cute they are," Olivia whispered.
"You'll think otherwise when their parents come looking for lunch," Lucius muttered, scanning the surroundings more than the pups.
"Beautiful, aren't they?" Olivia breathed.
"Uh… guys," Flavian said uneasily, his eyes locked on the treeline.
A massive silhouette stepped out from the forest. The pups froze, then bounded toward it eagerly. It was no ordinary beast, but a towering, fully grown version of them, its horns huge and jagged, its very presence radiating danger.
The beast threw back its head and loosed a thunderous howl. Then, without warning, it lunged and unleashed a blazing column of fire toward the butterfly. The flame struck a shimmering barrier around the strange creature, repelling rather than burning it. The redirected blast surged directly toward the trio's hiding spot.
"Move!" Lucius barked. They dove aside, the grass where they'd crouched erupting into flame.
Their movement drew the beast's attention. Its glowing eyes locked on them, lips peeling back into a snarl. With a roar, two more adults emerged from the forest, these with curved horns instead of jagged. The pups scampered back into the trees, leaving three adult hounds glaring at the intruders.
"Another attack incoming!" Flavian shouted.
"Shit!" Lucius swore as the beasts' fiery breath set the grass ablaze around them.
Before the flames could swallow them whole, a shout rang out behind: "Earth Wall!"
A wall of stone surged upward, cutting off the hounds' attack. The trio scrambled, taking it as their cue to run. They bolted through the burning plain, hearts pounding, until they stumbled up the slope of a nearby hill. At the crest, they saw Madra and Bodroy waiting.
Bodroy stood in a battle stance, axes drawn, his expression grim.
"Are you insane? Despite my warnings, you still went there!" Madra shouted furiously.
"Not now, dear move!" Bodroy barked, just as a massive explosion shook the ground.
Five hounds burst from the grass, charging with terrifying speed. Madra swung her arms in a wide arc, the earth itself buckling to her will. The ground curved upward like a great bowl, then, with a thrust of her hands, it launched the group backward, propelling them out of reach.
The beasts howled in fury, pursuing. One of the straight-horned alpha leapt and fired a wave of dark rings from its horns.
Bodroy's axes gleamed as he swung, unleashing two arcing blades of energy that clashed with the attack. The resulting explosion shook the plain. When the dust cleared, the hounds had halted their pursuit, snarling from afar.
Only after they had left the forest's boundary did the earth's motion slow. Madra, her face flushed with fury, finally spoke.
"Good. Out of their territory," she said coldly. "Now, tell me why you have to prove my intuition correct and actually go near that damned forest?"
"We never intended for it to play out like that," Olivia said softly.
"Intentions don't matter," Madra snapped, not turning to look at them as she pushed the earth forward. "You're lucky they were Hellion Hounds. If it had been something like a Frostwhisper, we'd still be running. Beyond reckless… I never expected this from grown adults."
Her anger hung heavier than the smoke still rising behind them.