Layla wasn't the only one finding herself in a fresh hell. Miles above her, nestled in the treacherous heights of an azure eagle's nest, a British man with a bad case of jet lag blinked at the giant feathered monstrosities surrounding him.
"What the fuck," he mumbled, moments before the first shadow passed over him. Elsewhere, a woman, mid-shampoo, found herself naked in the middle of a bustling market square, her scream cutting through the alien chatter before guards, their faces impassive, led her away, her fate uncertain. Another, a gamer from Lagos, probably, suddenly faced a giant, glowing mushroom that pulsed with ominous light, while a stoic librarian from Tokyo appeared in an ancient, crumbling ruin, a mystical scroll landing perfectly in her lap.
[Ping: Welcoming the vanguard to the Isekai world, folks. Hope you enjoyed your landing.]
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Back on the ground, the air around Layla was a brutal mix of freshly spilled blood and guts, congealing into a sticky mess. The acrid tang of wolf entrails mixed with the pungent, metallic scent of carnage. It was a beacon. Soon, the real predators started closing in.
First, the Red-Maned Lions, twice the size of any lion on planet earth, their crimson manes shining like flames. Then, Golden Apes, roughly the size of a chimpanzee, but with exaggerated, muscled arms that dragged on the ground and unsettlingly beautiful, intelligent golden eyes. And finally, the worst of them, the Skeleton Hyenas. They looked exactly as horrifying as they sounded: skeletal frames covered in stretched, sickly leather hide, their ribs starkly visible, jaws open as if in perpetual hunger.
Layla was still completely unconscious, the system's proximity alert flaring uselessly against her silence. Fortunately for her, the bigger beasts were cautious. Whatever had just killed these beasts is probably still around. Best to pick at the leftovers, not poke the chef. The stronger beasts moved straight for the wolf corpses with more meat, their eyes gleaming with predatory hunger. They tore into the carcasses, leaving the less meaty, more scanty Layla to the truly desperate. Before long, there was nothing left for the bony hyenas but Layla herself.
The Skeleton Hyenas, their raspy breaths hissing, started to close in, mouth watering, already barking at each other for a larger share of the meal. They moved sneakily, suspecting Layla might be alive, but blissfully unaware of the ncompromising situation she was in. They were dangerously close, their foul breath warm on her skin, their jaws about to clamp down.
Then, a dull thwip sound. An arrow, crude but effective, flew from the purple-tinged shadows and pierced through the skull of the lead hyena. It thrashed, a grotesque marionette in its death throes, before finally collapsing, its leather hide sagging on its bones. Surely help is here! Layla might have thought, if she'd been conscious. But when has anything ever gone her way?
The remaining beasts looked around, startled, their heads swiveling. Too late. They had been surrounded. Dozens of goblins, green-skinned and leanly muscled, their short forms barely reaching Layla's chest, emerged from the trees. Most wielded crude clubs and were scantily dressed in patched hay and hide. A few, better equipped, held rusted swords and rotten leather armor. A harsh, guttural grunt from one of them – the leader – and more arrows flew out, a deadly volley that swiftly dispatched the weaker beasts. The stronger ones, the Red-Maned Lions and Golden Apes, gave reluctant roars of frustration before turning tail and fleeing, clearly valuing their lives over a meal.
The goblins closed in, their numbers now undeniably in the dozens. Their leader, a head taller and significantly more muscular than the others, his skin a darker shade of green, strode forward. His movements were confident, his grunt of command domineering and laced with bloodlust. Unlike his ragtag soldiers, his armor and sword were in better condition, hinting at more than just brute strength. Beside him walked a goblin clearly of a different station: the mage. Dressed in surprisingly luxurious robes adorned with strange symbols, his ears were pierced with rings in multiple locations, catching the faint light. He clutched a skull staff, its vacant eye sockets seemingly staring into nothing. His entire gait screamed luxury and confidence, a stark contrast to his grimy brethren.
The leader gestured with his sword, issuing commands in their language – a series of guttural, varying grunts and clicks.
Grunt…Grunt...Grunt.
'Kill... injured... beasts.'
Grunt...Grunt...Grunt.
'Process... bodies... carry... easy.'
A particularly eager goblin, clutching a crude axe, made his way towards the still unconscious Layla. This was not his first time 'dressing' a human. To him, it was no different than skinning a rabbit or butchering a deer. It was just another meal to prepare. He raised his axe, aiming for a quick strike to her guts, to disembowel her.
THUD!
The axe hit, not soft flesh, but something hard. A dull thud echoed, and the blade merely left a shallow mark on the dark tactical armor. The goblin blinked, confused. He didn't expect a non-metal looking garment to offer such resistance. His initial surprise quickly turned into a challenged rage. He raised his axe again, then again, striking with more force. THUD! THUD!
The repeated, unusual thudding sound attracted the attention of the leader and the mage. The mage, his curiosity piqued, raised a hand, stopping the hacking soldier. He walked closer to the still unconscious Layla, his gaze fixed on her. He crouched, then, with surprisingly gentle fingers, lifted her head. He studied her face, noticing the red marks on her neck, clear signs of the accelerant poison. Luckily for him, he was familiar with this particular poison; it was common enough in these parts. He knew it would pass out of her system with time.
He gave a sharp, distinctive grunt to the soldier. It wasn't the usual rough command, but something with a peculiar inflection, a subtle shift in tone that marked it as special, demanding immediate understanding.
Grunt...Grunt...Grunt.
'Take... off... armor... tie... her.'
Layla now belonged to the mage. Once the poison passed out of her system, she would make a fine meal. He couldn't wait to get back to the camp and sit beside his fire in his cozy teepee as he ate this delicious-looking human. Human meat, to him, was tender, not hard and stringy like the other beasts. And since he wasn't as physically strong as the other goblins, he definitely preferred his meat tender. Hopefully, Layla would be ready before supper.