"Signal Lily," AJ said as the palisade came into view. "Use the red flag."
David pulled out the red flag from his pack, raising it high above his head as they approached the settlement. The bright fabric caught the late afternoon light, contrasting against their green surroundings.
From her position in the watchtower, Lily spotted the emergency flag. She immediately grabbed a massive, equally red, flag that could probably be seen from kilometres away. She raised it above the watchtower, and secured it in place.
With the signal set, Lily quickly climbed down from the watchtower and headed into the settlement. She found Maria first, emerging from the medical centre with a concerned expression as word of the emergency flag spread through the community.
"What's happening?" Maria asked, following Lily towards the northeastern gate.
"AJ's team signalled an emergency recall," Lily replied. "They're not here yet but they should get here any time soon."
They collected Sam from his workshop where he'd been tinkering with various materials, and Walter from the housing area where he'd been checking in on some of the newer residents.
By the time they reached the northeastern gate, AJ's team was arriving, their faces grim despite the successful hunt they carried.
"Before we start," AJ said, "let's pass these off."
His team quickly distributed their catches to the workers near the gate—the elk and smaller game would provide meals for many families.
"We'll wait for the others," he spoke. "I need a moment to think and I don't want to repeat it when they get here."
Across the hunting grounds, Victor's team was making their way through a grove of trees when their designated lookout glanced back towards the settlement. "Red signal flag," she called out to Victor.
Victor recognised the emergency recall immediately. "We're heading back now. Something's wrong."
Ethan's team received the same signal when their lookout spotted the flag during a routine check of the settlement's status. "Emergency recall, we need to head back," he announced.
"You heard the man," Ethan said, adjusting his pack. "Let's go see what this is about."
---
Ethan's group arrived first, their successful hunt evident in the game they carried, but their satisfaction faded as they saw the tension radiating from AJ's team.
Victor's group appeared shortly after with a similar reaction, Victor's face looked grim, the feeling AJ radiated reminded him of the Spire of Echoes.
The core team gathered in a tight circle near the plaza's centre, while other settlement members maintained a respectful distance.
"Tell them," AJ said to David, nodding towards the others.
David stepped forwards, his voice was steady despite what he was revealing. "We discovered a cave about two kilometres east of here. The rocky entrance to the cave definitely wasn't there just a few weeks ago."
"Wasn't there?" Walter repeated. "Rock formations and caves don't simply appear."
"That's what we thought," Carl added. "But Tom and I hunted through that exact area just weeks ago. Elena gathered berries there last month. The rocks, the cave entrance—none of it existed before now."
Ethan frowned. "You're certain about this?"
"Absolutely," Elena confirmed.
Sam asked for details. "Describe the formation. Size, shape, anything unusual about its appearance."
"Cluster of large boulders forming a rough circle," David replied. "Maybe four metres across at the opening. Ground around it is torn up, it's as if large numbers of creatures are moving in and out regularly."
"And the scent," AJ added, his voice carrying concern. "A very strong wolven scent is coming from inside the cave."
The others took a moment to process the information. A cave that hadn't existed just weeks ago, showing signs of wolf activity all within the boundaries of the safe zone.
Victor's expression darkened further. "Must be a wolf den."
"But wolves don't create rock formations," Lily observed. "How does something like that just appear?"
Walter studied the faces around him, seeing the same unease he felt reflected in their expressions. "The safe zone's failure wasn't just about removing protection. Something else is happening here."
"We need to investigate this cave. If it's a wolf den, we try to destroy it, and investigate any other strange happenings." Maria spoke.
"Agreed," Ethan was already preparing to go.
"First light tomorrow," Victor suggested. "Three of us—AJ, Ethan, and I."
"Why not all of us?" Lily asked.
AJ's form shifted slightly. "It's an unknown environment with the potential for tight spaces. More people would be a hindrance rather than help, besides the settlement needs protection while we're gone."
Walter nodded. "If this cave represents the source of our wolf problems, there might be others like it we haven't discovered yet."
As the gathering dispersed, AJ found himself staring towards the east where the mysterious cave waited.
Tomorrow would bring answers, but he suspected those answers would only lead to more troubling questions.
---
Dawn brought clear skies and crisp air. AJ emerged from his quarters and made his way towards the central plaza, intending to meet with Ethan and Victor at the gate.
Instead, he discovered nearly 30 settlers arranged in a large circle across the plaza's open space, their eyes closed in concentrated meditation.
The sight made him pause—the number of people was impressive, and the mana flow around the group, while fairly weak, aside from a few people, showed genuine improvement over their early attempts.
He spotted Ethan and Victor among the meditating settlers, both sitting with the disciplined posture they'd developed through months of practice. Rather than interrupt the session loudly, AJ quietly approached each of them.
"Time to go," he whispered, placing a gentle hand on Ethan's shoulder.
Ethan's eyes opened, he took a moment longer to transition from meditation to full alertness. He nodded and rose quietly, following AJ to where Victor sat.
Victor required similar rousing, though his awareness was much sharper despite the meditative state. They gathered their equipment from where they'd stored it near the plaza's edge and made their way towards the northeastern gate.
"Impressive turnout," Victor commented once they were out of earshot of the meditation circle.
"Carl and David were both there," Ethan added. "Good to see them staying committed to the training."
They passed through the gate and began their journey east, following worn paths that led away from the settlement's immediate area.
"Some of them are showing real progress," AJ observed, thinking back to the meditation circle. "I could actually feel the mana circulation around a few of them."
"Elena's managed to reach the Realm of Man," Victor noted. "There's been a number of breakthroughs, from what I observed during the last training session."
The path led them into the forest that bordered the settlement's eastern approaches.
"David and Carl are progressing nicely," Ethan said as they navigated between the trees. "They might even reach the Earth Realm in the next few months."
"That would be good," Victor commented, "they'll be able to carry some of the burden. We'll need to keep an eye on them all the same, they're good guys but who knows what strength might do to them."
They continued to move quickly but quietly, their enhanced senses alert for any signs of danger while they continued their discussion.
"The question is whether we'll have time for that kind of development," Ethan said. "If these creatures constantly attack..."
"We're going to have to be proactive about finding and killing them," AJ concluded. "We can't keep waiting for threats to come to us."
They emerged from the forest onto the open grassland where the cave waited. The cluster of boulders stood out against the surrounding terrain.
"There it is," Victor said, studying the formation. "And it seems like you're right, it looks out of place and it's a bit too clean for a cave."
AJ flowed towards the cave entrance, his senses picking up the scent that had alarmed him the previous day. "Seems like there's movement inside."
Ethan hefted his axe. "How many?"
"No idea, but definitely more than just 1 or 2..." AJ replied.
The three exchanged glances, Victor drew his dagger. "Take it slow, assess the situation, then act accordingly."
They descended into the cave entrance.
---
The passage sloped downwards at a steep angle, the walls bore scratch marks that were made by claws, while the floor had been worn smooth by countless paws.
AJ moved slightly ahead, as he left a trail of glowmelt behind, lighting up the cave for them. "2 wolves just ahead," he whispered. "They're moving towards us."
The stone wolves emerged from the shadows, their amber eyes reflecting what little light filtered down from the entrance.
Ethan stepped forward, his axe and shield ready. "Let's make this quick."
The wolves attacked simultaneously. Victor took the left wolf while Ethan engaged the right, their fight intense but brief.
Victor's dagger found the gap between scales at the first wolf's throat, ending its life. Ethan's axe cleaved through his opponent's skull, the obsidian steel edge not struggling at all despite the wolves armour.
"Nicely done," AJ spoke as they continued deeper.
The passage branched ahead, splitting into two paths that curved away into darkness. AJ moved forward to investigate both options.
"Left passage leads to a smaller chamber," he reported. "I can hear movement—maybe three or four wolves. Right passage continues downward, the scent coming from that direction is stronger."
"Clear the side chamber first," Victor decided. "Don't want anything coming up behind us."
The left passage opened into a circular chamber about eight metres across. Four wolves had made this space their resting area, with bones scattered across the floor suggesting successful hunts. The creatures stirred as the intruders entered their domain.
"Bigger than the last ones," Ethan noted, studying the wolves' muscular builds.
The fight was more challenging than their first encounter. The wolves used the chamber's space to their advantage, attempting to surround the trio while coordinating their attacks. But the trio's raw power was too much for them to overcome.
AJ flowed between two wolves, his form hardening into spikes that punctured their hides. Victor's speed allowed him to strike vital points before his opponents could react, while Ethan's strength let him simply overwhelm the wolves' defences with raw force.
"Clear," Victor announced as the last wolf fell.
They returned to the main passage, following the right-hand path deeper into the cave system. The wolf scent grew stronger with each step, while the scratch marks on the walls became more pronounced.
"Another group ahead," AJ warned. "They're not moving, could be sleeping."
The passage opened into a larger chamber, this one showing clear signs of regular use. Fresh bones, sleeping areas, and territorial markings indicated this was a gathering place for the pack.
Six wolves occupied the space, most of them resting until the intrusion roused them. These were larger than the ones they encountered previously, their scarred hides showing marks of experienced hunters.
"Pack leaders," Victor guessed. "This is going to be tougher."
The wolves didn't rush forward like the previous groups. Instead, they positioned themselves strategically, using the chamber's natural features as cover while sizing up their opponents.
The lead wolf, distinguishable by its even larger size and the scars across its muzzle, growled a command that sent the others forwards in a coordinated motion.
Ethan found himself facing three wolves simultaneously, their attacks coming from different angles. His axe work became a constant flow of strikes between blocks with his shield, each movement aiming to maintain distance while seeking opportunities to counter-attack.
Victor engaged two wolves with his characteristic precision, his dagger finding gaps in their scaled armour while his speed kept him ahead of their attempts to corner him.
AJ battled the pack leader, his malleable form allowing him to adapt to each attack while delivering strikes. The wolf's greater size and experience made it a formidable opponent, but AJ's continuously changing movements and attacks eventually proved decisive.
"That was hard work," Ethan said, breathing heavily as they surveyed the defeated pack.
"And we're not done yet," Victor replied, pointing towards a passage at the far end of the chamber. "It keeps going deeper over there."