The hafling group moved swiftly through the forest, their eyes scanning the shadows for any sign of danger. Halfad, the seasoned red-haired hafling, rode atop his contracted purple tiger, while Murad, his fiery-haired companion, followed closely.
"We hunted a lot last year," Halfad said, glancing at Murad. "Thanks to the previous leader—you did a good job keeping us alive."
Murad grinned. "So you approve of my decision last year not to hunt the gazelles?"
Halfad chuckled, his hair falling over his shoulders. "It was a wise choice. No regrets there."
Murad's smile faded slightly. "I'm thinking of letting some of the captured monsters roam near the hyena lands. Informally, of course—they've been acting strangely lately. No clear reason for their behavior."
Halfad's voice grew serious. "I'll investigate with them after we reach the village."
Nearby, another hafling's eyes lit up. "The children will be thrilled with what we've brought!"
One of the guards, moving closer to Halfad and Murad, added, "I saw Gin and Gon in the forest, far from the village. They were fighting something… wild monsters, but they seemed calm. Nothing too dangerous—just a few creatures."
Murad frowned. "Are you sure, Bothelmir?"
Halfad's gut twisted. "I have a bad feeling about this."
"Bothelmir, come with me and the other guard," Murad said. "Make sure to reach the village safely with what we hunted. We're the only ones with contracted monsters."
Halfad, Murad, and Bothelmir rode their tigers swiftly through the dense forest.
---
In a nearby clearing, two young haflings—Gin and Gon, dark-haired twins in adventure clothes with small swords at their sides—stood ready.
"Those wild hyenas are no match for us," one said confidently.
"Yes," the other agreed.
As they approached, Gin's sharp eyes caught another group of creatures. "Another group? Let's hunt them and head back."
Within moments, the twins had dispatched the hyenas effortlessly.
"Wait," Gin said, narrowing his eyes. "These hyenas… they're larger than usual, with thicker fur and sharper fangs."
Gon nodded. "Now that you mention it, you're right. But they're still no match for us. Let's go."
Suddenly, a glowing spell enveloped them. Gin shouted, "Gon! Watch out!"
The aura tried to pull them far from the forest, but their skills activated just in time. They were barely moved, landing only a short distance away.
"It's a transfer trap," Gin muttered. "Lucky our reflexes saved us."
A few minutes later, they reunited with Jina, Arif, and a gathering of haflings. Walking through the forest, they finally reached the road.
"Isn't that Halfad's contracted tiger?" Gon whispered.
"I want my contracted monster too," Gin muttered, frustrated that it ignored him.
Murad and Bothelmir appeared shortly after. "What are you doing here?" Murad demanded.
Gon quickly explained the situation. Halfad's eyes narrowed. "The hyenas can't trigger a trap spell on their own. We need to move faster."
---
Back in the village, Halfad arrived to find Arif waiting at the entrance.
"Nothing bad happened?" Murad asked.
Arif shook his head. "Not exactly good either."
Murad frowned. "Continue."
Arif sighed and touched his beard. "The hyenas attacked five other villages in the forest… the children saw it all. We failed to teach them the laws of the forest and the duty of skilled haflings. They witnessed the dark side first."
Murad's face went pale. "My reckless son… we have to do something."
Halfad shook his head. "Do I look any better? Halfy is even more reckless."
Lily, the black-haired hafling, stepped forward. "If I hadn't stopped them, you'd be under investigation by the Forest Guardians."
Murad clasped her hands in gratitude. "Thank you. I won't forget this. I've faced investigations before, but…"
Bothelmir muttered, "And whose fault is that?"
"Did you say something?" Murad asked.
"No… just the wind," Bothelmir replied with a sly smile.
---
A magical blue bird landed on Lily's shoulder. She read the message aloud:
"It's from Bascal and Jiny. They got caught in a magical trap and were transferred near the Wolf Forest after dealing with bloody bears. They'll need a few days to return."
Gon and Gin exchanged knowing glances. "Looks like the others will never live this down when we tease them."
Bothelmir arched an eyebrow. "Did you say something?"
"No… it must be the wind," they chorused.
Halfad said, "Let's investigate further once everyone returns."
Meanwhile, Halfy and Redly crept closer.
"I'll catch them with my axe!" Halfy shouted.
"Stupid! Use a sword—we move faster!" Redly argued.
"No, I want them to feel pain," Halfy replied with a grin.
Murad and Halfad exchanged shocked glances. Gin and Gon dashed away, muttering, "Time to clean the house."
Bothelmir said calmly, "I'll stay to make sure nothing important is missing."
Halfad and Murad looked at Arif, the wisest of them all. But he was gone—replaced by Coby, who vanished slowly, a sly smile on his lips.