Savage Forest - Chapter 111.2

She quickly explained to the others in the pharmacy.

“They are the people I know. They seem to be companions of the group that was with Enya.”

Kiyan and Piache stepped forward to meet them, and one of the sudden visitors stepped forward.

“We apologize for startling you. We are followers of Senu from the leper colony.”

It was a woman’s voice. Everyone in the pharmacy seemed slightly taken aback by the unexpected introduction.

“I’m Lomba. This is Ines, and that’s Caleb. We don’t mean any harm. We hope you weren’t too frightened by our appearance.”

Everyone remained speechless, caught off guard when the woman who introduced herself as Lomba stepped forward.

“You’re headed to Nervana Forest, aren’t you? We have something we’d like to entrust to you. It’s something that will surely be of help.”

Lombar turned slightly.

There was a cart piled with items behind her.

Yaru’s eyes widened when she recognized it. Piache and Kiyan, along with the others in the herb shop, were also stunned.

A cart full of weapons that Senu’s group hadn’t managed to take with them was piled high like a mountain.

* * *

Five men were climbing a steep cliffside path. Despite having climbed for several days without rest, they showed no signs of fatigue. All of them were men with bodies honed to the extreme, accustomed to not even breathing hard.

Four of the men had bulging tattoos on their arms. They were young warriors from Nervana.

The man leading them had no tattoos, but his presence was stronger and more imposing than any of the others. It seemed as though the other Nervana forest warriors were moving in sync with his pace. The scars on the man’s neck, chest, arms, and legs became more pronounced as a gentle rain began to fall.

Tarhan’s sharp gaze shot towards the sky. It was as if he was blaming the rain-soaked sky for conjuring a specific memory.

“Are we really going to find the molt of the skull spider at the end of this path?”

“Yes, that’s correct. The water that flows from the waterfall, where the skull spiders appear most frequently, runs down through this valley.”

Cugnac responded promptly.

He, who followed right behind Tarhan, was careful not to ruffle the front man’s mood.

“Of course, it will take us several more days and nights of continuous climbing to reach that waterfall.”

“This forest seems to stretch on endlessly.”

Tarhan’s face briefly contorted as if he was tired of the vast wilderness. Beside him, Zechariah spoke up.

“At least this path is a shortcut to the last molt we found.”

They were currently searching the area around where the skull spider’s molt was found. The initiative came from Reyhald’s discovery of traces of intruders in the forest.

“There are definitely signs that others have intruded into the forest besides us, and not just one or two.”

Following Reyhald, Leroi added his observation.

“Honestly, it’s surprising that a reclusive skull spider has shown this much activity…”

He cautiously continued, watching Tarhan, who was leading the way forward.

“The only explanation is that it sensed the presence of the Daughter of the Forest. This is unusual behavior we have never seen before.”

At the mention of the Daughter of the Forest, Tarhan twitched slightly, though none of his companions noticed. Reyhald yawned and wiped the raindrops off his face roughly.

“I’m tired of circling around like this, doing the same thing over and over.”

Cugnac retorted sharply.

“You agreed to this, remember? It’s not easy to find someone in this vast forest,”

Zechariah, who had been listening silently, cut off a branch as they passed and spoke up.

“That’s why we’re marking our path. Piache and Yaru will recognize it soon enough. Reyhald, you need to be patient.”

At the mention of Piache, Leroy instinctively looked up at the sky and wiped the rain from his face.

“I still miss Aquilea. I crave warm rice. I guess I’m really a settler at heart. Nomad life just doesn’t suit me anymore.”

Reyhald grumbled.

“Stop your whining.”

Leroy glared at Reyhald, annoyed at the broken sentiment.

“You’d hardly stay put in one place.”

He teased Reyhald, who was known for his free spirit.

“Why not! It’s not like I can’t do it.”

Reyhald snapped back, instantly getting defensive.

“Zechariah, the ever-naive, talking about taking six wives.”

The serious and quiet Zechariah, compared to the other three, gently scolded Leroi.

“Why bring me into this?”

The young Nervana men never seemed to stop talking.

Ignoring them, Tarhan lifted his head in the rain and gauged their direction. Water droplets from his sharp nose fell onto his tense shoulders and chest.

“There’s no rest for us, so prepare to march through the night.”

He commanded naturally to the young warriors of Nervana.

A collective sigh broke out among them, yet they prepared to continue marching without objection to Tarhan’s stern order.