Under The Rogue's Shadow Episode 1-6

Chapter Six: Inside Ryouku Forest “Writing can make us forget our pain, write your anger or sorrow and forget about the paper you write on.”
         We left the city of trees with only enough supplies to last us a week. I look beyond my companions to see a massive forest, I even can hear the howling in that forest, my only answer is that it must be Ryouku Forest. “Ryouku Forest, why faith allowed me to come back to that accursed place?” Clan Lord Stonehammer asked to himself. I don’t know why Clan Lord Stonehammer got spooked by that forest, he is strong and faithful, but never I would have seen him spooked. “We must press on, don’t dwell upon our bad times with the Ryouku Wolf Pack.” Myasha said. Ryouku Wolf Pack? If it is only a pack of wolves, they should had already finished by my companions, there is more to them than what I can see. “Onward! We got... Ow!” Classic commanded then tripped over a rock. Everyone laughs about Classic’s fall, including me. Classic gets up and brushes the dirt off himself. “Watch out where you are going, there is enough trees to hide a rock.” I warned Classic. “Ok, if you are clumsy enough to... Ow!” Classic said as he turns around and hit against a tree. Jenna giggles as she helps Classic up. Classic was rubbing his nose as he talk, I cannot understand him because he talk funny. Reminds me of the time Classic had his mouth numbed by the herb that kept me in place. We enter the forest, I realized the others are cautious so I had to be cautious too. Minutes had past and I never seen any Ryouku Wolves, I got a feeling that they don’t want to be seen but they are watching us. We traveled so far into the forest that I needed some rest before continuing on. Just my luck, we stopped at a great spot, enough opening for stargazing and we are away from the trees so nobody can jump us from the trees. We set up camp and Jenna starts cooking. “Hey, want to hear about The Legend of The Ryouku Wolf Tribe?” Clan Lord Stonehammer asked me. “Gambrick, I don’t know, she could have nightmares haunting in her sleep.” Classic teased. “Yeah, that story is more scarier than The Phalanx’s Wrath.” Myasha teased with Classic. They both laugh about it. “Sure I’ll listen.” I accepted to listen to Gambrick’s tale. “Ok, The story began with me and Feldrick coming to help some adventurers...” Gambrick started. “This is the story of what happened right before my own eyes, details included.” Gambrick warned. “The adventurers wanted me and Feldrick to come with them to find their buddies who got dragged away by wolves. As we are going around the forest, I heard something from the bushes...” Gambrick said. It is like a bad story, a guy hears something in the bushes then the monster kills the guy. “Feldrick heard it too, as he check the bushes, he found only newly thrown rocks. Suddenly, I heard one of the adventurers shouts and his shout was cut short.” Gambrick continues. That was a surprise, did they came from the trees? “Feldrick went to check the trees, then combat! I saw Feldrick, the most nimble of his kind, fell off the trees with a crazed hairy, man-like creature, a Werewolf, beating on his face.” Gambrick said to continue the story. A Werewolf? I had heard of them, they are known all over Tyria, Cantha and Elona. “Then all went dark, I realized that I’m not killed when I woke up in their camp.” Gambrick continue on with his storytelling. “Right before my eyes, I saw Feldrick, well, Feldrick with a missing eye. I started to hear the adventurers pleading for life, they are at the claws of The Ryouku Werewolves.” Gambrick said as he tells the story. Now I know how Feldrick got the eye patch. “I managed to free myself, actually my weight did the trick, and freed Feldrick, as I helped Feldrick out of the camp, we saw a gruesome sight. The Ryouku Werewolves are ripping and eating the adventurers, they are killed and I cannot do anything to help them, me and Feldrick retreated.” Gambrick said to finish it. Sounds to me that the Ryouku Wolf Tribe is a bad kind to mess with. I shiver by the very image of two adventurers being ripped apart and eaten. “The Ryouku Werewolves are known to extend further than their Lycanthrope kin. They are very fast and very strong, they even have the ability to throw fireballs!” Classic said, hoping to scare me and he did a good job, I was shivering. Myasha punched Classic with a swift hook to the arm. “Classic! Will you stop scaring her like you did to me back at Thousark!” Myasha yelled at Classic. Classic scared Myasha in Thousark? Must have been something bad. “Ha! How did he scared ya, lass?” Gambrick asked Myasha. “During the repairing of Castle Thousark, which is after Clan War Two, Classic was one of the repair crew and I was only five year old back then. He thinks it’ll be funny to rappel down from the broken ceiling and stop at a kissing range of my face.” Myasha started. So thats how they met, a simple joke. “Xaeriar approved as along I don’t get hurt, so he was in it also as a anchor for rappling. As Classic rapples down, the rope snaps and he fell, I was just walking by until I see Classic lands on the spot where I was passing by.” Myasha continues. I look at Classic and he look like it is not on purpose that he almost crushed Myasha. “I scream as Classic hit the ground, any steps further, I would be killed, so I was quite scared out of wit. My mother came along, worried that I was seriously injured, my father and his royal guards came along a minute later, Classic look like he is out cold by the fall.” Myasha continues. Hmm, was she scared because she almost got crushed? Or she was scared that Classic could have gotten killed by the fall? “Luckily, at that time, Gambrick was at The Temple of The Ascended for the annual month stay. The guards carried him over to Gambrick for treatment.” Myasha finishes the story. “So, that’s how Classic was so beat up and one of the guards kept saying that he fell. He really did fell.” Gambrick points out. Minutes later and I can smell the food, Jenna was cooking. It smell like... Beef stew with a hint of seasoning, like the Academy made before The Searing ever happened. “Dinner is ready.” Jenna announced. I was first because I was next to her, then the others got their bowl. We eat and I felt strange like my cuts from the branches along the way are healing a lot quicker than normal. “What herb you seasoned in this beef stew, Jenna?” I asked. “Beef? That was Troll Meat. I used the seasoning to give it some flavor.” Jenna answered. I was disgusted, meat from a troll? Ew! But for an ugly creature, the meat tasted like beef. After dinner, I was about to go to sleep until I saw Gambrick praying and about to cast something, but he noticed me. “Want to see a trick, I learned that will ward off the Ryouku Werewolves?” Gambrick asked. I watch as Gambrick chants. Suddenly, a Wall of Silver raises and surrounds the camp. The wall is high enough that it is impossible for any werewolves to jump over and thick enough to outlast a siege. I was marveled by the wall, Gambrick had learned a spell that is unknown to Tyrians, Canthans and Elonians alike! Enough with the marveling over a shiny wall, I’m tired so I went back to my tent. I remembered that we are given three tents, I know that Jenna is in Classic’s and Myasha will be sharing the tent with Lunaria. I’m sure that Gambrick will be sleeping in the tent with me, I hoped he is not the bad sleeper like snoring loud or worse. Throughout the night, I kept on hearing the howling, like the dogs that comes to the Academy for no apparent reason at all, they just waltz in front of the dorms and howls.