Dark Lord Saga : The Blood Mage

Chapter 12 : Wolf's Howl

The night was still. A quiet calm that racked the nerves and unsettled the bones. Baylee approached the camp with caution, her staff ready by her side. The camp was sorted into the new arrivals, who had pitched up tents, and those that had arrived early, who had set up wooden cabins. Baylee approached one of the cabins. A musty smell came from the room. She peered in through the crack in the door. There was no one. It was empty.

The next cabin, the next tent, all were empty. She nodded to Dane who had already flashed out his battle sense the moment they had entered the camp. He shook his head.

 "There is no trace of anyone," Dane murmured. His eyes surveying the air. "Did something come get them?"

 Vernon sniffed the air. "Hard to say. This place is...too clean?"

 His hands came upon a cooking pot. The lid had been sealed shut. He opened it and it was empty.

 "It looks like everyone just got up and left? Any sign of clothes?"

 Baylee shook her head. "I looked through the cabins. Everything is missing. This might be..."

 Thoughts raced through her head. Her eyes squinted into a scowl. "This could be really bad. I think it is..."

 "Everyone!" shouted Grey, near the woods. His eyes had made out something strange in the darkness. "I think I see something."

 "Don't touch it!" shouted Baylee, quickly coming to his side. The rest of the group followed. They could see a strange mound of dirt at the edge of the campsite.

 Vernon smiled. "It could be a trap. Let this old fellow show you how it's done."

Vernon approached the mound. His hands softly digging the earth. One could see his balance leaned towards his back, ready to leap back at the first sign of danger. His hands digging. His eyes suddenly turned wide.

 "Baylee," said Vernon. His voice grim. "You have to take a look at this."

 Baylee's walked towards him. Her eyes turned serious.

 "Everyone else stay back. What did you find?"

Baylee's eyes recoiled in dread. Out of the mound, half buried, was a decapitated head.

 "Uncle Halley," Baylee whispered. She remembered the old wizened adventurer who had spoken to her many adventures back. She was younger then, more foolish. He had helped her when her party had wiped out, and brought her back to the surface. For him to have met such an end. Her heart could only weep.

Vernon dug deeper into the mound. His hands touching what was a corpse. Baylee moved to block the uncovered body from the children. Her eyes staring back. They couldn't see. They were too young to know. Grey only looked at her curiously. Knowing there could be danger. He stayed back obediently.

 "I think I found something," whispered Vernon. His hands slipping up a bloodied note. There were only two words written on it, in blood. A dying message. "Knights. Gil."

 Then it was true.

 "Fellows!" shouted Dane, "Have you found something!"

 "Yeah," shouted Vernon. Baylee turned to stop him, but was too late. "Halley is dead. They took everyone to Gil."

 Baylee moved to the side, revealing the dead body. Mylene, Grey, and Dane gasped in horror. Grey could only feel a growing sense of dread of what would happen at his village.

Sho! Father! Mother!

 His thoughts full of worry and regret. He ran into the woods towards his village.