Nephilims: Into the Wild

Chapter 2-Ginji

- A great battle took place here. - The hunter said quietly, hand scrapping the blood soaked earth of the foothill leading up to the ridge near the smoke columns. - The ground is soaked in blood.

- Yes. - Quang nodded, carefully checking the sparse woodland around them, making sure that they're not walking into a trap. - But where's the bodies?

It was the third site they've encountered, and again, there were no body to be found, only blood and impressions of what must have once been crudely built tents. Something's not right, and all of them could feel it, the smell of death and destruction hung heavily in the air, and the elves were oddly silent. The old chief surveyed his surrounding, focusing on the thickest parts of the forest, hoping to see something, a sign, a warning, a movement from their elusive watchers. But there were none. Ever since they reached the first site, Quang has noticed that the elves were no longer showing their presence to him.

- Chieftain. - A hunter approached, his head kept low and his voice was little more than a whisper. - May I speak my concern?

- Speak. - The chieftain whispered a reply, eyeing the hunter who was not much younger than him.

- I...I think we should go back. - The hunter explained, cautiously looking around as if he's just sensed an unseen threat. - There's something about these sites that's creeping me out, it's creeping the party out. They're too...clean.

- The people deserve a place to stay, old friend. - The chieftain said quietly. - They need to know if that place is safe to stay or not.

- As you say.

The old hunter nodded and returned to his group, preparing the others to move closer to the smoke columns. They're still there, still burning with no sign of them dying down. They're being sustained, Quang thought, but by what? Cautiously, the scouting party moved up the ridge, shadowed by the exposed rocks and patches of spines that were becoming sparser and sparser with every step they took. There were several large boulders on top of the ridge, perfect for hiding, the old chief thought as he moved forward, followed by the rest of his scouting party. That's when they heard it.

- Kill the mongrels!

- Don't let them escape!

- Hah! What pathetic preys these beasts are!

The voices came from the other side of the ridge, voices of females...and children. Most strange. Killing? Preys? What were they talking about? What kind of people let their women and children partake in the butchering of live preys? Quang's expression grew into a frown as question after question popping up in his head. Signaling the rest of the scouting party to hold their position, the chieftain slowly crept his way up toward the edge, toward the sounds of animals being butchered and metal biting into flesh.

The other side of the ridge led down to a large plain surrounded by hills and outcrops, it would have make for a good resting spot for the night, if it's not for the fact that it was already occupied. From atop the ridge, hundreds of meters away, Quang could see a crowd numbering at the least more than a hundred, pass experiences and the fact that all of them, even the children-like figures, were classed from head to toe in metallic armors told the old chief that it was a war host. They were comprised of mostly the smaller warriors, barely taller than a teenage child, but the ways they walked, the ways they talked and the blood-soaked ground that they're standing on showed that they're all skilled warriors, if nothing else. Most of them were classed in purple armors, though a large number of them were daunted in greens or various shades of red and were armed with swords, bows, spears, shields and axes.

These must be the elves that have been following them, Quang recognized the shades of purple of their armors. Quetz has told him, along with other chieftains in their secret meetings about them, they're small in statures but are not to be trifled with. There were others in the war host, warriors women, classed in blood red armors and crested helms, armed with long spears, axes and great shields with strange ruins scribed on them. The columns of smoke came from six great pyres forming a circle, fueled by dead bodies of creatures half human half goats piled into mounds. In the inner part of the grim circle, a couple of dozens or so of the creatures still standing, horned heads kept low and swaying as they brayed in anger and despair, surrounded and slowly butchered on all side by the third and final group of the war host.