Magus Reborn

62. Primal urgency

Two days had passed since the Arachne spider attack, the heavy memory still hanging heavy in the air like the acrid scent of smoke.

Kai sat at the head of a heavy oak table in one of the rooms where usual meetings were held, sunlight slanting through the tall windows and illuminating the faces of three weathered hunters stood.

These men, clad in worn leather jerkins and thick furs, hailed from villages on the Vasper Forest’s fringes— the same forest where Kai had faced the necromancer months ago.

Francis sat beside the hunters, opposite Kai, his arms crossed and a neutral expression drawn on his face. The silence in the room was thick with tension, broken only by the occasional crackle from the fireplace in the hearth.

As Kai gazed at the three hunters, he recognised one of them. "Phillips, it’s been a while."

"Phillips of Hagmons Keep greets you, my lord," the man said, giving a slight bow and looking brighter from the last time he had seen him.

His hair looked shorter now and he seemed to be doing well for himself going by the glow on his face. Back then, he had assisted them with the necromancer and it wasn’t a small help either since he had even participated in the fight.

"How have you been?" he asked.

"After you dealt with the necromancer, things have been progressing well. We have repaired the gate and the hunts have been feeding my family and the rest of the village well."

He nodded his head towards him before his eyes moved to the other two men who immediately offered their names.

"Quenson of Averous Village greets you, my lord."

"Maison of Mangrove Village greets you, my lord."

Once their greetings were done, the hunters took their seats and he started the meeting.

"Thank you all for coming," Kai began, his voice sturdy as he looked between the men. He kept the water he chugged down aside and leaned forward at the men who gave a brief nod. "As you know, the city was recently attacked by monsters."

He gestured towards a sketch depicting an Arachne spider, its eight spindly legs and menacing mandibles meticulously rendered on parchment. The hunters leaned closer, their faces scrunching up in recognition as they studied the drawing.

"We believe these creatures originated from the Vasper forest," Kai continued. "Particularly from the dungeon opening up. The attack was strange since these spiders shouldn’t be here. I want to know what’s going on in the forest."

Maison, a burly man with a thick salt-and-pepper beard, spoke up with a loud voice. "Opens up every spring, spewing forth all sorts of nasty creatures. We usually see a rise in monster activity in nearby villages during those times."

"Hmm," Kai acknowledged, his gaze flitting between the hunters. "But wouldn’t these creatures typically target the villages closer to the forest? Why venture to the city?"

Quinton, a wiry man with a hawk-like nose chimed in. "Normally, you’d be right, Lord Arzan. But this year something feels different. The dungeon’s opening seemed more... violent this time. And the creatures, they’re more restless, bolder than usual. They aren’t displaying normal behaviour."

Kai straightened in his seat, noticing the patterns of his words. "Restless? Not displaying usual behaviour? Can you elaborate?"

The hunter scratched his beard thoughtfully.

"Well, about two weeks ago, I was on a hunting trip deep within the Vasper Forest, quite a distance from the dungeon. And I saw them, a whole swarm of spiders, moving together in a way I’ve never witnessed before."

A flicker of surprise crossed Kai’s face. "A swarm of spiders? So far from the dungeon?"

For the next hour, the room filled with conversation.

The hunters spoke of the vast network of tunnels beneath the dungeon, home to an untold number of Arachne of varying sizes and strengths. They described their hunting patterns, their venomous bites, and their skittish nature. Most importantly, they confirmed Francis’s grim prediction.

"In a beast wave," Francis said, "all bets are off. Species that wouldn’t be caught dead within a hundred leagues of each other will find themselves fighting alongside each other, driven by a primal instinct for survival... and destruction."

The weight of the revelation pressed down on Kai. A single arachne attack had been hard to deal with. A full-blown beast wave, led by a monstrous brood mother and fueled by the cooperation of various creatures, could spell doom for the estate.

He looked at the hunters.

"Thank you," he said, his voice hoarse. "Keep a close eye on the forest. Report any unusual activity or any signs of other creatures venturing out of their territories. We need to be prepared for what’s coming."

The hunters nodded and Francis glanced at him. When Kai’s gaze matched his, he knew they were both thinking the same thing.

If they didn’t do anything, they would be annihilated!

-

Only two days passed since the hunters’ visit, and their reports confirmed Kai’s worst fears.

The spiders, in a stark departure from their usual skittish behaviour, seemed fixated on a single path— a path leading directly to the city. Even more unsettling was the unnatural quietude in the forest. Predators that would normally be out hunting after leaving the dungeon were strangely subdued.

These reports, coupled with Francis’ words and the parchments Kai had unearthed from the library archives, all pointed towards one horrifying possibility— the nascent stages of a beast wave. The very thought sent shivers down his spine.

But Kai couldn’t afford to dwell on anxieties.

He needed evidence, something concrete to validate their suspicions. Thus, on a crisp morning, he found himself leading Claire, much to her surprise, towards the very edge of the Vasper Forest.

She had been surprised when he asked if she would like to go for a walk, but she surely hadn’t expected it to be towards the edge of the forest

It was a ride of two hours even with the horses running at full speed and throughout the way, Kai didn’t speak, urging Claire to cast curious glances at him.

He only spoke once they reached their destination. "Let’s get off here."

"Okay."

Claire, surprisingly adept at riding, dismounted alongside him as they reached a secluded clearing.

The dappled sunlight filtering through the leaves cast dancing shadows on the forest floor.

She cast nervous glances around, her eyes flitting between the trees.

"Why are we here, Lord Arzan?" she finally voiced her curiosity, unable to contain it any longer.

Kai turned to her, a calm smile gracing his lips. "We’re here to perform a simple ritual, Claire," he said, "A ritual that might give me a few answers."