The gate groaned shut behind them, blocking Havenwood from sight. The forest ahead felt like a different world. Mana hung thick in the air, much more than inside the town since it got absorbed by the people. But Reidar was used to that by now, after traveling through woods for so long.

The others didn't seem having trouble either, so he said nothing about it.

The problem was the forest itself. The trees were tall and large, but they were so lush that the sunlight barely broke through the heavy canopy above, painting the narrow trail toward the quarry in shifting shadows and dark green lights that didn't help to find the way at all.

There were also thorny vines and glowing mushrooms crowding the undergrowth, and more often than not they created problems.

It wasn't just the vines, but the mushrooms too. Mushrooms were nasty things, and the entire group was scared they could release some kind of deadly pollen that would kill, or worse, turn them into zombies for the mushrooms to proliferate.

Reidar and the others had seen plenty of such movies in their past, and knowing Reidar could summon skeletons, such thoughts weren't that farfetched.

Lena moved ahead without a word. Torren and Lysa kept watch on either side, scanning the woods. Jorik brought up the rear, big but quiet.

Reidar walked with them but was actually surrounded by his bone militia. Since the others didn't have mounts, they were going on foot. He was not going to give his primal pack to them to use as mounts. Not because he couldn't, but because he didn't want to give them the chance to chase him if he wished so to run. After all, even if Lena and the others were stronger, they were not giant quadrupedal. They were fast, but there was a limit to what two legs could do.

<That and the quarry isn't far anyway.>

Jorik then reached him.

The big mage fell into step beside Reidar. His boots were so heavy that describing them crunching on the undergrowth did not give it justice. Torren wasn't so different, given his Zweihänder and bulky build, while Lena and Lysa were completely silent.

"So, you're not from around here."

Reidar kept his gaze forward, watching his bone militia navigate the tangled path ahead. "No."

"Where'd you come from then? Before all this." Jorik gestured vaguely at the transformed forest around them.

"I'm from Kingsgate, but I was the owner and CEO of a firm."

"Oooh, a rich dude!" Jorik grinned. "And tell me, how come you are so far from Kingsgate?"

"I went to Port Seren for a business deal and was headed to Creamont to visit my parents. On my way there, the apocalypse struck, and I was forced to get into a gas station off the highway. I woke up there when everything changed." Reidar kept his answers short and factual.

Jorik gave a slow, grim nod, his grey beard brushing the collar of his worn robes. "It was the library for me," he said, his voice dropping low. "I'm from a small town west of the dam. I was holed up studying for a certification when 'The Sleep' took everyone." He rubbed his jaw with a thick-fingered hand.

"I woke up to screaming—or what was left of it. The Rift-Sprite bastards were already inside, tearing into people still unconscious. Pure luck I made it to a maintenance closet. Barricaded the door with a cart and just waited."

He went silent for a moment as he remembered the grim events. "I didn't come out for two days."

Ahead, Lena's shoulders tightened almost imperceptibly. Torren's grip on his massive blade shifted. Lysa's hand drifted toward her throwing knives. None spoke.

It was clear they had similar stories, and maybe… Maybe their stories involved not random people that happened to be around them when the apocalypse came, but family members, friends, lovers, sons and daughters, although, all but Jorik were relatively young, so, Reidar couldn't tell.

Reidar kept his expression neutral. "Sounds familiar."

"It does, right?" Jorik's laugh was hollow. "My whole town was gone in hours. The only reason I'm here is that Martin's scouts found me half-dead in a drainage pipe two weeks later." He glanced at the others. "We've all got stories like that. Some just don't like telling them."

The forest seemed to grow quieter around them, a fact that Lena noticed far too quickly.

"I don't like this," Lena said. Lysa seemed to agree with her.

Lena then turned to Jorik.

"Set up a barrier." She then turned to Reidar.

"Tell your summons to spread. Five behind us, five in front."

Reidar didn't understand what was happening, but from Lena's reaction he realized a group of monsters was close.

<How does she know?>

But Reidar figured it out fast. She must've bought some skills.

<I need to check with Morv'axil if he has it.>

Reidar didn't question the order, although he didn't like Lena giving him orders. After all, it wasn't like they were in the army, and Lena didn't likely have more experience than him.

Regardless, he was not stupid enough to let his pride win over him. He gave a mental order to his summoned creatures. The ten skeletal warriors immediately split.

Five clattered forward, positioning themselves just ahead of Lena at the front of the group, while the other five turned in unison, forming a line at their rear.

He didn't stop there. A surge of mana left him as he re-summoned his Primal Pack. Then his Rift-Sprite Squad came out of the portals.

Last, the Guardian Shade grew from the shadows. Its cool, mysterious appearance must have attracted Lysa, because she studied Reidar's creature intently for a couple of seconds.

<That's right. He gets his coolness from me.> But Reidar didn't say this out loud, because even in his own head, that sounded ridiculous.

Soon after Reidar used Group Rally. A wave of energy washed over his temporary companions, and a tangible surge of confidence and sharpened focus pervaded them.

Their postures straightened, movements becoming more fluid and precise. Group rally also had other bonuses. It didn't just make others better at combat; it sharpened their coordination, granting a +20% damage bonus and a +15% movement speed increase.

Across from him, Jorik was already at work. The mage raised his hands, and a semi-translucent dome of energy burst from the surrounding ground, sealing their position.

"Barrier's up!" Jorik said, sweat beading on his forehead. He turned to Reidar, who knew nothing about the skill.

"Nothing gets in that I don't allow. We've got a fallback point."

Reidar nodded.

Torren shifted his hold on the enormous sword. The giant weapon looked light in his hands.

Lena drew a pair of wicked, curved blades. Lysa's hands were a blur, as throwing knives appeared in each of her hands as if from nowhere.

The forest had gone dead silent at thatt. No birds, no insects, or at least their mutated variants, uttered a sound.

Only the faint hum of Jorik's barrier and the clatter of bone from Reidar's bone militia could be heard.

Then, a branch snapped. Not a small one. Something large was moving out there, pushing through the thick undergrowth just beyond the group's visual range.

The Primal Pack lowered their heads, making warning growls. Then, the sound of things snapping multiplied.

They were surrounded, and whatever was coming, it was coming now.

A low growl rumbled from the dense thicket ahead. The skeletal warriors raised their swords.

"Ambush. Left flank," Lena said.

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