In formation, they continued deeper into the forest, weapons ready and nerves taut. The trees grew closer together, their canopy casting long shadows across the undergrowth. For nearly twenty minutes, they saw no signs of movement—just the soft rustling of leaves and the distant chirping of birds.

Then Zane held up a fist, and everyone froze.

Ten meters up a tree, barely visible behind a curtain of leaves, a second kobold stood watch. This one had the sharp features and upright posture of a German Shepherd. But before anyone could draw a weapon or react, the kobold raised a small horn to its mouth and blew.

Bell, reacting on instinct, fired.

Her arrow struck true, piercing through the kobold's skull and sending it tumbling from the platform with a thud. It dissolved into smoke before it even hit the ground.

"I got it!" Bell said, lowering her bow. "I think I got it before it blew the horn."

Kai and Lily exchanged a look, then winced.

"Uh... no," Kai said. "It definitely blew it."

"We heard it," Lily added. "High-pitched, like a dog whistle. It was painful."

Zane and Tarni looked confused. "We didn't hear a thing," Zane said, glancing toward Bell.

"Yeah," Tarni added, "I didn't hear jack."

Stolen content warning: this tale belongs on Royal Road. Report any occurrences elsewhere.

Bell's expression darkened. "So, it used a frequency only younger ears could pick up..."

"Which probably means it wasn't meant for us," Kai muttered. "It was calling reinforcements."

Tarni unslung his crossbow and scanned the treeline. "Then we've got company coming."

As everyone stood frozen, trying to decide what to do next, Bell snapped into action.

"Quick! We need to find somewhere defensible," she barked. "Once we do, I want a choke point set up—tight and controlled!"

Tarni spun in place, scanning the forest in all directions. Zane was eyeing the kobold's high platform, wondering if it could support his weight and how he'd even get up there.

Kai, thinking fast, pulled up the map to check for terrain advantages—rocks, cliffs, anything—but before he could finish scanning, a second high-pitched whistle echoed from the south. Only he and Lily reacted, grimacing at the sharp sound.

"They're coming from the south," Kai said, urgency rising in his voice. "We need a wide tree we can put to our backs. Then we use our machetes to cut down small trees and make a quick barricade. If we move fast, we can make a choke point."

Everyone paused, staring at him.

Bell pointed sharply at Kai and half-yelled, "That! We do that! Move!"

Adrenaline surged. They fanned out, eyes scanning for a tree with a wide enough trunk to shield the entire group. Within thirty seconds, they found one—a thick old oak with sprawling roots and just enough clearance around the base.

Without wasting time, they set to work, hacking down smaller saplings and branches, piling them on one side of the tree to form a rough barricade. Zane and Tarni broke fallen limbs over their knees while Lily and Kai worked side by side, their machetes flashing as they cleared the underbrush.

They were only two minutes into their frantic construction when a chorus of howls rose from the southern woods—dozens of voices, close now, and getting closer fast.

Tarni hissed through clenched teeth, "That's not a patrol. That's a hunting pack."

Everyone dropped into position behind the half-formed barricade, eyes locked on the shadows of the forest.

The fight was coming. And it was going to be loud.

If you find any errors ( broken links, non-standard content, etc.. ), Please let us know < report chapter > so we can fix it as soon as possible.