The group left early in the morning to enter the wild lands and get to the city of Whitelake. Simon had taken Beowulf's claymore as a weapon and they had taken several potions and lots of gold off the mercenaries bodies.
As the wagon neared the wild lands they passed ruined stone fortifications and rotting, splintered, wooden building. A tattered rag of a flag flew upon a crumbling stone tower, dark blue with the imperial hawk on it. Scattered across the ruins were withering skeletons in rusting armor, still clutching their halberds and swords. The entirety of the scene was covered in moss, vines, and overgrowth, flowers of crimson, gold, and sapphire bloomed amongst the ruins.
"What happened here?" questioned Rinero.
"A failed attempt at expanding into the wild lands by Steelhawk," said Zetarnu.
"Yeah but how did this all happen?"
"There's about a thousand things that could cause this much damage from within the wildlands. There are wild and mystical beasts, orc nomads, and savage tribes of people who themselves are more beast than man in their nature."
"The arrogance of empires, no matter how much gold or land they have it is never enough. They seek to expand even into the lands no civilized man was ever meant to walk. And for every conquest the people pay dearly in their blood and tax money regardless of success," said Father Simon, grimness in his face and memories of carnage flashing through his mind.
"You're unfortunately right on that one," said Zetarnu.
As the wagon passed the ruins the amount and density of foliage increased. Wild bushes with cruel thorns and beautiful, elegant, many-colored flowers. Tall, black trees with spindly branches from which amber leaves and small acorns grew.
The grass became taller and wilder and the terrain bumpier with gravel and pebbles littering the ground. Soon they were in front of a dense, dark forest which gave off an unnerving aura. The forest marked the hard border of what was considered the wild lands.
"Simon, are you able to cast a spirit warding blessing?" said Zetarnu.
"Yes."
"I need you to cast one on the wagon. Arcane energies flow far more freely within the wild lands and thus the border between the material and the immaterial is far more weak there."
Simon jumped out of the wagon and began chanting a prayer. The wagon was surrounded by a divine light and orbited by radiant, holy sigils. The light and sigils slowly faded as Father Simon's prayer came to a stop.
"The wagon has been blessed," said Simon.
"Excellent," said Zetarnu.
The wagon continued on, now with Terra's divine protection, into the forest. The tall black trees with amber leaves became fam more numerous and greater in their size and mingled with short trees which bent and twisted and had long, sprawling branches with dark green leaves. The floor grew with sprawling bushes and thorny vines which made Noname cautious as to not damage the horses which drew the wagon.
Zetarnu cast a protectives spell upon the horses as to protect them from thorns and twigs. As they continued the forest became darker and darker, the foliage denser and denser. The sunlight was almost entirely blocked out by the trees leaving the group in the dark.
Then they began to hear noises, growls, snarls and rustling. Then they saw the shadows, quick, shifty things which skittered and crawled across the undergrowth and large things which lumbered through the forest. They would see dark things which flew around them and dark things which watched them.
Suddenly a bloodcurdling shriek sounded from the darkness.
"A shout! There is a person in this forest we should help them!" said Rinero.
"Maybe is was a human, maybe it wasn't. The spirits and creatures of the wild lands are deceiving and cunning, it's best not to risk it. Anyways we should all keep watch around us, Simon's blessing might have warded off the spirits but it won't save us from the beasts or the savages," said Zetarnu.
The group lit lanterns and hung them outside the wagon and they drew their weapons and keenly watched the darkness. Humanoid shadows rushed around them and indescribable creatures watched with shining, many-colored eyes.
Rinero heard the shriek again, now closer, then again, and again, and again.
Suddenly a terrible, ape like creature with sharp teeth and horns jumped out from the darkness. It swung it's large claws at Rinero who was just barely able to dodge the ferocious attack. The claws took a great chunk of wood from the wagon and the creature snarled it great jaws at Rinero.
Quickly Rinero's saber cut down the beast taking a large chunk out of the creatures head. Blood burst from the wound and the beast dropped dead spilling it's brains across the floor. Quickly a few lizard like creatures with sharp spikes on its back began eating the brains and began burrowing into the dead body with sharp claws.
The wagon continued for a few minuets before encountering another creature of the wild lands. In front of them stood a tall, goat-headed man with long black horns in a tattered red robe. He had a necklace of human teeth and a cape made of stitched together animal skins and human scalps. In one hand he held a spear with a barbed and bent blade and in the other a sack.
"You... Trade... Yes?" said the goat-man in his broken speech.
"Yes we would like to trade," said Noname.
The goat-man eagerly unraveled the large sack in his hands onto the ground. There was a large spread of small pouches made from human skin, crude glass bottles with strange herbs, cruel blades, and an assortment of strange rocks.
"Ah.. Have more sell," the goat-man said.
The goat-man reached into his long robe and withdrew a few potions from his pockets.
"Me buy potions from potion sell woman, price good."
Noname and the goat-man began negotiating between each other and trading. By the end of their transactions Noname got a few magical herbs along with some stones in exchange for some mana potions and coins.
"Good sell great business," said the goat-man.
The wagon continued on and the goat-man continued on his path.
The sun was setting and the forest became darker and denser. Rinero and Simon watched vigilantly with their weapons ready. They began conversing amongst themselves in order to ease their nerves.
"So, you got any family," said Simon.
"Nope, my father abandoned me and my mother died of fever. What about you?" said Rinero.
"Both parents killed by pirates."
"Shit man."
"So, you were a tournament fighter at home?"
"Yup, just before this all happened I won a big tournament and got a bunch of money."
"Nice."
"How did you become a priest Simon? Going from mercenary to priest is a pretty insane transition."
"Well after I was gravely wounded after a battle on the shores of some Terra forsaken country in Uljirakgard, my chest slashed open. I had to crawl my way back to my army's camp. I was half way there when my head was stomped on by Father Yulkei. He kicked and beat me and told me to look around me. Around me I saw the devastation that I had partaken in.
"Father Yulkei told me to repent for my sins and think about my actions. I spent a minuet there, covered in my own blood and covered in sand reflecting on all the terrible crimes I committed during my mercenary ways. Slaughtering innocents, beating whores in drunken rage, stealing, and betraying my own comrades more than once.
"I told Father Yulkei that I would repent for all my sins and he healed me. After that I went under his apprenticeship and abandoned my sinful ways."
"Neat."
The wagon had exited the forest and had entered an open plain of long, grey grass. The sky was a deep sunset orange as the day closed. Infront of the setting yellow sun was a silhouette of a tall horseman with flowing hair.
The plains swept with a arcane and mysterious air as he turned his head and peered at them with deep emerald eyes.