Chapter 207: The Realizing Dawn.
Forest.
Critic Arley, Critic-Ishire.
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The group started to move stealthily, hopping down from their steeds and getting ready for whatever may come.
"Help please" the call for help persisted.
Theodore moved forward following the sound and sure enough it was the first hunt group but they were in a very maladroit position, tied up limbs and hair together, the Theodore mansion crew paused. Theodore shook out of the pause first and moved but before he’d take two feet forward, Conan gripped his arm. "Theodore, where are you going?"
"To untie them" he replied as though it was the obvious thing to do which it was but Conan believed otherwise, "It could be a trap" he warned.
Theodore glanced around, they were red, black and white thread circling the first hunting group of four men, it is a way to restrict them from leaving. A spiritual fetter.
The dense forest was alive with the sounds of rustling leaves and the distant calls of birds, but today it was also a stage for a deadly confrontation. The late afternoon light filtered through the canopy, casting dappled shadows on the forest floor, where Theodore stood, his sword gleaming in his hand. His eyes, sharp and focused, scanned the area for any sign of movement. He knew his enemies were close; he could feel their presence, a dark and foreboding energy that unsettled the otherwise serene woodland. The chill in the air was a stark reminder that winter was fast approaching.
He knew it was a trap but... "Then we fight, or they could die, it appears to be a ritual" The lord finally said.
"We have to untie them before the magic practitioners come back then," Hound invited.