Chapter 7: Scorchback Kin
"It was the Scorchback Kin Gang. They stole our meat and captured us, trying to make us one of them. We resisted, and eventually they left us half dead. We were only able to get back with sheer willpower."
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Eren slowly recounted what had transpired in the past few days.
The sun had shone brightly as the four of them had trekked deep into the forest beyond the south ridge. Spirits were high. Eren, Kel, Marna, and Donn had moved swiftly, confident in their route.
On the first day, they caught two forest bucks — fat, healthy, perfect for meat. They even found a small patch of edible mushrooms and herbs. It was the best hunt they'd had in over a year.
They laughed by the fire that night, roasting meat and planning what they'd trade for in the next city — maybe cloth, maybe salt. Donn had joked about buying a proper comb to fix Marna's tangled hair. She had swatted him with a branch.
The second day, they packed up, ready to head back — but the trail home was gone.
"No birds. No sound. No wind," Eren recalled, his voice hollow. "The forest went quiet... then we saw them."
Where familiar landmarks should have been, there was only a tangle of undergrowth and identical trees. Marna crouched, tracing a finger over the soil. "These tracks... they've been scraped away." Her voice trembled, though she tried to hide it. Donn scoffed, kicking a rock. "We're not lost. Just... delayed."
But by midday, even Donn's bravado faltered. The forest seemed to close in around them, shadows stretching like claws. Kel paused, nocking an arrow. "Something's following us."
No one could anticipate what happened next.