Chapter 18
"Checklist is done guys, we can head back anytime" Mary happily informed us as we sat down for lunch. I sat in rapt anticipation, waiting for the moment she realizes that Karl packs extra breakfast boxes for lunch, her expression is going to be great.
"Omelette!" Mary exclaimed, reaching for her fork "O M G, you guys are amazing! I love Omelettes. Whoever decided that dry and bready sandwiches should be the lunch staple of choice is an idiot" She informed us with her mouth full and an expression of bliss. Well, that wasn’t the reaction I expected, but still pretty good.
I had just started digging into my pancakes and sausages when I caught the scent of something I’d never encountered before. A smell of natural magic, like a witch, but without the human tint, more of a raw note like a wild animal.
"Guys, I think we’ve got company, upwind. I’m guessing 200 meters or so, I can’t hear them yet, but I caught the scent. Mana and wild animal, like a large cat of some sort?"
Karl nodded and started gathering his gear, leaving a rolled up pancake to dangle from his mouth like a cigar. "Might be a Magical beast. The East Coast teams reported seeing wild animals far stronger and more resilient than normal, enhanced by the flow of mana through their bodies." Mary was visibly concerned at this news, her high hopes of a peaceful first portal seemingly dashed. "We’ll need to clear the area, we’ve found a lot of herbs and minerals that the cleanup teams will be interested in, but if it’s not made safe we’ll have to close the portal and the base will miss out on the resources."
Trust Karl to find a perfectly logical and valid reason to go looking for a fight.
"Shotguns at the ready, I don’t want to let them get close until we have a better idea of their capability"
I smiled as Mary slung her weapon over her shoulder. She’d painted it in a pink black and white camoflage pattern that went strangely well with her chosen combat outfit, making her look like an anime heroine of some sort.
Footsteps entered my hearing range "I count 6 or 7 four legged creatures. Sounds big, like a cougar, but not werewolf big." I informed the group. "At this rate they’ll be here in under a minute, they’re circling around to trap us."