The man fingered something in his pocket before finally speaking.

“Maybe so." He now stood only ten feet away. At first glance he appeared to be a simple traveler, but something seemed off. The man moved so quietly and purposely, the brown cloak about him hiding much of his body, while a hood covered his face. Carter's time with Jiro's organization had earned him some capacity in judging a dangerous person, and this man seemed quite dangerous.

Carter had tensed, unsure what to do, when the man raised one long-sleeved arm, a slight rattle of metal catching his ears. In the next instant a hidden chain shot from within the man's sleeve, bridging the distance between them and wrapping around his body tightly. The basket of apples fell to the forest floor, its contents rolling in all directions as Carter struggled futilely against his binding.

Carter had read of this weapon, a chain enchanted with a binding spell that would coil around whatever the yielder of the chain aimed it at.

It was a popular nonlethal weapon for those who could afford it, as one required minimal magical skill to use it provided they could get a high class mage to enchant it in the first place.

One end of the chain grasped in his hand, the man stepped forward, a grin visible under his hooded face. He brought out a small vial from his pocket, evidently what he had touched earlier. His grin widened.

*A phylactery?!' Fear filled Carter even as his mind refused to accept what was going on.

From the foliage emerged five other men, all hooded the same as the first. Carter had not even realized they were there.

“Carter I presume?" the first hooded man asked.

“He matches the description, and course the phylactery did lead us here," another said.

"No... no please... not now..." Carter pled.

They ignored him.

“There's no way he survived out here this long without getting picked up by a mamono,” another noted.

The first man stepped closer, the chain remaining tightly wound around

Carter. He removed his hood, revealing a set of jagged scars on the upper right side of his face. He pulled on the chain, tightening it and glaring down at his prisoner.

“How about it little man? You been banging a monster?"

Carter wasn't sure if it was courage or fear that kept him quiet, but he managed to do so.

The man sneered.

“Not talking? You don't need to." He stared at him a moment more, appearing to concentrate, then pushed Carter away. "I've been around enough monster girls and their mates over the years to pick up on it. You definitely got demonic energy in you, pretty strong too."

Another of the hooded figures stepped forward. "And this matters why?