Chapter 2249

Interspersed between finding and killing goblins, came the mu ndane wildlife of the Wilds. Large packs of striped, wild dogs, with a strange bar k that sounded like laughter, would routinely find them at night, interrupting their sleep. Or medium-sized bear-like things Grace called drop bears, which would drop out of trees on whomever was at the tail end of a march through the wooded areas. Jason, constantly at the rear was tired of having his head and neck chewed by the damn things.

Large birds, looking somewhere between an owl and a hawk, but the size of a large goat but with a massive wingspan, would descend directly out of the sun, to try and grab and pick one of them up. Brian said they would simply drop whoever they nabbed from a great height if they succeeded.

Insects would appear and swarm at any time of day and night. They varied from large shiny black beetles the size of a small dog, to ants the size of mice, which would boil out of nests in the ground to try and overwhelm them with surprisingly biting teeth. Snakes seemed to take

an unnatural interest in them, giving no warning before striking from bushes, their fangs delivering potent poisons. Amy was quickly learning how to triage and treat a variety of injuries. Brian spoke often to Amy and the witches about the healing arts. Every day was a new learning opportunity.

Daniel spoke about it one evening.

"It seems like the Academy was years ago. I lookback now and see just how much we weren't taught. There is no end to the horror. We should have been better prepared," he complained loudly.

It was Jennifer that replied with only one word. "Idiot."

Daniel shot a look at Jennifer. "Excuse me?"

"You are being a whining idiot. They taught youall they could. Nothing can prepare you for facing real threats. Be happy you have us along to train you."

Surprise crossed his face before he looked crestfallen."You're right, of course. I'm sorry.

Nothing seems real anymore. The Wilds are tearing at my humanity."

Jennifer said nothing for a time and then stood and held out a hand to Daniel."What I said was harsh, but true. You speak from frustration. I understand. Come. I wish to worship Syn with you."

Daniel took the offered hand and allowed Jennifer to pull him upright.

Bitty rose to follow, but Jasmine stalled her.

"Let them be," she whispered to Bitty."Sheneeds him. Needs his love. This is hard on all of us in different ways."

Bitty paused and then nodded and crawled into Jasmine's lap, frowning at the la ck of proper breasts to lay her head against.

Being constantly on the alert was mentally draining and Daniel was starting to get worried about his mental state. At times, he could barely hold in a stifling scream that threatened to escape his lips. Fear was his constant companion. He hid it well, but Grace seemed to

understand and walked with him and talked with him. She grounded him. He noticed Brian and Jason were doing the same with the others. Only Jennifer seemed aloof. She took everything in stride saying it was Syn's will and she was happy to follow her wherever she needed her to be.

"I almost died once,"she said when pressed byAmy."Syn saved me from that death. Since that day,I live for her and do not fear death. Every day is a blessing of life. A new chance to breathe and enjoy the wonders of the world. It is a great gift."

Brian had rolled his eyes. Jason smirked at him, and hip checked him lightly.

They were walking along a well-worn path through thick woods when they saw a brightness ahead. Brian said it was likely a large clearing. Just before they cleared the treeline, Grace appeared and motioned to them.

They all stopped and squatted.

Grace spoke in a whisper."We've reached the hills."Jason and Brian sucked in air in surprise.

She glanced at them and nodded her head."It's the Wilds, boys. It changes all the time. It appears we are now in the Hills. Don't ask me how."

"The Hills?" asked Jasmine.

Grace grimaced."Yes, the Hills. It means the monster strength will be significantly higher."

"Can we not just turn around?" asked Daniel.

Jason snorted."You can try. Walk about a hundred feet in the opposite direction and you'll be right back here. Maeve wants us to enter the Hills. So, we do. This is her realm. Never forget."

Daniel growled a little in anger."I'm really getting tired of Maeve."

Jason put a hand on his shoulder."Welcome to the club."

Grace made a motion, and everyone shut up and focused on her."There's a couple dozen orcs and a couple of ogres up ahead. Maeve is going to test us hard. Have no doubt."

Jasmine made a strange noise."Adventuring sucks!”

Grace looked hard at Jasmine."It is what it is. You are an adventure. We fight monsters." She looked around at the others."We spoke about this. You know what to do. This requires focus and discipline. Orcs are smart. As smart as humans. Ogres are stupid, but with orc handlers they are a worry. They will be directed to where they can do the most harm. Be prepared."

Grace rose and led the way down the path and out into the Hills.

Thirty minutes later, Daniel was panting and hidden behind the stone wall attached to a strange farmhouse. Grace had explained it wasn't a real farmhouse. Only something that Maeve constructed to add to her entertainment. Daniel could see that everything about the human-styled house was wrong, like a child had built it based on another child's description.

Daniel and the witches had quickly discovered that orcs knew their way around magic shields. At first, they had felt safe but then the orcs alternated between magic and non-magic

missiles. Jasmine was struck in the shoulder by a black arrow, and everything seemed to fall apart.

Daniel had retreated a little and pulled them over to a stone wall and they crouched behind it. Daniel could see the wall was one solid stone piece etched to resemble individual stones. Maeve's creations boggled his mind. Not far away, they could hear the others engaged on the flanks with the orcs. Steel peels rang through the air, and the heavy grunts of exertion. There were no other noises. No screaming, no yelling, just fighting.

Daniel glanced up over the wall and spotted one of the two ogres looking his way. He ducked back down."I think one of the ogres spotted us."

Amy was finishing her healing on Jasmine. She took a wet rag and wiped at the blood revealing healed, flawless skin.

Jasmine rubbed the spot where the arrow had struck her."I swear I can still feel it!" she complained.

Amy grimaced at the black arrow in her hand

and then tossed it aside."It was covered in shit! Who does that?" She wiped her hand on the grass.

"Orcs," replied Jasmine and Amber.

Jasmine continued to rub her shoulder."Please tell me you got the poop out?"

Amy grimaced but nodded.

"We need to focus, find a way to counter theseorcs!That ogre won't be long before he comes looking for us," declared Daniel.

The fight had started okay but had quickly descended into chaos. The intelligence of the orcs soon became apparent. As soon as they had engaged, more orcs had appeared from an outcrop of large boulders.

They had spoken about the possibility of reinforcements. Maeve had ways of hiding her monsters. Jason, Brian, Jennifer, and Grace immediately pressed their attacks on the flanks. Daniel and the witches'job was to take the brunt of the frontal attack. Grace had told them to open up. Let loose.

They had tried until their shields had no longer protected them. Jasmine being struck by the arrow had forced them to hide.

Daniel was about to ask for ideas when a large, wart-covered hand reached over the wall and grabbed Daniel's head. To Daniel it felt like stone fingers were digging into his head. He screamed and panicking, reached up with both hands to pry them off. Just then he was lifted clear of the ground, his own weight straining his neck muscles painfully. He smacked at the hand grasping his skull. He knew with one squeeze he was done for. Suddenly his body whipped one way and then the other, tearing his neck muscles, and then the hand let him go. He sailed through the air, screaming, and landed on his back on a pile of stones. Pain shot through him, and he rolled. His head struck a rock and white light flashed across his vision with a loud ringing.

Daniel woke an indeterminate time later. He had no idea how much time had passed since the ogre had grabbed him, but he felt it couldn't have been that long. He could hear nothing around him. He cracked open his eyes and found them caked with something. He wiped at

his eyes, breaking free a wet crust, and managed to open them. He looked first at his hands and saw they were covered in coagulating blood. He reached up to his head and felt the deep gash.

The pain hit him then, and he covered his mouth to stop the noise. He ached everywhere and his many cuts burned. His neck and the muscles between his shoulder blades screamed at him. He listened, and when he realised he should be hearing fighting from his friends and didn't, he grew worried. The witches circle bond was strong though. He knew his girls were fine but not where they were. He followed their threads, but they twisted and weaved through the air and went off in strange directions before doubling back.

He had seen this before in the Wilds. Maeve couldn't stop the witches'bond, but she could twist it while in her realm. Grace had merely shrugged when he had described it. She had no knowledges of witch bonds in the Wilds. It was uncharted territory, she had said.

He didn't know where they were, or where the rest of The Circle was, but he could sense they were close.

He twisted to his side and pushed himself up to a sitting position and looked blearily about him. He was deep inside a thick area of long dry grass, taller than him, next to a pile of loose bricks that really shouldn't have been here in the middle of nowhere. He looked first for his spell book. He had been holding it when the ogre had grabbed his head. He didn't see it and realised he must have dropped it. He looked around him but after a moment he gave up. It wasn't on him, and it wasn't nearby, and he hoped the girls had it. That spell book was invaluable.

He froze when he heard a familiar voice very close to him.

"No, Roger, I don't know what happened here.You're the ranger, for the sake of the gods!Do the tracking thing!"

"Glenda, this is the Wilds. Maeve only allows meto track that which she thinks is amusing for me to track."

"It doesn't work that way. Maeve can only messaround with certain things. Keep looking. Grace says Daniel should be around here somewhere."

Daniel felt hope stir through him. He didn't understand how Roger and Glenda were here, but he was glad. He opened his mouth and tried to speak but his throat was parched. He tried again.

"Did you hear something, Glenda?"

"Yeah, like a croak. Check the long grass overthere."

Daniel heard Roger approaching."Here!" he managed to say.

The long grass parted, and Daniel tried to scream but his parched throat wouldn't work.