Chapter 36: Disappearance and Decision
David and his team were roaming inside the forest for 3 hours, they almost searched the all outside area of the forest, which they explored in the past, but they didn't find even a single monster.
Everyone was very relieved that they didn't encounter any monster except David and Leon, as they had been to this forest many times before, and they still didn't find the orc who escaped from them, it indicated only one thing that may be the orc had escaped more deep in the forest.
One thing more thing which concerned David, that the forest was quieter than other days, they hadn't seen any big animals or even small rodents, which was not a good sign for the village because if there's not an animal to hunt then where would they get meat and skin to eat and trade.
Although villagers had domesticated animals like pigs, cattle, horses, sheep, etc, if they started to kill their animals then the village would run out of them as the demand for meat, skin, and fur was very large.
The disappearance of the wild animals was a serious matter not only for his village but other neighboring villages too, who solely depended on this forest for meat and skin as there were other villages too that didn't have any domesticated animals.
He knew that it would be very dangerous to go further inside the forest and he couldn't even guarantee his life if went deeper as many unknown and mythical creatures reside in this forest, if you just took a glace of them, they will hunt you in your dreams forever.
But for the sake of the village, David thought to go deeper part of the forest but he didn't want to risk everyone's life, he decided to convince everyone to return to the village.
When he turned back to convince everyone, he saw they were tired and sweating, Trahso was even panting. He realized they hadn't taken any break ever since they entered the forest.
It's already past noon and everyone was tired after a continuous walk which was not a daily routine for everyone, especially for Trahso and Galena, both of them are not used to this kind of hardship.
David got ashamed of his leadership seeing how everyone was worn out, if they had encountered any monster what would they had done. Regretting his mistake, he decided to a short break.
"Everyone let's take a short break and find a good place to have lunch since it's been already past noon," David said.
Hearing this Trahso and Galena's eyes shone, while Sam and Leon only nodded, they were not tried like Trahso and Galena. But decided to agree because of Galena's sake.
"Yeah, let's take a small break and find a good place where we can have lunch peacefully," Galena said and wiped the sweat from her forehead.
"Pant-pant-pant, You should have let us take a break long ago, I'm dying from hunger." Trahso's facial expressions clearly say how exhausted he was, sweat was falling from his head like a waterfall.
"We are fine but since it's the first expedition of galena so let's take a short break," Sam said. Both of them are fine because they often came to this forest to search, and to hunt animals.
So everyone agreed with David's decision of taking a small break and fortunately, soon enough they found a good place to rest, they all took out their food and started to eat.
David planned to talk to about him going deeper inside the forest alone and they should return to the village as this expedition already fulfilled its purpose to check if the village was or not from orcs attack.
When everyone finished their food and finally looked relieved, he stared at their faces as he was hesitated and tried to find the right time to tell them.
"Why are you staring at us so hard? Is something on our face?" Galena saw that he was staring at them and said.
"What happened David? is something bothering you? Do you want to tell us something?" Leon already knew what David was thinking as he knew him from childhood.
David stayed silent for a few minutes then said "We have already searched the outer area of the forest and didn't find him not only that but we didn't encounter a single monster."
"Isn't it a good thing?" Sam said. He was also the same guard who brought David home with Leon and was lightly injured.
"Yes it is indeed a good thing but did you not notice something else?" David said.
"What?" Everyone said in one tone.
Leon was standing beside a tree, he said in a low but hearable voice, " it's wild animals."
"Yeah, Now that you that, I noticed it too, normally we would have encountered many animals by now." Sam also noticed, when Leon mentioned it. Sam already came to this forest a few times with David and Leon. He also felt something was not right but didn't say anything, thinking he was still inexperienced and that more experienced members were also there to tell, so he only focused on monsters.
"I think there are only two possibilities in the disappearance of animals. One is that all the got sacred to something animals went deeper inside the forest to save their lives and the second possibility is that they get scared of some creature and hid inside holes and caves and didn't come out because of fear?" David explained.
"In my opinion, the animals hid because of some deadly monster? That's why I thought to go deeper part of the forest which is still unexplored." David said.
"If we go deeper in the forest then forget about your safety, I can't even guarantee mine," David said with a serious face to scare.
Trahso became happy that he didn't have to go deeper inside the cursed forest and he also fulfilled the mission related to the village's safety. When he opened his mouth to something, Leon suddenly said, "I will come with because if I leave you here alone to die and return to the village myself then how will I in Catherine's eyes who trusted your safety in my hand and it's also concerned village's safety too."
"Yeah, I will come too," Galena said.
"We all are coming with you," Sam said while glancing at Trahso.
Trahso wanted to turn David down but Leon and Sam ruined it, he could only just clench his fist and curse them inside his mind.
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