CH727

Ben wasn’t used to leading but given he had a dozen chimeras with him he didn’t need to be. It was still their task after all, with both himself and Azeezol acting more as glorified guards as they went, watching as the group followed the occasional sound in an otherwise silent forest.

He was keeping an eye out for problems of course, more eyes than he actually had as he kept pulling in and taking over the few nearby bugs to give himself a fuller range of vision, but unlike whatever strong senses a handful of the chimeras had, he held nothing that could point him to whatever it was they were hearing, even if he was feeling his concerns slowly grow as they went with a map forming in his mind of their travels, telling him they were gently turning off their original course. Nothing that was an immediate problem but one that gave a distinct feeling of being led.

“Everyone, keep an eye out,” He told them. “Something feels a bit off about all of this.”

“What’s the problem?” Azeezol wanted to know, not seeing anything herself while Ben shook his head.

“Maybe nothing but whatever noise we’re following has been taking us off track in a pretty consistent way. I wouldn’t expect our path to be going like this if whatever we were tailing didn’t know we were here and with how smoothly it’s got us shifting our pace either it’s switching between darting off and slowing down or we’re actually being lead by multiple things with some falling silent while others begin making noise to pull us along and… No, I’m calling it. Everyone, turn around, we’re going back.”

They’d been walking for a bit less than an hour but he didn’t care if they’d be getting back too early, the safety of the people around him was his priority despite any other feelings on the topic that were making themselves known.

“Are you sure about this?” Azeezol asked. “Without having seen anything yet this is pretty quick to be giving up.”

“And we want to prove ourselves,” One of the chimeras spoke. “Giving up in the face of adversity is-”

“What your current leader has decided to do,” Ben spoke firmly. “If we’re being led then we’re playing into something else’s hands, a situation I refuse to let myself fall into. Everyone, fall back, we’re finding the others and regrouping.”

If there really was a trap then he wanted no part of it and if he was wrong then he couldn’t care less. By being given the role of leading them, he’d been given their safety as well and he had no intention of carelessly putting it on the line when they could instead enjoy the benefits that came with having their full numbers with them. If the others hadn’t found anything then they could collectively come together to explore that region and if they had then it was all the more reason to get back together.

He could feel in the eyes and thoughts of the people around him that some didn’t approve but he didn’t care and he directed them to turn back the way they’d come, slowly making their way through the woods as he quietly spoke to the woman at his side.

“If you have something to say then just say it.”

“…I don’t.”

This story originates from Royal Road. Ensure the author gets the support they deserve by reading it there.

“I can feel your disapproval from here. Are you third or fourth ranked?”

“Third.”