The return journey began with calm air but Evan kept his senses sharp. Shadow beasts rarely stayed in one place when disturbed by strong scents or sudden movement. They reacted to patterns. If Gale’s earlier flight agitated them it was possible they spread farther into the forest.
As Gale glided above the treetops Evan scanned for movement. The forest seemed still but the stillness felt heavy. The trees swayed slightly though the air was calm. Evan recognized that unnatural movement. Something below was shifting the ground.
A warning growl rose from Gale’s throat. Evan leaned forward. “I see it too”
From below a ripple of darkness moved like a wave beneath the trees. The shadow beasts were gathering. Not just a few but a whole pack migrating toward a central point. Evan’s first thought was that they sensed the medicine again but the crates were gone. The real cause had to be something else.
Gale adjusted its wings. The wyvern was uneasy. Evan decided to ascend and circle the forest to observe the pattern from above. Gale climbed in steady arcs until they reached a point high enough to view the entire treetop canopy.
What Evan saw made him stop breathing.
The shadows were converging into a large spiral pattern near the heart of the forest. Shadow beasts had simple instincts. They usually moved in straight lines or irregular scatter patterns. But spirals meant coordination and coordination meant something stronger was influencing them.
Evan tapped Gale’s neck twice signaling caution. They circled slowly keeping distance.
A sudden flash of pale red light erupted from the middle of the spiral. Gale jerked sideways as the pressure wave reached them. Evan gripped the harness and leaned into the movement.
“What was that” he whispered
The light spread and faded. The shadow beasts scattered but not in fear. They moved with purpose forming long lines that stretched toward the northern cliffs.
Evan memorized the shape of their movement. It resembled migration. But shadow beasts never migrated in such organized fashion. Something was pulling them. Something powerful.
Gale screeched softly. Evan stroked its neck. “We will not follow them This is not our fight”
But he knew the truth. If the shadow beasts continued this path they would cross one of his planned routes. They would attack caravans and possibly threaten villages. If he wanted to build a stable delivery network he needed to understand the threat.
He guided Gale toward the direction of his camp but stayed high above the forest. The sky turned deeper blue as night approached. The forest below grew darker and the red glow appeared again three times like slow heartbeats.
Evan felt the pressure change in the air. The glow was not ordinary magic. It had the signature of corrupted mana. Something was twisting the natural balance of the land.
He looked ahead and saw the faint fires of his camp. Relief washed through him but it did not last.
A figure stood near his crates. At first Evan thought it was a merchant or traveler. But as they approached he saw the silhouette more clearly. A man with a long coat made of dark hide. He held a curved staff in one hand.
Gale landed with caution. The man did not move. Evan walked toward him with slow careful steps.
“May I help you” Evan asked
The man lifted his staff slightly. His face was hidden under a hood but Evan saw faint red marks glowing along the man’s forearm.
“You fly above the forest” the man said in a calm voice “You saw the movement”
Evan kept his expression neutral. “I saw beasts reacting to the storm”
“Not storm” the man said “Awakening”
Evan felt Gale shift behind him uneasy.
The man continued. “The forest changes. Old things rise. You carry beasts through the sky. You must know the risk. When the awakening spreads no route will be safe”
Evan crossed his arms. “Who are you”
The man lowered his hood. His eyes glowed faint red like the shadow beasts. But his skin looked normal. He was not corrupted. He was marked.
“I am a watcher of the old roots” he said “And I come to warn you. Your company will not survive unless you understand the truth of this land”
Evan took a breath. “What truth”
The man pointed his staff toward the forest. A faint tremor rolled through the ground.
“The beasts move because something deeper than hunger calls them. Something old and angry. And you with your wyverns and dreams of safe trade will be the first to meet it”
Evan felt the weight of the words.
But he also felt something else
Determination
Dragon Freight had just begun. He would not let fear shape his routes. He would adapt and learn.
Evan spoke calmly. “Then tell me what I need to know”
The watcher stared at him with slow deliberate silence.
“Very well” he said “But knowledge has a price”