The group entered the forest an hour or so after breaking camp. By this time, it was late morning.

Shae noticed something weird this morning. Instead of hearing morning-meal, she heard them say breakfast. Was the language translator gifted by the creators updating itself when she used her own worlds speech? People’s words and mouths never really synced up well but seeing them say Morning-meal in their own language, and hearing breakfast was odd. Like watching a foreign dubbed film. The really odd thing was no one asked her about her own out of sync lips. Maybe they thought she was using a spell for translation. Still, the fact things updated was good to know, yet she worried some things might get missed in the translation. They still heard the odd terms she used at first, which made her wonder if her output was updated later for others so her odd speech was hidden after the first use. Something she would have to check for another time. She was still too fresh of face and not knowing if there were even translator spells. The whole thing could get out of hand. Or maybe she could just come out and tell them she was from a different world. Her uncle had said travel between worlds was possible. Something to file away for later, for now she was stepping into the forest where she had met her first troll and needed to keep a sharp eye out. No distractions.

Shae found herself distracted by all kinds of things after being inside the forest for only an hour. Different flowers here than on earth, different plants as well. Some were even harvested by the group for alchemical purposes. The most beautiful flower she saw so far had tulip like petals, but they were arranged in style and numbers like a rose’s petals. The flower itself was a vibrant yellow with orange vertical stripes that had an electric pink edge to the orange. There was a sappy substance contained inside of the flower by the petals that she was told caught and digested small insects.

Speaking of insects. The whole group except Shae now smelled like sour oregano. It was their natural insect repellant. If monsters had a hard time tracking the group before they entered the forest, they were a beacon now. Maybe it would throw off a few monsters who would ignore the plant like smell. Maybe.

That whole day passed without incident. The group had been traveling much slower than anticipated between the stops for gathering and the sluggish pace of the lesser fit butchers and harvesters. Most people did not realize how much harder it was to navigate a swampy terrain. There were diversions due to large pools of standing water, lower branches catching your clothing, constantly pulling your feet free of the sucking earth. It was a true slog.

The adventuring party did not mind as much, there was more time to scout for danger and going slower was the safer bet. The complaints they could do without. The only upside was Nith did not allow the complainers to stop moving until break was called, so there was still movement forward. As for the gnome, he got some dirty looks to his back since he was still floating along on his hover disk, though no one complained directly about it. There was a clause in the contract about this after all. One of the conditions of hire was you had to be fit enough to travel at group speed throughout each day. At least this world had the leather version of rubber boots to keep their feet wet. Or else there would be medical issues soon. The day was even shorter since they had to search for a large enough clear dry space to make camp. The new estimate to arrive at the dungeon was extended by two days. Which was not going to affect their delve schedule since there was always a buffer time between groups to allow for full dungeon recovery anyway.

=======================================================

The old mage who followed the expedition was incensed even more now. Cursing the group for his woes, and now for making him come out here personally through this shit hole of a forest to see his plan of revenge through.

His mind was awash in nothing but anger and the single pointed view of revenge.

The demons following the old mage even further back hidden by many enchantments that demons devised. No mortal man would ever see through those enchantments, or even detect a trace of the magic either. This is what made hunting demons troublesome. If they did not wish to be seen they couldn’t be found. However, when you found said demon it would take too long for them to enact their enchantments of non-detection allowing the hunters to force combat upon the demon preventing their magical misdirection. Then it only came down to actually being able to defeat said demon. Never an easy feat.

“Master, are you not pushing him too hard? Won’t his brain give out, making him mad, before he is beset by the other humans?” The imp whispered to his master, even though the enchantments protected against sound as well.

The mind demon eyes still closed said smoothly, “Do you doubt me? A master of mind corruption.” Then the demon cracked one of his eyes at the imp, causing it to stiffen. Almost immediately a blackish ooze started to leak out of the imp’s eyes.

The mind demon closed his eye and concentrated again fully on the mage before him.

The imp fell to the ground in a heap. But immediately pulled himself up and started to follow his master. If he fell behind, he would lose protection from the enchantment the mind demon had put up forcing the imp to use it’s own meager invisibility skill.

“I am sorry if I offended master!” the imp blurted out. “I was only curious about your great abilities!”

“Yes, I am sure you were.” Drawled the mind demon.

The imp floated along limply after his master. His mind had felt like it had become two sizes to big for his head just from looking the mind demon in the eye.

The imp had never come across the rarer demon type before. He did not realize just how dangerous they could be, even to their own, more magic resistant kin. He would tread a lot more lightly and have to make amends to his plans for getting rid of his master. Things had become a lot more difficult. The imp felt this encounter fortuitous. Learning more about the demon allowed the imp to better lay a trap. And if it was one thing imps were good at, it was traps and pranks.