Chapter 171: Claws, Horns, and Cold Steel

The ominous silhouette of the Whispering Woods rose against the bruised twilight sky. The wind, heavy with the scent of damp earth and decay, carried the mournful moans of unseen creatures. Lucian, his hand gripping the hilt of his newly acquired sword, squinted towards the dark heart of the forest. This was it. The threshold to Britannia, a land shrouded in myth and legend, and their only hope for finding allies against the Duke's encroaching army. A sense of unease prickled at Lucian's skin. The silence of the forest was more unnerving than any battlefield clamor. Sir Gareth, ever the optimist, clapped Lucian on the shoulder, the metal of his gauntlet clanging against Lucian's armor. "Well, lads and lasses," he boomed, his voice a welcome break in the oppressive silence. "Time for a little walk in the woods, eh?" Indra, a stoic shieldmaiden with fiery red hair, snorted. "Walk? More like a foray into the unknown, Sir Gareth. Prepare yourselves." Edwin, the young archer, his face p