Stephanie cast a very weak disguise spell over their hiding spot, enough to keep them out of sight but hopefully not enough for the enemy magic sensors to find them from a distance.
They had to be right on top of the bunker to find it at the Sylvan camp, so they should be safe, Wolfe thought, and just as he had hoped, over the next hour a steady stream of scouts in gas masks passed by, searching for them.
“All units, pull back to the main camp. It’s nearly dark.” The leader finally ordered as the sun passed behind the mountains, and evening rapidly turned to night.
The group waited a few more minutes until a unit passed within meters of their location, then they disabled them with nature magic and took their place. They were only three instead of five, but they looked enough alike in the borrowed overcoat and mask that they should get close enough for this tactic to work.
The Fox demon had said not to wear their uniforms, but surely throwing a coat over their own uniform armour spells wasn’t going too far. More than a few of the Locals wore random items from the army’s leftovers.
They were four hundred meters out and had returned very close to their original position when the sound of angry shrieks and a motorcycle pierced the air.
Wolfe raised [detect hidden] to maximum sensitivity and found the source of the commotion. One of the mutants had stolen a baby sparrow monster from its nest, and a thousand angry birds were chasing him through the hills toward the army camp.
It was a suicide mission, but that many birds would certainly tear apart the camp in their rage.
The army units in the distance were getting ready to fire at the incoming threat, so Wolfe raised his rifle and joined them. But he didn’t aim over the camp at the birds. He aimed into it.
The witches saw what he was doing and prepared to join him, waiting for his signal. As soon as the barrage of fire started, they joined in, sending fireballs and lightning into the cluster of vehicles and infantry.
The explosions kept the soldiers from pinpointing the source, and there were men firing at the birds all through the hills, so it was impossible to tell which group was actually aiming at the camp or if there was a hidden sniper somewhere.
“How far away can you use an armour spell?” Wolfe asked, noticing that the rider was still moving through the trees, though his bike had been discarded along with the baby bird.
“Not nearly that far. I’m afraid he’s on his own.” Cassie sighed.
As they reloaded, Wolfe noticed more shouting in the distance. Then explosions began all through the hills and the camp. The main force of the locals had come back now that the humans were gathered in one spot, and they were making good use of their new weapons.
The raiders didn’t even try to clean out the humans’ camp. They rushed in, grabbed what they could carry and left before the birds arrived.
“That’s our signal. Back off and let the wildlife do the work. We will pick a new target tomorrow.” Wolfe informed his team, then led them back through the hills toward the Den, using the stamina spells from Stephanie to make much better time than anyone else trying to flee the area.
“Why are we running from birds?” Cassie asked as she chased after Wolfe through the hills.
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Plus, the fewer monsters that roam the area, the safer the locals are.” Wolfe explained.
“So we just wait in the bunker until tomorrow and come look for the scraps?” Cassie asked.
“Of course not. They’ll bring us our cut, and the scouts will find us a new target. If the army thinks one little ambush attempt will save them, they’re gravely mistaken.”
Half an hour later, they saw the first signs of the portion of the mutants force that didn’t rush in to loot before the birds arrived, and Wolfe explained that the trick had worked and the humans were likely finished.
They spread out, so the birds wouldn’t catch them in a group if they swarmed this direction after they finished the army camp, and Wolfe led the way back to the den.
“They’re going all out to find me, it seems. That’s both good and bad news for us. Good because it means that their assault is suffering, bad because it means they’re going to get even crazier with their tactics after we launch the next few attacks.”
Ella gave Wolfe a raised eyebrow look, and he could sense the doubt and worry through the Familiar bond, but she didn’t say anything and just kept pace with their run.
She was planning something to get him to stop taking risks on behalf of the locals. Wolfe understood why and even empathized with her. But until he knew that everyone else was safe, he would just have to pretend that everything was fine and that he wasn’t also concerned that the army might find them.
There was a letter stuck on a tree near the entrance to the den when they returned, informing them of the ongoing plans and today’s scouting events. They had found two more small patrols, and the teams with the “good guns” were going after them tonight.
They had also gotten a lead on the airport hidden in the mountains. A scout with sensitive ears had picked up vibrations from the far side of one of the mountains and spotted a jet emerging from nowhere just after.
They would search the area and see if it had been dug into the cliffs or hidden in a nearby valley and report back.
It was a different group of villages that had found the clue, but they were willing to work with Wolfe since the rumours that were spreading among the locals said that he attacked and took only what he could drag away, leaving the rest for them.
It was a good deal. A Wandering Demon of his power wasn’t common, and he alone would never need an entire army base’s worth of gear. But they would.
Wolfe took the note and ushered the witches inside so that he could close the door behind them. The birds were small and wouldn’t have any problem passing through the small opening that was usually left, which would be chaos tonight if the flock had followed the three of them back.
[I will block the entrance this time instead of fully closing it. That way, the others can come and go.] Stephanie suggested and began to grow thick thorn bushes over the cliff face. It would stop the birds and small animals, but the witches could easily move them out of the way.
[Thanks. I’ll give you a belly rub later.] Wolfe joked. Stephanie pretended she didn’t like the attention, but the purring gave her away just as surely as her emotions in his mind.