by Jamie Davis
As he examined the ragged edges of the bite where it tore open the skin, he could see a sort of glow, like the purple ultraviolet glow of a black light. It was just outside of the ordinary, visible light spectrum.
In addition to the strange glow at the edges of the wound, there was a sort of putrid stench coming from it corresponding to a greenish cast to the torn flesh. After more scrutiny, Hal realized it must be the poison he was sensing and smelling deep inside the wound. It was entering the body through the blood.
If Hal could see the wound in this way, could he do something about it, too? He focused his will on the sickly green cast at the base of the ragged hole in the elf’s arm, trying to touch the poison, to draw it out.
At first, nothing happened. Then, Hal’s magic started working and the greenish glow began to turn to dust. The motes of sickly green powder floated up and out of the wound to dissipate into the air fading away as the magic consumed it. When he could detect no more poison in the injury, Hal sat up and examined the injured area once more. The edges of the wound seemed healthier somehow.
Healing complete — poison neutralized.
New spell learned –– neutralize poison
1500 experience awarded.
“Bind his wound,” Hal instructed. “I’ve done what I can for him.”
“What did you do?” Gareth asked.
“I was able to neutralize the poison but I’m not skilled enough to knit the edges of the wound together again. He’ll have to heal that the old-fashioned way.”
Hal stood and stumbled as a wave of dizziness washed over him.
Kay rushed over to steady him.
“I think I need to lie down and rest. I used a lot of magic tonight.”
“You do that. Gareth and I will take turns on watch in case those things return.”
Hal tried to smile at Kay. He wasn’t sure it was successful. He was so tired he didn’t care.
Stumbling to his bedroll on the ground by the campfire, Hal lowered himself to the ground and fell asleep almost as soon as his head hit the side of his backpack he used as his pillow.
14
Hal woke to the sounds of the camp being struck by his companions. Kay was tying the bedrolls to the mule’s pack harness. The mule seemed none the worse for wear after the night’s attack.
Standing, Hal saw the previously wounded horse lying on the ground beside the dead one. Its throat had been slashed. The wound looked even and clean.
“Did you have to put the other horse down?”
Gareth nodded. “It was succumbing to the poison and its wounds were severe. We couldn’t ride it and if we left it here alone, predators would have finished it off as soon as we moved on.”
Chance walked into camp carrying the canteens, refilled with water from the nearby stream.
“Sergeant, how’s the arm?” Hal pointed to the white bandage wrapping the wounded area on his forearm.
“Better now that there’s no poison lurking inside it. Thank you for what you did.”
“Not a problem. If you’d been able, you would do the same for me, right?”
“All the same, thank you,” Chance repeated. “I don’t know what my wife and kids would have done if I hadn’t come home.”
“I know the feeling.”
Hal wondered what Mona and Cari were up to this morning. Were they scared and cold in some dungeon cell? Hal pulled the scrying crystal from his pouch and stared into its translucent depths again trying to will the stone to work.
Nothing.
Kay placed her hand on his shoulder.
“Come on Hal. Maybe once we plant that seed you’re carrying, the crystal will start to work.”
“You sound sure of yourself, Kay.”
“I only know standing here wishing things were different won’t change anything.”
Hal nodded and pocketed the crystal next to the seed pod in his belt pouch again.
It only took him a few minutes to gather up his bedroll and shoulder his backpack. They wouldn’t be riding anymore unless the other two horses who’d run off turned up. That meant they walked the rest of the way into the Fallen Forest. A thought occurred to Hal as they started walking east toward the nearby forest.
“Gareth, why is this called the Fallen Forest?”
The captain shrugged. “It is mostly told as children’s stories to scare younglings into minding their parents. I don’t know how much is true. Legend says that this was once the grandest of elven forests, but something killed the great tree at its center and soon, all variety of evil denizens started encroaching on the elves who lived here.”
“What sort of creatures are we talking about?” Kay asked.
“It would be helpful to know what we are up against,” Hal added.
Gareth hooked a thumb over his shoulder back to their old campsite.
“Mostly small humanoids like the skitterlings back there. There are rumors of other things but who knows.”
“You said the skitterlings were related to spiders in some way. We aren’t talking about some sort of giant arachnid, are we?”
“It’s possible,” the captain agreed. “As I said, most of what I know is a legend based on children’s tales. One does talk of a great black spider dwelling deep in the forest that comes out and drags off children who wander away from their parents.”
“Great, I’ve had the heebie-jeebies for spiders since we fought that thing down in the sewers of Tandon, Kay.”
“We defeated that one, Hal. We can kill another one if we have to.”
Hal shivered as a chill crept down his spine. He really didn’t care for spiders.
The foursome trekked over the hills on the outskirts of the forest ahead of them. They reached the first scattered trees around noon. They were sickly, deformed shadows of the magnificent, tall versions Hal had seen in Bronwyn’s High Forest. Something had changed the soul of this forest.
Hal wasn’t sure how a single seed could set things right again. He supposed he’d find out. Gareth had them pause for a brief rest before pushing forward into the darker depths of the forest core.
The gloom of the surrounding trees and undergrowth was accented by the complete lack of sound. It took Hal a while to realize he couldn’t hear a single bird, insect, or other animal sounds of any kind amidst the dark and rotting trunks and branches.
The leaves of the canopy overhead were spotted with blotches of brown and yellow. Instead of moss and lichen growing on the north side of the trunks, there was a sort of tan slime coating the lower portion of the trees. Hal struggled not to touch the nasty stuff but soon their clothes and cloaks were all stained by the foul-smelling goo.
After two hours, Gareth stopped searching the ground in front of him. Turning around, he walked back to the rear of the group and checked the ground behind Chance.
“What’s wrong?” Hal asked.
“The trail we were on disappeared as we were walking. One minute it was there, stretching out ahead of us and then next it was gone. It’s been erased behind us, too.”
Hal didn’t like the thought of getting lost and wandering around this place in the dark once night fell.
“You can find your way without it, can’t you?”
Gareth shrugged.
“Possibly. It’s like the forest itself decided it didn’t want us going any farther.”
“We have to get to the clearing Bronwyn said was at the center of the wood. Only there can we plant the pod and learn what to do next on our quest.”
Gareth walked back to the front of the group and scanned the trees ahead then looked back behind them again.
“It’s likely I can parse out the way back. I’m not sure where I’m going if we proceed forward. It’s your call.”
Hal looked around but found nothing but the same sickly trees in every direction. There was nothing to indicate a direction of travel. He knew from what Bronwyn relayed to him that the clearing where they were to plant the tree lay at the center of the forest. They had to find t
hat to complete the quest.
If Gareth couldn’t track their way to the center, perhaps Hal could discern it using his newfound magic skills.
“Let me try something,” Hal said, moving to the front past the captain.
The earth magic inside him had a golden quality to it, like sunlight warming your face when you tilt it upward on a bright summer’s day. Perhaps he could use this to sense the magical core of the forest, even as corrupted as it was.
Hal closed his eyes and tried to expand his awareness outward. He had no idea what he was doing so he tried several things at once including taking a deep breath through his nose to see if he could smell anything new over the surrounding rot.
When that didn’t work, Hal extended a hand and placed it on the trunk of a nearby tree. The bark squished under his hand. The tan slime dissolved the outer covering of the trees close to the ground here. He resisted the urge to pull his hand away and kept it in place trying to reach the core of the tree, the part that might still retain some of its health and remember the old ways of this forest.
The skin on his hand began to itch and burn as the gelatinous ooze started to digest his skin.
Health damage: Health -6
Hal ignored the building pain and drove his senses deeper into the tree. Then he broke through and entered the tree’s center with his extended mind.
It was wonderful.
He experienced the forest in all its former glory. The clean breeze blew through the rustling, lush, green leaves of the canopy. Below, various sorts of wildlife lived and died in the natural process of all things.
And then he saw it.
The great tree at the center of the forest, situated in its holy glade surrounded by thirteen trees set in a circle around it.
He knew where to go.
Hal opened his eyes and pointed off to the right.
“There. That way.”
“Are you sure, Hal?” Kay asked. “It all looks the same to me.”
“I’m sure. The heart of the forest lies in that direction, or at least it used to.”
“You’re the boss, I guess.” Kay fell in behind him followed by Gareth and finally Chance leading their pack mule.
Hal kept his senses tuned to the trees while he walked along. He could feel the old heart of the forest getting closer with every step. He could also sense the corruption there, too.
Something horrible was waiting for them, expecting them to come and to fail in their quest.
He thought about telling the others what he sensed but decided not to say anything. What would it change? They were ready for a fight. Nothing he could tell them would change any of that or the way they prepared.
Hal cast his ice armor spell. He noticed right away his armor had upgraded with his increased level and practice. He now had full leg and arm ice coverings, too. It wasn’t ornately carved the way Ragnar’s had been, but it was an upgrade. Hal was glad to see it.
“Expecting trouble, Hal?” Kay asked when she saw the armor appear.
“I figure we are going to face something up here. There’s no way to know for sure but this forest didn’t end up like this on its own. Something is at the center of all this corruption.”
“Maybe it’s a big hairy spider,” she quipped trying to make a joke.
“Lord, I hope not.”
Hal pushed the thought aside and pressed onward. Judging by the sense of impending doom he had through his magical connection to the trees now, they were very close.
“We’re almost there. Be ready for anything.”
A glance behind him showed the others nodding back at him. All three of his companions had their weapons drawn. Chance had his bow strung and an arrow nocked, ready to fly.
Hal drew upon his magic reserves and readied his sole offensive spell, though he upgraded it to the larger and more powerful ice lance instead of the darts he’d used against the skitterlings the night before.
He pressed forward, pushing through the undergrowth until he reached the circle of trees about the center of the forest. There in the center of the clearing was a rotted stump of what had once been an enormous tree. The middle of the stump was sunken, forming a hole in the ground disappearing deep into the earth below.
Hal paused outside the ring of trees for only a second before he stepped into the clearing. Once through and standing on the yellow, stunted grass, Hal stared around, expecting an attack at any moment.
Nothing came.
Kay moved up to his left and two elves entered the clearing to his right.
“Well, Hal, we found it. Now what?” Kay asked.
“I think I have to plant the seed pod in the center of the old stump. That is where I’m drawn when I concentrate.”
“Good, then plant the damned thing and let’s get out of here.”
Hal nodded and took a hesitant step forward followed by another and another until he stood next to the stump. It wasn’t the smooth flat stump of a tree cut down by the saw of a lumberjack. This tree had been ripped from its base and thrown aside, probably by a significant storm. Hal could see the remains of the colossal trunk lodged between two of the surrounding trees and extending into the darkness beyond.
He returned his mind to the task at hand, climbing up onto the stump and over the rough and rotten wood towards the center. Just next to the middle of the old trunk, a hole extended into the blackness below.
Hal couldn’t see the bottom of the hole in the dim forest light. He decided to ignore it for the time being. He wasn’t going down there, and he had no light strong enough to penetrate the thick darkness below. Best to get to work and finish his task.
Kneeling in the center of the stump, Hal pulled one of his daggers from his belt and started digging at the rotted wood and dirt of the sunken stump. He didn’t know how deep a hole he should make, only that he needed to plant the seed pod here. He decided to follow his instincts and stop when there was enough room to deposit the pod all the way in the hole he’d made with enough other material there to cover it back up again.
Hal pulled the seed pod free from his pouch and reached out to place in the hole he’d dug.
A screeching roar from his left froze him in place and he turned just in time to see the monstrous spider heaving itself out of the hole beside him.
Hal fell over backward and crab-walked in reverse to the edge of the stump to get away from the creature.
A strand of web shot out from the spider and wrapped around the hand holding the seed pod. As soon as the sticky tendrils grabbed him, it started pulling Hal back towards the enormous thing. It was the size of a small car.
Hal reacted on instinct and swiped with his dagger, cutting the two-inch-thick rope of spider web attached to his other hand.
After several slashing cuts, he managed to sever the tough spider silk and pull away from the spider’s advance.
It wasn’t fast enough.
One long, segmented led stabbed down. Hal didn’t see it in time to roll out of the way.
The chitin-encased tip of the foreleg pierced his ice armor as if it were cracking open a peanut shell and stabbed through Hal’s thigh.
The spider leg pinned Hal to the rotted wood of the stump.
Health damage: Health -22
Hal screamed in pain. His leg felt like the creature ripped it off his body. He dropped his dagger and tried to pull the thick spider pincer out of his thigh so he could slide it free.
He realized the spider had decided to ignore him for the time being, choosing to pay attention to the other three intruders.
Chance was off to one side launching arrow after arrow at the massive creature. Most ricocheted off the armored sides of the spider’s body but a few managed to find gaps. It wasn’t enough to stop the beast, though.
Gareth and Kay leaped into action, both drawing their swords and charging at the spider pinning Hal down.
Their weapons had little to no effect, unable to get through the body armor of the spider. They did serve to distract the beast fr
om attacking Hal, other than the leg pinning him in place.
Gritting his teeth against the agony tearing at his right leg, Hal worked to gather his concentration. He couldn’t get ahold of his magic and there was no way he could cut through the leg with his daggers.
Hal hummed one of the chakra tones Rune taught him and found his focus returning and his tenuous grip on magic strengthened.
Clenching his fists, Hal drew on his power and concentrated on the place where the spider’s bulbous abdomen met the thinner thorax where the eight legs attached to the body.
Locating a spot that appeared to be a segmentation between two armored body plates, Hal stabbed outward with his right hand pointing his palm at the target.
A clear pole of hard ice lanced outward spearing straight into the spider’s side right where Hal aimed.
A deafening screeching howl cut loose from the spider. The ice lance impaled the spider with half the length buried inside the giant bug.
“Payback’s a bitch,” Hal shouted through his haze of pain.
The leg pinning Hal to the ground went limp after the ice lance struck. As the spider rocked back and forth in its attacks on Kay and Gareth, the tip of the leg worked free of the stump under Hal and he was able to pull his thigh free.
He slapped his hand down over the open wound in his leg. Blood flowed in a rapid stream from the hole and Hal knew that wasn’t good. He pressed down, trying to staunch the blood flow.
Health damage: Health -18
He had to stop the blood loss or he was going to bleed to death. Remembering what he did to Chance the day before, Hal focused on his wound and once again saw the black glow at the edges.
Grabbing at the glowing areas with his mind, Hal tried to pull the edges of his wounded leg together.
To his shock, it actually worked. As he watched and directed the magic, his skin stretched back together, pulling the sides of the gaping wound closed and staunching the flow of blood coming out of the torn flesh.