Glowing Tree

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We bandage our wounds, pack up what remains of the camp, and then we move on; having already been attacked once, Lady Zahra clearly does not wish to tarry in the place we once considered safe.

The centaur, Arothi, tends the wounds the party suffered in the encounter with the monsters at the camp, including the scratch down by back; with practiced hands she packs herbs and other substances onto the wound before applying bandages to keep it covered and free from the risk of infection. Though I am somewhat wary of her and the other creatures in our party I cannot fault her skill at the healing arts, thanking her profusely once she is finished.

There's an old saying in my family; "never anger the healer".

After this, we continue our journey; Darius and I stay at the front to watch for any approaching trouble, whilst Rovan and Alla remain at the back to ensure we are not flanked from behind. We move quietly, conversation is sparse; the forest around us looms menacingly Zahra has warned us all to be on our guard for any further attacks, meaning most of us have our minds and eyes on our surroundings.

Finally we enter a clearing in the forest, dominated by a large lake. Lady Zahra approaches it first, before turning to face our band.
"At the bottom there is a stone. It's very large and much like the ones I used to circle the camp. You'll know it by the carvings. A tree surrounded by small birds. I will need two volunteers to dive in the waters and find it. It will be deep and I am not sure what else you will find..."

We all eye the dark waters of the lake, and I am certain several do so with apprehension. The waters are deep and foreboding, and the Lady's final words of not being sure what might lurk in it's depths do little to calm the nerves of some. Darius states that he intends to remain on land to guard the party as we wait, which is a wise decision; he's a strong fighter capable of watching our backs, but he took several injuries in the fight earlier. Alla explains that her wings are not suited to swimming, and Arothi points out that her form is not ideal for navigating underwater either.

Finally, Lahras steps forwards and enthusiastically offers to brave the depths. At this I step forwards and place a hand on my young companion's shoulder. Since I met him I have grown fond of the boy, and the idea of him swimming into dangerous and unknown waters is not one I am keen to see going forwards.
"I admire your courage, Lahras," I begin diplomatically, "But my heart would be much more at ease if you remained on the shore with the rest of the group. You are unarmed and without armour; to swim into waters in which we do not know what we might encounter would be unwise. Courage alone cannot protect you, my friend."

Patting Lahras on the shoulder apologetically, I step forwards and nod to our leader. "I would volunteer for this task, Lady Zahra. I'm a strong swimmer and I'm capable of defending myself and my companion from any dangers we may face down there." I turn to the rest of the group and smile. "Anyone else fancy going for a swim?"[/size]
 
"I will go." Knut stepped forward, setting aside his pack and drawing out his long-sword.

Zahra nodded at the skald, now stepping away to allow the two men to pass towards the lake shore. "If any one could dive in to this lake or take on these tasks, Alla Jéjé, I would have no need for a questing party." There was a faint hint of humor in her voice.

Her hands reached in to the folds of her robes, searching until she found one of her stones. She held it out, offering it for the skald to take. As he turned it over in his hands, he found it perfectly smooth to the touch save for one engraving on it's flattest side.

"The stone below will be ten times this size but have the same markings. We will make sure nothing else enters the lake, but I cannot predict what's beneath it." Before Lahras started trotted to follow the two men, Zahra snagged him by his collar with a finger.

"I will need your help, little man. Will you watch the trees for me...?" For all anyone knew, it could have been an idle task to keep him busy. But Zahra was very interested in what he divined from trees...
 
Lahras gave john a confused stare during the monologue aimed at him. He frowned and wondered what courage had to do with anything, as he just wanted to swim and be useful at the same time. He shrugged and decided he would just follow the man into the water when Knut spoke up and offered to help with retrieving the stone on the bottom, while drawing his weapon. The boy listened intently at Zahra's explanation of what the men would be looking for and began to walk off after the men when he felt a hand grabbing his collar and pulling him back.

With a disappointed look on his face, Lahras watched the two men walk off to the edge of the lake. He looked at Zahra with sad eyes as she spoke to him, and as she spoke his face cleared up and a boyish smile crept into his face. "Yes, I'll be useful Lady Zahra! I will watch the trees and tell you what I see"

With sudden vigor, (certainly more than was necessary) the simple teenager dropped down on the grass and began to watch the trees around the lake. His hands grasped at the grass and ripped it from the ground in a continuous motion, while he kept his eyes on the tree-line, his mouth open as if he was concentrating really hard. He started humming calm song. A song that went from hushed to loud repeatedly, like waves rolling unto a beach and retreating again.

This went on for the larger part of a minute before Lahras interrupted his humming with a delighted squeal. Without turning his eyes away from the trees he reached behind him for Zahra with one hand and pointed with the other. "The trees! They're looking back!"
 
I wonder what it is that brings Arothi on this quest. For in her path I see my own reflection, as a creature of unusual kindness broken from the herd that once sheltered it. Was it boredom, or a sense of unbelonging? Or does her heart, like my own, yearn for something greater - a higher cause on which to hang the days that remain for us? They say the centaurs are proud and brawling sorts, but of the truths I have witnessed I will attest to one. A centaur stays close, and runs with you till the end.

From the Diary of Darius Castablane​


Darius smiled over his shoulder as Arothi followed him around the northern bank of the lake. Here the reeds were thick and the treeline veiled by walls of thorn and nettle. "I will not forget your kindness, Arothi. But I must decline." He stepped over a rotten trunk that had fallen and now lay half-submerged in the lake. His wince was visible as he put weight upon his knee.

"This injury is an old one and well deserved. It was just a bruise at first - a maiden's well-aimed kick. But the years have worsened it." He steadied himself against the centaur's back as they circled a copse of stinging nettles. "The pain is to remind me of how I wronged another..." They returned towards the bank, stepping high over thick and cobwebbed grass. "So I must bear it. I trust you can understand tha--"

There was a crack beneath the paladin's foot and as one they froze, Paladin and Centaur standing deadly still. They both knew the sound and likewise felt the chill that went suddenly though the air.

It was the sound of dry bone being snapped.


Darius turned, slowly, and fixed eyes with Arothi. "Do you sense it?" The air grew colder and Arothi looked down, noticing the bones amid the grass, the half-broken skulls and twisted ribs. They were standing in a grave - a yard of the dead littered beside the water's edge. Their gazes tracked to the left, suddenly aware of the presence that had come before them. By the shadows of the towering trees, a figure stood with its sword at the ready.

"Aaaaall wiiiill shaaaare in the sleeeeep they distuuuurb!" hissed the voice, emitting in a chilling whisper from the darkness of the creature's skull. It turned their blood to ice and made their hearts beat faster. The dread was palpable and descended like a mist upon them.

And one by one they saw other shapes - other warriors stood between the trees or rising from the thorns. Two dozen, maybe more, bringing rusty blades to bear and turning hollow eyes towards the trespassers.

Darius dropped his shield and, slowly, reached both hands behind his back, drawing his falchion from its sheathe. "Warn the others," he whispered to Arothi, before stepping forward, putting himself between the centaur and the first of the undead soldiers.

"Yooour liiiiight wiiill beee extiiiinguiiished!"

The creature advanced, readying its sword with deathly grace. But Darius faced it down, his falchion gripped in both hands and his eyes locked upon the terror that guarded the lake.
 
Arothi nodded her head, sort of understanding his point. Those honstly she saw no reason to keep a hold on an injury when it not only cause pain but stopped a person from being able to walk properly. She was about to make a retort when the sound of cracking bone filled the air. Her stomach churned and for a moment she prayed that the Darius would not question it...But he did, and she was forced to look into his eyes before letting her own own glance at the groud to see the scattered bones. She felt a shiver run over her body as she sensed something far more evil nearby, knowing very well that they would have to draw their weapons once more. As the undead guild approached Arothi could not stop herself from whispering.

"What monsters have we awakened?..." She said in a whisper before she looked to Darius who was drawing his sword, telling her to go get the others.

At first she would never think to leave someone alone with such creatures but she also knew that Darius and her were no match for the approaching group. As he stepped forward she started to step back, moving slowly as to not prevoke them to attack. She looked between Darius and the fighters before whispering to him quickly.

"Forgive me for leaving you, I shall return with the others." She said quickly before darting back from where they came, trotting as fast as she could to the group.

She screamed and moved quickly through the trees, noting that there were more bones along the edge of the water. Could it be the lake that was causing the dead? Arothi was definately going to have a word with Zahra as soon as she could but until then...

"ZAHRA!! ZAHRAAA!!"
 

The group had been waiting, almost sleepy it seemed, around the lake. It was then that their reverie was broken - Arothi came charging from where she and Darius had been doing whatever it was that they were doing and she was shouting Zahra's name. She seemed panicked and the one explanation was danger.

Using the ground to give her momentum, Alla swooped in toward Arothi, trying to make the act a little less threatening by pulling her claws beneath her until she landed. If it was only a fool's move, the man getting trapped in some sort of snare, than the others could handle it. However, by the way the centaur was acting, there was a more pressing danger.

"What is going on, cent-ah, Arothi?" Alla asked, her tail flicking behind her. Instead of just yelling for Zahra, the girl should have said what was wrong. If Alla had confirmation that something was amiss, she could already be halfway to fighting it. She tried to keep the irritation from her voice but her slender reptilian tongue darted from her lips to try to catch a scent on the breeze of what might be wrong. Distressingly, nothing smelled out of the ordinary except that the place reeked of death.
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The trees were looking back. That one phrase gave her a chill like no other she could remember.

"ZAHRA!! ZAHRAAA!!"

The frantic shout of Arothi had her whirling around. Alla already leaping forward to ask what was happening. Zahra looked towards the trees surrounding the lake. Nothing was moving now. Not a wisp of wind. Nor a rustle of leaves. Even the surface of the lake was immaculate and undisturbed. She checked to make sure Lahras hadn't wandered off, then she was motioning an arm towards the direction Arothi had fled.

"Those with the most combat experience aid Castablane. The rest must stay here and watch the lake. If anyone beside own our leave the water we will have twice as much trouble." Speaking of their own, Zahra narrowed her eyes. Some were missing. The cat, the dragon, and the wolf... None were within sight. She pulled a knife from her cloak, taking a firm and solid grip. She would need it.
 
[size=+1]Unbuckling my armour and leaving my spear behind so I am not too weighted down, I strap on my knife belt and fall in beside Knut. My ravens flutter down from the trees and land on my shoulder, Huginn offering characteristically obscure wisdom.
"Dead things always grasp at that which they once had." With that they both fly off into the canopy again, and as ever I am left grappling with what he could mean.

Typical of the pair, really; it is hard to tell if they are offering advice disguised as nonsense or just pure nonsense.

Together, Knut and I wade into the murky water until it is up to our waists. The air is still and stagnant, an unpleasant and lingering smell emanating from the water. We both eye the water with distaste, knowing that this is not going to be pleasant.

I turn to my companion and ask,
"You ready then, skald?"
"As much as I will ever be, my friend," Knut replies with a chuckle. I smile and look back to the water, breathing deeply to prepare myself for the task at hand.
"Very well then. Let us go for a swim."

Knut dives first and I follow shortly after; we plunge into the murky water and immediately my sight becomes blurred and indistinct. I can barely see past my outstretched arms, only catching glimpses of my companion as we swim down into the murky depths of the lake. I use as little air as I can, knowing that it must be carefully preserved for this venture, and pray that Knut is doing the same.

Lower and lower we descend, the light from the surface growing progressively dimmer. I become aware of another source of light, however, one coming from further down in the lake. It is a dim and unpleasant green in tone, but at this point any light is welcome. We are nearing what I believe to be the bottom of this murky and unpleasant water, and the green light grows ever brighter as we descend.

Finally, as we come into sight of the lake's bed, I realise the source of the light. Strange plant-life is abound on the bottom of the lake, a twisting and tentacled plant each of which has a large orb at it's tip. The green light that guides our descent emanates from these orbs, casting eerie green lighting across the lake bed.

And at the centre of the lake bed is what we were sent down for.

It is more or less as Lady Zahra described; far larger than the stone Knut carries yet with the same unmistakeable engravings. Through the gloom I see my companion gesturing to it to get my attention; with a nod I swim down towards it. Closer now to the bottom I can make out misshapen lumps covered by the sand and silt that dot the bed of the lake; too many to count. Writing them off as rocks I reach the stone we were sent for, and Knut moves to the other side.

I raise my hand to gesture a count of three before lifting the stone; Knut nods in acknowledgement. I catch sight of one of the strangely-shaped lumps that cover the bottom, and for a second I could swear it moves slightly. Silly. I put it out of my mind and prepare to lift the stone.

Together we heave at the stone sitting at the bottom of the lake and it comes away easily, the water making it all the later. With a smile I begin my ascent with Knut...

...and then my eyes fall upon the stirrings at the bottom of the lake we are moving away from.

The lumps are moving, shaking away the muck of the lake to reveal humanoid forms. Dead and rotting things, hundreds of them.

They turn their heads upwards to us and raise their arms as if trying to reach us even from this distance, beginning to rise through the water in pursuit.

' Dead things always grasp at that which they once had'.

As Knut and I desperately swim for the surface, I finally understand what the raven meant.[/size]
 
Jair had not intended to hide.

At Zahra's request, she would have tried to enlist the help of a lake-dweller, something that was made for swimming, and thus far better suited to the task than any of their party, but there were none. The lake was quiet, devoid of any visible life, and that was unsettling; so she had left only a short distance, still in the form of a wolf, away to seek answers. No animals were to be found, and Jair herself was beginning to understand why. She felt instinctively unnerved by place, and its scent was all wrong. No animal with any survival instinct would stick around to investigate; she did not have that luxury.

It was on her way back to the camp, which was farther away than she'd meant to travel, that she heard cries of alarm, and an order from their leader. She had meant to warn that something was wrong, but it was clearly too late for that. She shifted to her more humanoid shape at a noise, and turned to see the most absolute affront to nature she had ever experienced. It was dead, evidenced by its rotting scent and missing skin and organs, but it was moving. The scent of death was not bad, and for many would mean a much-needed meal, but for something to dead to get up and walk again was incomprehensible. The unnaturalness of the thing enraged Jair, and she struck at it with her claws; it barely flinched, and she had to duck out of the way of an old, rusty blade. She kicked it away and backed off, reluctantly realizing that she was not equipped to fight something of this nature.

Remembering the order Zahra had spoken, she feinted at the moving skeleton and then made a break for the lake's surface, the thing shambling behind her at a far slower pace. She arrived not long after, panting some. "One of them..behind," she said, pointing in its general direction. "What can I do here?" It was an honest, desperate question; if what was in the lake was the same as what she had just seen, she would be of little use here, too.
 
The stories never tell the all of combat. How the adrenaline makes you sick and feels like poison in your veins. How the dead void their bowels and the dying scream for mothers. They do not write of killers holding the killed and whispering 'sorry', weeping for what they have done. Hot flesh, itches, acid bile and shit-stench. These are not the facets of glory. And to the end of my days I shall hold this belief... that man was never meant to kill.

From the Diary of Darius Castablane​


With a fearful ache the paladin blocked the casual, unnerving stride of the wight. Falchion met short sword, the creature parrying with one arm as the other hung loosely. They strained against one another, barely a moment, before urgency drove Darius to reverse the swing and hack at the wight's leg. But the undead matched his pace and its block was stone-like as Darius passed. A third strike, at the neck, was likewise futile and with it the paladin lost advantage. Stumbling back across the boggy ground, Darius's strength was sapped in two-handed parries and his feet caught by snagging bones and roots.

There was nothing to read - no way to gague his opponent. Only cavernous, unchanging eye-hollows and the compulsion of the restless dead.

His foot plunged into a pool of mud. Skewed at angle, Darius brought the falchion up and blocked the wight's downward swing. Acid burned in his arms and a high sun dazzled his gaze. He was too slow to see the wight's other hand, which came across his guard and gripped his throat, and as air left the paladin's body he was hoisted from the mud, held aloft in the chokehold. The creature brought its blade to a low skewer, a butchering move that would finish his prey. And with one hand loosening the chokehold, Darius had to drop his sword and grip the hilt of his enemy's, stopping it an inch from impaling his stomach.

Again they strained, the human's face the animated mirror the dead man's. Darkness swallowed his vision and he felt his blood throb, starved of oxygen and seizing up in his arteries. With a grunt Darius let go off the chokehold and grabbed the holy symbol around his neck, turning it, bringing it up with all his strength. The symbol stabbed the necrotic flesh of the wight's wrist. And as it pierced there was the hiss of violent corrosion. The holy relic tore through bone and muscle and with a great spasm the creature buckled. The paladin got his footing again and pushed as the wight lost its own. The chokehold released and Darius held the burning arm, shifting his grip on the hilt of the undead blade. The wight's strength failed before the holy smite and Darius moved the creature's blade against its will, twisting it to chop away its own limb.

With a kick the one-armed wight went sprawling, and Darius snatched the burning, severed limb from his throat. Dragging from the mud, he scooped up his falchion, advancing as he turned it and drove the blade down at his enemy. The hit was clean, parting the ribs and entering the rotting chest cavity. He drilled the wight into the ground, shattering ribs and spine.

A shadow was coming across the marsh. He could not stop. Wrenching the blade free, Darius screamed and swung, falling towards the next of the creatures. And his luck held. The blade caught the cheek of the second wight and shattered half its skull, the creature carrying past him on its own momentum before toppling over its comrade. The two became still and Darius was left on hands and knees, gasping for breath.

And the hot, sharp sensation on his arm told him that his second kill had come with a price.

Standing, uncertainly, Darius felt the blood drip from the gouged wound running from his elbow to his palm. The blood was bright red, stark against the swamp green. It seemed to draw the other wights towards him, their bodies stepping from the trees and rising from the thickets as they advanced in funeral procession towards him.

He was afraid....

But he would die for his fellowship.
 
"Protect the boy! Take him to the trees!" Zahra shouted at Jair. Before Lahras could make any complaints about wishing to help, she was pulling him up to his feet and nudging him off with Jair. It would not be argued over. There was a great deal of relief when the cat appeared, bounding to keep on Lahras' feet and following him with Jair to the cover of the trees.

The still waters of the lake shifted as Knut was the first to break the surface in a sputtering cough. Far out in the middle of the water, his hasty and frantic shouts were too faint for anyone along the banks to hear. Just as suddenly as he appeared, he vanished back under the surface. The waters seeming undisturbed as if it had never happened. Closer to the bank something began to rise. Covered in weeds and mud, a fur cloak hanging in shreds off one shoulder, it was a warrior mostly rotten and decayed from years of sitting at the bottom of the lake.

Zahra stood ready at the bank, her knife held high. It was Annalaey who rushed forward, ankles deep in water and swinging a clawed weapon. The undead didn't even make a shriek, it's jaw opening wide with a voiceless crack of bone. It's arms thrust forward with such a force that Annalaey came crashing down on the bank near Zahra's feet.

"Get up! Summon your magic, not with your hands. Hold it within your chest. Focus towards the metal of my blade... Don't step towards the water! Stand and focus." she instructed Annalaey. Holding the knife out, she watched with baited breath as the undead shambled closer and closer through the waters towards the bank. Annalaey herself growing antsy, shifting on her feet but quickly still each time Zahra hissed at her to focus. The blade of her knife began to glow a soft white.

"Now release!" Zahra pulled the knife back and through it! The glowing metal striking the undead through the chest. It's jaw unhinged as this time, it's howl of pain was heard with ear piercing clarity. The flesh of the body burned away in seconds, his bones dropping in to the water with brittle clanks.

"Retrieve the knife and repeat. With every single one you see. Do not let them out of the water!"
 

It was a rapid-fire of orders that sent Alla darting off toward the trees close to where they had seen Arothi arrive from. Zahra hd ordered those with combat experience to assist Castablane and this connected two things in Alla's mind. This first was the sudden realization that the poor man had been left very much alone against whatever he was fighting and the second was that fighting in the water would also be a useless feat for her to attempt.

When it came to many of the others, particularly the more animal of the group, Alla did not exhibit much feeling if any and the little female who'd appeared near Zahra often crossed Alla's mind as a tasty snack. However, after having helped Castablane once and seen his valor in battle, Alla was at least kindly disposed toward him. It was this that caused her to shove Arothi out of the way in her haste to the trees. The foolish girl was the reason it had taken so long to get help to the man fighting alone in the wood.

Emerging as fast as possible, Alla saw that the man was surrounded by foes and injured as well. To get to him, Alla raked one of the abominations with her claws, shredding the decayed skin easily and rending the delicate ribcage. The amount of enemies made Alla wish fervently that more of the group was headed to help them but she steeled herself in the case of only the two of them.

"You somehow keep getting into potentially life-threatening fights. Is this a death wish on your part or are you simply very unlucky?" Silently, Alla gauged the man's wound and was somewhat relived to find that it did not yet appear fatal.
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Arothi did not stay with the group long before she turned back toward where she had come from to return to Darius. The only one to beat her to him was Alla who was built for speed much more than she was. She felt horrible for leaving a member of the group behind but there was little choice she had, Darius and her would have died if they atempted to fight the group alone. If that had happened than the group would have been attacked without warning, ending their quest right then and there. No matter how much it went against her beliefs she knew that the lose of one like would be better than the lose of many..She just hoped that Darius would not be the life lost today.

When she arrived she felt a bit of relief was over as she saw Darius still alive, though it seemed like the number of foes had only grown since she left. Alla had taken out quite a few and now it was her to to aid in battle, she would not run away twice. Pulling out her bow and grabbing a handfull of arrows, she started to wave of attack quickly. With skill and aim she shot four arrows at once, each hitting a creature and knocking them back. She then approched them and knocked them down with her front legs, quickly crushing their skulls beneath her hoves. It would take a long time for her to kill them off this way but she was unable to do much else. She then turned to Alla for a moment after glancing at Darius' wound..

"Alla, how long do you think you can keep them back? Darius' wound needs attention. I can have him wrapped up in at least a minute and then back you up with my arrows." She stated to her as she shot another wave of arrows and crushed their bodies and skulls under her hooves.
 
[size=+1]I'm running out of air.

Furiously, I pull myself up through the water as fast as my body can carry me. Knut has pulled ahead slightly, and we're nearing the surface. And beneath us, rising from the depths of the lake, the dead pursue us, their arms outstretched to pull us back down to join them. The stone Lady Zahra tasked us with retrieving is weighing me down, but I dare not let it go; we only have only chance to take it from this lake.

Knut is the first to breach the surface of the lake; I can see him treading water as he attempts to get the attention of the rest of the party.

Then something else rises from the depths of the lake. So fast my eyes barely have a chance to register what it is.

It snaps upwards and wraps itself around the skald's leg; my eyes manage to make out something huge and slime-covered before it pulls back down again, dragging my companion with it. With a hiss I attempt to reach Knut before he is pulled away, but whatever has hold of him is much, much too fast.

My last sight of Knut is the man desperately attempting to free his leg from the... thing that has taken him as he plunges down into the depths of the lake.

The dead figures continue their rising, dangerously close to me now. There is nothing I can do for Knut, I know, and if I tarry here too long the dead will pull me down. Or it will decide to take us both. With the last of my air expended, I propel myself towards the bank of the lake.

I burst from the water and collapse onto the gloomy bank of the river, breathing heavily. Around me, I can hear the sounds of battle, but it takes a moment for this to register with my air-starved brain.

Then heavy, ponderous footsteps crunch towards me, across the stones and mud of the bank.

I look up to see one of the dead things from the lake, now risen to the surface, reaching down for me. I snarl and react instinctively, launching myself up at the rotting corpse and body-slamming it. The force of my momentum knocks it backwards and over a piece of driftwood; it collapses into the bank with a feeble moan.

My surroundings begin to finally register with me; there's a battle going on, my companions fighting against cloaked figures wearing masks to hide their faces. And now they had the rising dead to contend with as well. There's no time to get my spear; I must fight this battle using my knives. As the corpse who was reaching for me attempts to pull itself to it's feet I dart forwards, slamming the first of my blades through it's rotting skull. It collapses into the mud of the bank again and ceases to move.

"Lady Zahra!" I cry to our leader as I move to engage another of the corpses, the dark waters of the lake still dripping from me, "We have the stone! We must leave now before whatever's in that lake rises!!"[/size]
 
I still bear the scar from that day - the wound from palm to elbow. Perhaps some foulness of the swamp permits no healing, or perhaps the dead have left their mark upon me. I feel the wound like a timeline, counting down my mortal hours. But as any mortal, I bear the scar proudly.

From the Diary of Darius Castablane​

Darius ran between Alla and Arothi, dropping his falchion as he moved. "Shoot first - heal later!" He unshouldered his shield and brought it in front just as another two wights came stalking across the marsh. The metal slammed into the first, who collided with the second, and with a roar the paladin ploughed them both to the ground.

Stumbling, he drew his mace and lashed wildly, catching a third fiend across the face and shattering nose and cheekbone. Then Darius spun, the shield swinging perpendicular and slamming like a blade into the throat of a fourth. He tried to press the attack, but another blade bit into his back, a shallow gouge slicing through the chainmail and ripping the skin. He arched and dropped to both knees, grimacing in pain. A shadow loomed behind him and he swung his mace backwards, shattering the toes of the flanking wight. It crashed down and Darius twisted, dropping the mace to hold aloft his shield in both hands. And then, with another cry, he brought it down - once, twice, a third time - upon the creature's chest.

Exhaustion gripped him like a vice. He could not move. He could not fight. The two he had knocked down were rising...

...then shattering into dust. With a yell louder than his own, Rovan tore into the fight, a pendulous swing of his longspear smashing through the two wights behind Darius. The fighter-bard continued on his momentum past his ally and turned his armoured shoulder to barge into the next wight with rib-shattering force.

Rovan was now at the front, holding the line. He turned into stance and roared to draw the attention of the undead fiends, and as they swept towards him he thrust - a spartan-like manoeuvre that impaled the next of his enemies. Every strike and swing sent bonedust flying.

The mantle had been passed.
 

Things happened faster than Alla could react; first Darius began fighting wildly as though suddenly possessed before getting wounded once more. Then another fighter arrived, killing multiple enemies in his own rampage. Alla scowled at Darius for getting himself more wounded than he was before. Slashing at surrounding enemies furiously, Alla's claws tore through the ribcages of the enemies.

"Arothi, take care of that fool. The newcomer and I will cover you."

Alla's hiss seemed more furious than she intended but her vexation toward the enemies was not marginal. This many foes was unexpected and Alla was curious where they came from, in case they would keep spawning. Backing nearer to Darius, Alla continued her destruction of foes while talking to Darius.

"Where did these come from?"

She hoped that they would have an answer and that this answer would reassure her that they would not simply keep appearing, which was a distinct worry. Alla also wondered if this was isolated or if they had appeared elsewhere and were lying in wait for them. It was not a comforting thought.
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Arothi nodded her head and put her arrows away before grabbing Darius with one hand and pulling out her healing kit with the other. She went to work on his arm and wiped the blood from it quickly, cleaning the wound at the same time before actually looking at it, it would need stitching and at the moment she did not have the time to do so.

" This might hurt..." She said softly to him as she placed a salve over the cut that was made to help close cuts. It wouldn't be permanet but it would dull the pain and keep it from getting worse until she could stitch it closed. She then wrapped the wound tightly before patting him on the shoulder gently, putting her kit away and gathering her bow and arrows once more to join in the fight again.

"Rest a moment, you're tired and you'll only worsen the wound if you do not take a small break. We'll take it from here." She told him before joining the others in the fight once more, shooting her arrows with deadly accuracy and crushing the fallen beneath her hooves.
 
Jair went as deep as she dared into the cover of the trees, making sure Lahras was close behind. She remained wary, eyes and ears scanning for anything suspicious. "The first one I saw was here; we may still be at risk." When she stopped, she saw that the cat was with them. Good, maybe the cat would be better equipped to fight them. There were no signs of an attack just now, so she paused, looking at the boy. Why are you so important? she thought, remembering the urgency of Zahra's order. Her thoughts were interrupted by a distant sound, something shambling. "You had best climb," she said to him. "They will have trouble getting up, and I doubt they can fly. Even if they can climb, they will need to go through us first." Jair looked to the cat for an agreement, but she was silent as usual.

There was enough time for her to determine the direction...directions of the attack. There were at least two or three of them, and they were approaching purposefully, as if they had somehow sensed the group from far off. One of them drew close, the stench of death once again heralding its presence. This time she was not caught off-guard by its appearance, only offended. It drew close and slashed at her; she dodged and kicked its legs as hard as she could manage, knocking it off balance. She pressed the advantage, aiming a punch at its center, but missed; it was all bone there, and where she aimed was where a human would have had flesh. Jair had to duck out of another swing of its broken, rusty sword, and then her ears picked up another weapon from the left. She dove out of the path of another enemy's axe just barely in time, and was barely up before the first started at her again. The axe-wielder was busy pulling his weapon back out of the ground, affording her time for just one attack, and this time she didn't miss the swordsman's lower spine.

There was a sickening crack, and the skeleton staggered back, but Jair couldn't rest. She sidestepped another chop of the axe, but a skeletal fist with more strength than anything without muscle should ever have hit her side and knocked her down, back against a tree. She shifted to full wolf form in order to stand up faster, and barely dodged a follow-up attack with a stolen sword. By now more of them had arrived, the cat was nowhere in sight, and Jair wasn't even certain which of the trees Lahras had climbed, if any...
 
"Toss it to me! Just keep them from coming ashore!" Catching the heavy stone with adept hands, she moved several feet away from the lake shore before setting it down on the ground. Zahra shouted for Annalaey, waiting in clear impatience as the girl whipped another spell at an undead before hopping towards her.

Zahra pointed down at the stone. "You remember what I told you about the stones? Place your hands on it and focus your energy. Feed it until it glows dark green."

"What is this f-"

"Just do it. Quickly!"

Annalaey nodded, dropping down to her knees and placing her hands at both sides of the stone. Her eyes closed, it was difficult to concentrate with the shouts and cries of the others battling. The clank of metal and low guttural growls. But she focused. Stilled the thoughts in her mind until she could feel her magic flowing from her hands in to the stones.

Zahra stood close by, not daring to glance away else she'd lose that precious perfect moment. There! Beginning from the symbol carved on it's top it started to glow. Dim at first but then reaching a deep emerald green. The fingers circling the hilt of her knife flexed, and without warning Annalaey, Zahra swiftly brought the blade down to stab through the top of the stone. A loud shiiiiink echoed through the trees and almost in an instant every undead creature surrounding the lake shore froze in it's place. Silent screams trapped within still bodies.

The undead fell back. Better, they crumbled, disintegrated or simply dropped to the ground. The forest fell quiet once again. Nothing left to be heard but the heavy breathing of the expedition party.

Zahra twist the knife in the stone. The rock giving way with a crack. Falling free from it's center was a strange looking nut. About the size of a walnut, but a very odd shade of purple. It disappeared in to her cloak, along with the dagger.

"You did very well. Let us gather the others." Zahra spoke to Annalaey, who seemed unwilling to talk as her eyes darted around the shoreline to see if more danger would pop up. Zahra's focus was on John. He had came from the water alone.

With John's grim expression, the woman stalked out towards the water. But she didn't dare step in as she surveyed the surface. The waters were still and undisturbed. No movements, no bubbles. Knut was lost. The first to lose his life in their quest for the Glowing Tree.

She hoped he would be the only one.


CHAPTER THREE; THE HUMAN DISEASE


"BEHOLD, Kings of Feldagard! The keys to your fate. Make your choice wisely, Great Kings, for we give you one fortnight to decide."

"And if we choose to make you burn, Sorceress!? You and your kind do not command us!"

"Then your kingdoms will fall and a new crown will be chosen from your ashes."​


Days worth of travel through the thick forests lent time for wounds to heal, but not the moods of the traveling party. Zahra found it difficult to explain to Lahras why Knut was no longer with them. Where she spent so little time talking with the others, with Lahras she would use a different tone. A gentle patience, even fondness. At least until the topic of their lost companion came in to play. It may not have been Lahras that was the difficult part, but rather herself. She was antsy and very particular about where they slept, how long they stayed in a single place, and watchful of their backs.

Soon they seemed to be heading up stream. The trees here were just as thick, so when they saw the large cave opening and the two small falls, at first no one realized that it bore the shape of a face. Two hollow eyes, the water rushing from nose nostrils. And a big yawning mouth opened wide to allow entrance inside.

Here Zahra stopped, and it was clear through the expression on her face that this place made her uncomfortable. She waited until everyone caught up, before she spoke to them all.

"There are... creatures inside. They guard and collect a very precious sort of water. You'll know it by the vials and the vibrant shade of blue. This water is vital for our quest... but no humans can enter this cave." she explained, it obvious that she didn't like this at all. It also seemed as if she wanted to say something more, but held it back. Zahra finally sighed, tilting her head towards the cave entrance.

"Only those who are nonhuman in descent can go. The rest of us will guard the opening."
 
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It had been some days since the events that had taken away the first member of the traveling party and the others seemed somber about this. Alla did not keenly understand their sorrow, not all of them at least. Many of them had not known well the man that had been killed, some she was sure she hadn't even seen speak with him. It seemed an innate desire of humans to mourn every loss of their kind. Though Alla did not want to admit it, this was one of their characteristics that she was oddly fond of in humans. Though, she reminded herself, it was a frequent cause of human folly to mourn each of their dead so passionately.

From the fight, Alla had sustained relatively few injuries, though she nursed a wound to her wing that had very nearly punctured the membrane. It was an unwelcome reminder to Alla of her own fragility and the need to better protect her sensitive wings. Aside from this wound, Alla had only sustained a few scratches and bruises which had mostly healed by the time that they arrived at the cave, which was apparently their destination. Zahra spoke a few words on the task at hand, ending in the fact that Alla and the delicious looking little furry ones would have to go into the cave alone, it seemed.

"By guard, of course, you mean that we will have to fight these creatures for these vials... correct?"

Despite the critical tone, Alla did not hesitate to step closer to the mouth of the cave. A quick glance behind her told her that this quest was likely going to be dangerous. At least, Alla reasoned, she would have the centaur, Arothi, with her. Despite the centaur's folly, she had proven herself at least able in Alla's eyes with her arrows. This was one member Alla was glad would be with her. She had some respect for the centaur.
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