"Can you see in the forest?" Tori said.
"No, not really. Maybe when we get closer" Obran said.
It looked like a plush and otherworldly forest. The trees were all dark brown and the leaves were dark green and even from afar the air felt musty. This a place where the dark is worshiped over the light, Obran thought. It was something he'd once heard in the army. The road had long faded and there was no clear entrance into the forest and though it was only midmorning the fog and the clouds made it feel like twilight.
"Sir, I can go in first and scout," Agrippa said.
Obran thought to go with him but Tori whispered to him to stay. But it didn't matter, Obran felt whoever or whatever was in the forest probably knew they were outside and planning to enter.
"Okay," Gaius said.
Agrippa proceeded alone down a hill to the valley outside the forest. His horse hesitated at the edge of the forest but Agrippa spurred it on. Obran got off his horse and started to whip up something for them to eat so they wouldn't have to stop later.
"Are you always cooking, gremlin...uhm...Obran?" Gaius said.
"Only the best," Tori said.
Obran sprinkled fae dust on some vegetables before boiling them; he had discovered that adding garlic and fae dust to his stew made it irresistible; he served the veggie stew along with fae nectar, fruit, and bread. He remembered the effect fae dust had on the mesmerized wolf. Could it help them against dark magic too? Obran wished Mara was with them, actually having everyone together—Erkin, Tomas, Zico, Mara and Katrina would be great, but that would probably never happen again. He wasn't sure why but coated his crossbow arrows with fae dust using the stew to make it stick and also dabbed some on the edge of his sword.
"What are you doing?" Tori asked.
"Nothing, maybe just a silly idea," Obran said.
Agrippa returned from the forest, leading his nervous horse by his reins. He slowly climbed up to their position and Obran handed him some wine and food.
"Thank you," Agrippa said. "Sir, it's very dark in there and the path is hardly usable. By the condition of the trail it will take more than a day to cross the forest, but I didn't see or hear anything untoward."
"Obran can help us get around in the dark. His hearing will help us too," Tori said.
Gaius stared down the valley.
"Sir?" Gaius said.
But Gaius didn't have time to answer. In the distance in the east, Obran saw a lone rider in shining segmented armor. Praetorian colors...at least he is a human, Obran thought.
"A scout has spotted us," Obran said.
Gaius and Agrippa squinted to get a better look.
"I think he is right, sir," Agrippa said.
So now the praetorians knew they were headed into the forest but hopefully they wouldn't dare follow.
"Okay, everyone get ready. We are going into the forest," Gaius said.
They rode down the valley to where Gaius had entered the forest. Up close the forest looked more menacing but what surprised Obran was the lack of any sound: no insects or birds or anything. Near the forest, the horses grew restless but they drove them forward. Once inside the forest the sprawling limbs and dark leaves of the trees quickly blotted out the sunlight and the air stiffened with a putrid scent. Gaius lit a torch and led the way but they proceeded slowly since there was a lot of brush and debri on the old road.
"What do you see and hear?" Tori said.
"Nothing...that's what makes me nervous. I can hear everyone breathing, even the horses, but nothing from the woods," Obran said. "I've never experienced anything like it."
Inside the forest, it seemed as if the outside world had disappeared, leaving them in a dark twilight with only small streaks of light shinning through the trees. Obran looked at his compass: the old road continued west but there weren't any crossroads and the horses proceeded timidly, sometimes refusing to go on. Soon they were all forced to get off their horses and lead them by the reins. They continued this way, silently, the whole afternoon, hoping not to attract any attention.
"At this pace we will cross the forest in two days sir," Agrippa whispered ."It will also get pitch dark soon."
They had hardly taken any breaks.
"If we do make a camp I don't think we should light a fire," Obran said.
"It will be cold without a fire," Gaius said.
"Do you think you can handle it?" Tori asked Gaius.
"It won't bother me," Gaius said.
"We should keep going as long as we can and I can keep guard tonight," Obran said.
I will definitely keep an eye on you human, Obran thought while staring at Gaius.
"Sir, we could continue through the dark. We have torches," Agrippa said.
"The path and the terrain is getting worse and I think it will rain soon," Obran said.
"Very well, we'll go as far as we can until it gets too dark or starts to rain," Gaius said.
It didn't take long, after sunset they were enveloped by the darkness as well as a steady cold rain. So they stopped off the trail, Agrippa pitched a tent by a large rock outcropping near a tall tree. Good place for a lookout, Obran thought. They ate a dinner of fruit and dried meat and soon Gaius, Agrippa, and Tori prepared to sleep.
"Do you want me to stay up with you?" Tori asked Obran.
"We could take turns," Gaius said. "I doubt I'll get much sleep anyway, sir."
"No, it's fine," Obran said. "No one will be able to see in the dark except me and we should turn off the torches. I can get a bit of rest tomorrow when we ride," Obran said.
"Okay, be careful," Tori said. "Whistle if you need help."
The three of them looked exhausted and Obran wondered if the forest had affected them in any way.
"Okay, all of you keep the torches handy and your weapons near," Obran said.
***
Up a tree again, keeping guard, Obran thought, But this time watching the girl I love in a tent with the man...no...the boy, who wants to marry her and take her away. Meanwhile, I'm in the middle of an evil, enchanted forest, getting soaked in the rain. Some choices you've made, Obran. He sat there alone for hours and hours and even when the rain stopped he only felt worse since then silence was now as complete as the darkness. Back home he enjoyed the forest at night. When he first arrived to the gremlin forest he often stayed up all night outside, though the habit began as vigilance and paranoia. But his forest was safe: no wildcats, wolves, or bears. Better yet no slavers or sorcerers of any kind, just the noise of owls and insects, none of which would ever harm him.
Obran huddled in the cold and pulled his cloak close to his chest. He had a bolt notched in his crossbow and he hid behind leaves and branches, using them as camouflage; he was hidden so well even an elf would have difficulty spotting him. Obran couldn't see the moon or stars through the trees but he guessed it was a few hours til dawn; he'd left his watch with Tori; it was so dark and quiet he struggled to stay awake. Suddenly his eye caught a motion on the road, coming from the west, from what would be the deepest part of the forest. Whatever it was it emerged from the trees, a cloud or a mist, only it was less dark than the air around it. It was a few meters wide and long. For a second he wondered if it was just fog descending. But then it moved again. It went off the trail and started to head directly to the tent. The mist zig zagged through the trees, leaving no trace as it passed through the thick brush. Obran looked in every direction, luckily whatever it was it was alone. Should I call out the alarm, Obran thought? Or light a torch? Could it be a ghost or spirit or some other dark magic?
The mist continued to move closer to the tent and Obran, from under cover, slowly raised and aimed his crossbow. He knew if he raised the alarm the creature might flee or worse, charge, and he'd lose the element of surprise. From the tree he could get a clean shot so he decided it was worth the risk to let it approach the others. As it did he felt the air get colder and the silence now started to feel like pressure on his head. Obran exhaled and held his breath as the mist crept closer and closer. The cloud finally emerged from the last group of trees and stopped only a few meters from the tent where it began to coalesce and change shape; it slowly formed into the outline of a tall man and two glowing red dots appeared where its eyes would have been. Obran let loose his bolt, aiming directly between its eyes.
There was a spark when the bolt hit its target and the creature let out a loud, high pitched screech, like a wounded animal crying out in pain. The eyes disappeared into a cloud again and the mist quickly fled back into the forest. Obran whistled loudly, unsheathed his blade and jumped down from his perch in the tree. He dashed towards whatever he'd hit but the cloud was gone and there were no tracks, all he saw was a small pool of black slime that resembled blood. 261Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡCFqNpo7CjT
