by Andrew Rowe
Lydia wrinkled her nose. “Like those tattoos of yours?”
“No, not like that.” Wrynn smiled. “Nice try, though. The vek taint was facial markings, and they didn’t look as lovely or organized as my tattoos. Anyway, they’re not actually a disease; they’re more like a form of possession. Vek are what happens when a ruinshade manages to claw its way inside a living human’s body, gradually taking them over. Stronger vek don’t even need to inhabit the body directly; they just break off a small piece of themselves, and that piece is used to take over a person’s body.”
Taelien’s eyes narrowed. “That sounds horrific. Is there a way to counter it? Banishment sorcery?”
“Only if you catch it fast.” She drew in a breath. “And that was the problem with the Blighted Woods. You see, when people from Rendalir fled here, ruinshades followed — and our people had no idea what they were. And, when the ruinshades began to infect people, we made the same mistakes that the people of Rendalir did at first. We thought it was a disease.”
Wrynn shook her head, sighing. “Several small towns had been entirely taken over before any help arrived. The first people who went to help were also taken over, and they began to spread it further, much like it was a disease. It took ages before we actually had enough information to act.”
“You say ‘we’ — were you physically there?” Lydia asked.
“No, no. I’m using ‘we’ in the general sense of people from Mythralis. I’m not quite that old.” She grinned. “Ultimately, it was one of the gods that intervened. Karasalia, the Impervious Forest Goddess. She saved those that were still capable of being saved. Rather than slaughter the others, she created a vast barrier around the area, sealing them inside, like one might quarantine a disease. She returned time and time again, trying to find a way to save those within...but she never succeeded.”
Karasalia? My supposed mother?
He’d heard very little of her, given that she wasn’t a member of the Tae’os Pantheon or associated with Vaelien. It was refreshing to hear a story that included her, even if it hadn’t ended well.
“So, what about the trees?” Lydia asked. “I’ve heard the trees beyond the barrier are stark white and give off some kind of strange powder. Are they possessed by the ruinshades as well?”
“No, but it’s a consequence of their presence. Vek don’t require the same kind of sustenance that ordinary humans do; they absorb life energy from the environment. The trees were most likely altered to serve as long-term life sources, either deliberately or accidentally. I don’t know the types of sorcery that were used, but I do know that the powder the trees emit is poisonous to ordinary humans. I have defensive spells that should help.”
“Wait, hold on. Are you implying there are still vek living in there? After centuries?” Taelien asked.
“Oh, no.” Wrynn shook her head. “It’s only ruinshades we’ll have to worry about.”
Taelien frowned. “...How intelligent are these ruinshades? Do they have emotions? Societies?”
“Nothing to worry about in that regard. The average ruinshade is more like an insect, if even that. Maybe a golem would be a better comparison; they can follow instructions with some degree of intelligence, but they have no motivations of their own. Their instructions are implanted with a seed of dream sorcery, which was one of the Sun Eater’s specialties.”
Lydia made an odd expression at that, seemingly considering something.
Wrynn continued to explain. “Most vek are no more intelligent than ruinshade. They’re little more than puppets. Vek made from ruinshades possessing beings other than humans are much smarter and more dangerous — but they’re not something we’re likely to run into. They’re pretty rare.”
Taelien gave a slow nod. “Back to the ruinshades, then. Wouldn’t they be harmless, if nothing is controlling them presently?”
“No, they most likely still have a persistent instruction to kill or take over anyone they see. That order will continue until something changes it.”
Lydia raised a hand to her lips. She had an expression of deep contemplation.
Taelien raised an eyebrow at her. “You’re plotting something.”
She raised a hand to her chest in mock offense. “Plotting? Me? You’re mistaking me for Kestrian, I think.”
Taelien snorted. “You were doing plenty of plotting of your own back in Orlyn, long before he got involved. But that’s not an insult. I may prefer the more direct approach, but I can still respect using strategy. What are you thinking?”
“Please don’t do anything foolish,” Wrynn pleaded. “We do not want another vek outbreak. That wouldn’t be good for anyone.”
Lydia shook her head. “No, no, nothing like that. Merely considering possibilities.”
Wrynn folded her arms. “Just don’t let them out of the barrier.”
Lydia nodded absently. “Of course. Now, how do we detect them? I imagine that the vek taint would not have been an issue if they’re visible under ordinary conditions.”
Wrynn nodded. “Yep, they’re invisible to normal sight. I have the ability to sense shades and spirits, and it seems like Sal has been acquiring something like it, but you’ll need to have detection spells active.”
“Or just use Ulandir’s Ghost Lantern.” Taelien patted his backpack. “If they’re spiritual entities, it should work, correct?”
“That’s...not exactly right. They’re shades, which refers to a different plane, but they do have spiritual energy. The lantern might work.” Wrynn nodded. “We should use it. It won’t hurt to try. I can detect them without it and warn us. But Lydia?”
“Hm?” Lydia was still wearing a thoughtful expression.
“Please don’t let them out of the barrier?”
Lydia sighed. “Fine, fine. I just...haven’t had a chance for field work in some time, and I was getting a bit excited. I will be cautious. If nothing else, this resource will be likely to remain here for future study long after we’re done.”
“I’m not sure I like the sound of that, either, but we’ll talk about it another time. I’m going to try to make us invisible to them when we arrive, but just in case, be ready to fight.”
A smile crossed Taelien’s face. “Always.”
***
Hours passed before they reached the barrier. Taelien spent a little bit of time chatting with Lydia as they walked, but he remained nervous about the shadows trailing them. That also limited the scope of what they could discuss.
Wrynn and Lydia spent some time discussing sorcerous theory, as well as varying categories and classifications of ruinshades and vek.
Taelien contented himself with anticipating the possibility of fighting a tremendous number of highly dangerous monsters, which he hadn’t had a chance to do in a while.
The barrier itself was much more visually impressive than he’d expected. He’d been picturing some sort of ritual markings etched on the ground and a subtle field that couldn’t be crossed by spiritual entities.
The actual barrier was a glowing dome of translucent blue energy that seemed to stretch for miles. He caught sight of the glimmer in the distance long before he approached, but seeing it up close was nothing short of awe-inspiring.
The power that it must have taken to weave something like this...
He ducked down to the ground, searching for the telltale markings of enchantment runes like those on Velthryn’s city walls. He found nothing of the sort.
“How has this stayed intact for so long?” He wondered aloud. “Are there objects generating or securing it?”
Lydia approached, leaning heavily on her cane as she settled next to him. “You’re not usually so interested in such things.”
“Aww, are you interested because your mommy made it?” Wrynn poked him in the side. “You’re adorable.”
Taelien groaned. She wasn’t entirely wrong, but he certainly wasn’t going to admit that. “I’m interested because of the scale. I could see someone like Hartigan or Tarren managing some
thing of this size for an instant, but how is it still here? Spells naturally disperse over time. I don’t have to be a scholar to know that something is off about this.”
Lydia winced as she knelt down, pressing a hand against the forest floor and whispering a few words. She’d apparently broken her habit for long, loud incantations.
“You’re correct, Taelien. There’s an intense concentration of essence underground in this area, but it’s too deep for me to get any significant information. I can also sense that it’s connected to something within the barrier, but I can’t discern any details. The barrier itself is blocking me.”
Taelien nodded, then offered Lydia a hand to get back to her feet. She accepted it without complaint.
“You two need a few minutes to catch your breath before we go in there?” Wrynn asked.
Taelien shook his head.
Lydia took a breath. “Just a few moments, if you please. I confess I haven’t walked this distance in some time.”
Taelien gave her a worried look, but she shook her head. “I’ll be fine, just give me a few more moments.”
She leaned up against a nearby tree.
Taelien gazed beyond the barrier, looking in at the strange, bleached white trees and grass within. He could see the powder that Wrynn discussed in the air; it looked almost like snow.
They rested for a few minutes before Lydia finally pulled herself away from the tree, walking to the side of the barrier. “I am ready.”
Taelien came over next, resting his hand on his hilt. “Should I open it up, then?”
“Woah, woah, slow down there Mr. Swordy.” Wrynn put a hand on his arm. “You probably could cut through this, but it’s a bad idea. Ritual backlash. And you might end up collapsing the whole thing — we don’t want that.”
Taelien moved his hand away. “What’s the plan, then? Dig a hole?”
Wrynn wrinkled her nose. “That might work, but I’d really rather not. No, we’ll sorcery it right open. I was planning to do it myself, but with Miss Hastings here, it’ll be even easier. Protection sorceress, yeah?”
Lydia winced, then nodded. “Not as much as I used to be, but yes. I believe I could reshape a section of the barrier to make a temporary hole, if that’s your intention.”
“Good. Be ready to open her up. First, protective measures. We don’t want to breathe whatever is in there.”
Wrynn reached into a bag at her side. “Retrieve: Purification Elixir.” A bottle appeared in her hand, and she handed it to Taelien. Then she repeated the process twice more, handing a bottle to Lydia and holding one herself. “Drink up. These will help if we do end up inhaling anything from in there, or if any poisonous monsters attack us. They’re not foolproof, but we’re not going in there unprotected.”
Taelien nodded, popping open the blue-green vial and downing it. It tasted like blueberries — far from the worst strange elixir he’d tasted over the years.
It brought back a memory of an old alchemist friend, one he’d hurt. But he brushed that memory aside to focus.
The other two downed their elixirs. “Okay. Get close.” Wrynn instructed, and the other two followed her instructions. “Spirit Art: Eight-Part Barrier.”
A shimmering field surrounded the group in the shape of an eight-sided polyhedron, which glimmered and rotated around them.
“This’ll hold up against most spiritual threats, including shades. I’m going to have to expend a considerable amount of energy to maintain it, however.” Wrynn took a breath. “Lydia, if you have any protection spells of your own...”
Lydia nodded. “Redundancy is important. Your spell seems similar to a Sphere of Exclusion, so I won’t make another. I’ll make an individual barrier for each of us, in case something gets through your field.”
As Lydia tapped each of them and generated a field of glimmering energy of her own, Taelien raised a finger. “Problem. You do remember that my aura destroys protection spells, right?”
“Ah. That’s...awkward,” Wrynn admitted. “That’s going to make this more difficult. We’ll have limited time to work with.”
“Should I wait here?” Taelien asked.
“No, there’s a good chance we’ll need muscle in there. We’re just going to have to hurry.” Wrynn waved to Lydia. “Open the barrier up, if you would.”
Lydia nodded, approaching the titanic divine shield. “I hope we don’t regret this.”
“Don’t be such a worrier, Lydia.” Wrynn grinned. “If things go badly, I’m sure none of us will live long enough to regret anything!”
And on that note, Lydia waved a hand at the barrier, opening a hole in the field.
Taelien’s hand rested on his sword as the trio walked inside.
***
The first thing that struck Taelien was the cold.
The sorcerous barriers that wrapped around the group did little to shelter them from the oppressive chill of the air and the wind that whipped against their skin. Fortunately, the snow-like powder stopped as soon as it blew against the rotating panes of Wrynn’s shield. At least he didn’t have to worry about inhaling some kind of death pollen.
As long as the barrier held, anyway.
Lydia tossed a pebble out of Wrynn’s barrier, frowning as it flashed blue, then green.
Taelien raised an eyebrow, but kept walking. There was a clear path ahead, one unobstructed by debris even after what should have been centuries of disuse. That was suspicious, but there were few ideas Taelien hated more than breathing in death pollen, so he headed straight down the path.
As he walked, he unslung his backpack and opened it and reached inside, withdrawing a lantern. Then, after fastening his backpack back on, he closed his eyes and concentrated a spark of his essence into the device.
The crystal in the center of the device flickered, then brightened, shedding a grey-white illumination around the group. The light was heatless, giving it an unnatural feel, but it served two important functions.
First, it staved off the growing darkness of the wood, allowing them to see as they walked beyond sight of the shimmering blue barrier.
And second, with the lantern active, Taelien could more clearly perceive the shadowy figures that were beginning to amass among the nearby trees.
They were wispy figments of darkness, human-shaped but elongated and disproportionate. While at first he might have assumed the skewed proportions were a reaction to the light, much like a traditional shadow, more careful observation showed that some digits remained skewed regardless of the angle or intensity of the light shining upon them. Fingers and toes stretched and curved, seeming to end in vicious points.
In simpler terms, the shadows had claws.
Lydia took a step back after the lantern first illuminated them, drawing in a sharp breath. “They’re everywhere.”
“Just keep walking,” Wrynn advised. “They’re not likely to bother us if we don’t bother them.”
“Why?” Taelien asked. “Aren’t they supposed to kill and possess humans?”
“My barrier is keeping them from sensing us properly. As long as it holds, they can probably tell something is here, but can’t sense what it is. It’s like we’re holding up a sheet in front of ourselves, and they’re not smart enough to know what is on the other side.”
Taelien took an uneasy breath.
Given my previous experiences, the barrier is probably going to break at the worst possible time. Then it’s death pollen and ruinshades for everyone.
He kept his other hand floating by the Sae’kes on his hip, just in case.
The shadows were utterly silent as they followed the group, but as they moved deeper into the woods, Taelien could hear sound up ahead.
It wasn’t the simple noise of a surviving animal or monster, though.
It was the unmistakable cadence of a mournful song.
The words were in a foreign tongue, one Taelien had never heard spoken. But as the song carried through the woods, he felt something within them. A weight, like the burde
n of a lost world was carried within those sounds.
Taelien’s eyes scanned the woods, searching for the source. He still couldn’t understand the words, but he could feel the intent behind them.
“It’s a compulsion spell,” Lydia hissed. “They’re using dream sorcery to send messages directly into our minds. Try to ignore it. It’s subtle enough that our barriers aren’t stopping it.”
“Can you do something about it?” Taelien asked.
“It occurs too quickly for me to reshape the individual messages and stop them. I could make a barrier that’s completely impermeable to sorcery, but it wouldn’t let anything else in, either — like sound or air. I can do that if it grows urgent, but we’ll gradually suffocate, and we wouldn’t be able to hear each other talk.”
“Right. Lovely. Are we...heading toward the creepy singing voice?”
Lydia nodded. “Yes. I believe the crystal is in that direction.”
“Good, good.” Taelien sighed. “Only thing I like more than death pollen forests are singing death pollen forests.”
“Don’t forget frozen,” Wrynn added. “Frozen signing death pollen forest.”
“Right. How could I miss the most important part?”
They walked on, the voice growing stronger by the minute.
“I don’t like it.” Wrynn’s expression darkened.
“I mean, I’ve heard worse. She sounds like she might be a bit out of practice, but—”
“Not the quality of the creepy death song, Sal. There shouldn’t be anything here alive enough to sing like that. And ruinshades aren’t exactly known for their musical genius.”
“Hey, maybe one of them has been practicing. They’ve had centuries to do it, and everyone needs a hobby.”
That didn’t seem to cheer Wrynn up any. Instead, as he watched, the irises of her eyes seemed to twist briefly and change in shape from circles to a multi-faceted polyhedron.
“Um.”
Wrynn winced, blinked, and her eyes went back to normal. “Hmm.”
