The rush of wind blew through the woods. Leaves, limbs, and brush moved to the ever moving air. It was right in the middle of the afternoon with the sun right past its high point. The heat of the sun warmed the day and the forest floor. At this time nothing was still and everything was in motion. The trees danced effortlessly while swaying back and forth. It was a dry afternoon, but darkness was starting to loom as the forest was coming to life as it had before.
Quick footsteps were moving through the woods. Swift and quick movements as both Mathis and Kraygoss hastily moved upon the forest floor. Sweeping past tree limbs bending and dodging and never losing a step and always moving quietly like water in a stream never stopping and constantly flowing. Kraygoss moved like air as all his body was in motion creating the slightest movements to move around and under objects of the forest floor. Their speed was constant and their motions fluid. The two of them had been together for a long time and they could read off each other and keep pace together.
They came upon a small stream that was shallow enough to cross. Mathis stopped to rest for a bit and take a quick drink. Kraygoss with tongue out and ready to still keep running was standing at the water’s edge looking across and then back at Mathis. He was ready to keep going, but was waiting on the word of Mathis to go. Mathis looked over at him and said, “Take a break Kraygoss.” Kraygoss settled some and then lowered his head to drink. As Mathis was resting he was also in deep thought about their next move. The evening would soon be here and soon the dark, but there was something else that Mathis was also thinking about. Things in the forest were changing and as they moved farther west the darkness of old that controlled the forest was awakening once again. Mathis knew that things were about to change.
Mathis set back and looked across the stream. It was about one hundred and fifty feet wide and waste deep. The water was flowing steadily, but not strong enough to pull man nor beast downstream. What Mathis saw wasn’t the stream in front of him, but what was across the stream. The forest was turning dark and had a dark aura forming around it. The Phantom Forest’s dark power was starting to come back to life and soon its dark creatures would be alive. Mathis knew they had to hurry and reach the orc fortress and put an end to them, or whatever was causing the darkness to return. He was almost certain that the orcs were behind this and were the ones awakening the forest once again. He knew if the forest was fully awoken the creatures it created would be hard for them to fight against.
Mathis leaned over and took a hand full of water and splashed into his face and wiped it off. He then stood wiped his hand off and looked over at Kraygoss who was now sitting on his hind legs just staring across the stream into the forest. Mathis could tell he could sense the evil that was across the stream. Mathis took his pack off and held it high and started to enter the water. Taking careful steps as to not slip and fall under the water. As the shore grew closer to Mathis he started to see the forest transform. Mathis started to see a purple haze forming. Slowly swirling at the base of the trees and bushes. Mathis was almost across the water and he noticed as he got closer the purple haze started to grow. The sky started to turn dark and the trees started to turn black. It was the dark magic that was taking over, and Mathis was passing through the purple haze to the other side. He finally crossed and reached the shore. He turned and saw that the purple haze had formed a fog that blocked out the sight to the other shore. Mathis could not see across but knew Kraygoss was waiting and would be able to hear him. He whistled and after a few moments saw Kraygoss paddling across. Soon he was across and stood on the shore shaking off the water that was on him, and happy to have a cool bath.
Mathis was on one knee looking at the ground that had turn to a murky purplish black. It reminded him of the blood of orc and he remembered the history of the forest. He remembered how the orc army was destroyed by black lighting from the sky and that the ground became stained with orc blood. This blood was cursed and it was the source of the dark magic that ruled this forest. Things had changed now, and the journey ahead would be much more dangerous. He looked up and into the forest breathing deeply, and focusing all his senses as to what they had before them. He looked over at Kraygoss who was sitting on his hind legs and walked over to him knelled down and touched his head to his. “It’s time to go in to the dark Kraygoss, are you with me”, Mathis asked. Kraygoss licked Mathis’ face and the both stood side by side looking into the forest. Both seemed as to be thinking the same thing. They knew the adventure ahead was going to be hard and long.
They started moving slowly and quietly keeping their senses on high alert for anything that they might find. Mathis and Kraygoss had been walking all afternoon through the dark forest. The forest was quieter than what they were used to. There were no birds singing and the other usual creatures were nowhere to be seen. The sky was dark and the purplish black fog was blotting out the sun making it hard to keep the time, but through his training and capabilities he could keep up with how long they had been traveling. Suddenly, Kraygoss stopped frozen in place. Mathis stopped and crouched down behind some close brush. He slowly grabbed his bow and an arrow stringing it at the ready.
Watching Kraygoss closely, who was off to the right of where Mathis was in cover, Mathis watched his ears and head to see if he saw or heard something coming. Soon Kraygoss turned his head and ears slightly to the left and focused in on that direction. Mathis peered through the brush to see what was there. The fog started to gather in a single location and then started to give off a light of a dark presence. It was active and transforming. Then something caught Mathis’ ears. He started to hear the black tongue speech something he had not heard in a long time. The last time was in the dark fortress as The Dark One fell. He stared into the fog and saw what looked like eyes floating above it. Soon the Fog formed a round mass. Four strands suddenly spewed forth and hit the ground. The mass was turning into one of the phantom creatures as it started to crawl forth, and a head started to form on one end. It suddenly stood on two strands and feet started to form.
Mathis called out to Kraygoss and he ran over to his side. The creature was now starting to take full form. The creature was standing over 10 feet tall. Built like a troll but in a constant blood rage. Mathis drew his swords and prepared to attack as the creature was now alive and its glowing eyes had found them. It started to walk forward raising its hand to attack. Mathis quickly pointed to the right and Kraygoss ran circling the creature from behind as it focused in on Mathis. Mathis charged the creature head on. As it raised its hand and arms in the air to smash him, Mathis slid under the phantom, and as he did he swung each sword on each leg’s inner thigh. The swords struck true and the creature roared out loudly. Just then as it was roaring in pain Kraygoss came from behind and bit its ankle. Kraygoss held on and started to pull it taking its leg out from underneath it. The phantom fell on its back and Mathis turned after sliding and ran back towards the creature reversing his swords in each hand. Jumping on top of the creature and thrusting his swords into its chest. He then jumped off to the right and turned and rolled his swords back upright.
Kraygoss was at the ready on the opposite side waiting to see if the creature would get back up. It rolled to the left and put its right hand on its chest that was now in pain. Pushing up with its left hand it started to raise. The blow had wounded the creature deeply, but wasn’t down yet. Mathis sheathed his swords and grabbed his bow and two arrows stringing one arrow at the ready. As the creature started to show his back left shoulder to Mathis he drew his arrow and fired it. He then immediately started to run a circle to the front of the creature. The arrow struck the creature and it through its head up in the air backwards in pain arching its back, and that was the opening Mathis was waiting for. While running the circle he had already strung the other arrow and had pulled it to the ready. When the creature’s head was all the way back he let his arrow loose. It struck the creature right in its lower jaw piercing all the way into its head. It didn’t even let out a roar and just fell into a lump on the ground.
The phantom creature was dead and wasn’t going to do anything else. Mathis stood next to it and examined its remains. He noticed that it started to decay right away. In a few moments it would soon be completely gone. Once the creature was dead the dark magic was gone. Mathis also knew that this wasn’t the strongest creature this forest had created. He had seen the terrible destruction some of these creature had created in Nelbring before. He knew that this was only the start of something terrifying. Kraygoss and he needed to get to the orc fortress and destroy them. What worried Mathis the most was the dark tongue that was being spoke just before the creature was created. Mathis knew who it was that created it. Whether he was back or not, his dark magic was still alive and feeding this forest. He had to find out if The Dark One was still alive, or something else was controlling the forest. Mathis and Kraygoss gathered themselves and started once again to the west. Their journey was only going to get more dangerous from here and time now was getting more important. The body of the creature fell back into mist and as it did the glowing eyes separated and flew off. Mathis knew that those were the evil trinks that created that being. Trinks were an issue that Mathis had hope he wouldn’t have to deal with, but figured they would at one point appear. Not much trouble, but irritating none the less. They created monsters to catch their prey, the more of them that combined the more terrifying the creature they could produce. Most of the time they fought among themselves, making them pretty useless, but the Darklord would mass them together to produce some rather impressively terrifying creatures.
Mathis and Kraygoss moved on keeping steady and slow. Moving too fast through the woods could enact a psychosis. The dark mist was maddening to the untrained and took years to conquer, and many men were lost to its powers. Mathis on the other hand conquered it by training himself, but the effects could still be felt. Kraygoss was immune to the effects. A beast that always helped Mathis stay straight and was a tie down to what he needed. It would seem that this was going to be a good test on how his training had held up.