The night had now engulfed the forest. The forest that was known was gone and now the Phantom Forest had risen once again. A creature in the distance howled, but like no wolf of this earth. The trees creaked ominously and echoed through the forest as they did. Whispers could be heard as the wind slightly blew by, and the ever feeling of being watched loomed over the forest. The air felt heavier and it seemed as though your soul was being tugged on. This was a place of nightmares and dark creatures that loomed everywhere. To venture here almost meant certain doom.
Mathis looked to the sky and saw the moon, but it was not the normal moon he was used to seeing. The light that now shown from it was of the blackish purple hue from the fog floating all around. The fog itself gave off a faint purplish glow as the dark magic flowed through it. Mathis sat with his legs crossed on the ground. There was no fire this night as it was not safe to have one. The forest was now alive, and if Mathis were to start a fire than the fire would draw the dark force to them. Kraygoss laid behind Mathis curled slightly around him giving warmth to Mathis as he sat on the ground. Kraygoss was practically better at giving off warmth than any fire would. With a double coat of fur and thick skin, his body generated plenty of heat to keep Mathis warm even in the Highland Mountains.
Mathis continued to sit looking at the sky. His mind fast reviewing what had thus far transpired. Orcs were once again back in Nelbring, the Phantom Forest was awakening once again, and it had already started to form Phantom creatures. Everything that they had experienced so far, pointed to the fact that The Dark One had returned somehow, but the dark fortress was under the control of the Keeper now. Mathis knew there was something missing to this, and the only way to find out was to reach the orc fortress that was being built in the west. For now however Mathis and Kraygoss needed to rest and prepare for whatever was ahead of them. The journey would still take a few more days and that still depended upon if they didn’t run into any more trouble.
Mathis leaned back against Kraygoss, who by now was fast asleep, and slightly twitched when doing so. He folded his arms and extended his leg and crossed them. Lowering his head Mathis fell vast asleep effortlessly as though extremely tired. Soon Mathis was dreaming and it seemed just as real as if he were awake. The night moved slowly around them and the dark haze was all around them pulsing purplish light.
Mathis awoke to find himself and Kraygoss still seating in the dark. Looking he saw that the moon was gone and knew the night was over, but the fog had grown strong enough to blot out the sun’s light. This was something an orc coveted as they moved better and faster under the cover of darkness. Mathis stood and gathered their belongings to once again start moving to the west. He turned and noticed that Kraygoss was still asleep and thought to himself that maybe they were working too hard, but the though crossed his mind that this was unlike him as he is usually easy to wake and always wants to do something. Waking Kraygoss they both arose and started to move westward once again. Tired or not they needed to get a move on and reach the fortress.
The day was moving along slowly and ever step seemed harder than the last. Mathis started to think maybe he too had been working too hard. Still pushing on and moving further and further into the forest Mathis was not going to stop. While Mathis was walking suddenly he felt himself get pulled over and almost fall. Stopping and shaking his head to clear himself Mathis kept walking. Looking over at Kraygoss he noticed something was off on him to. He didn’t seem to move naturally as to what Mathis was used to seeing. Just as he was starting to feel something weird in his head he heard a noise in the distance that caused him to suddenly forget all and focus on what was ahead.
The noise he heard was the snap of a twig. Something was moving ahead of them and trying to keep in cover. Mathis squatted and walked forward, and then looked over at Kraygoss and whistled to him to get down. Kraygoss moved forward to a group of bushes and then laid down behind them. Mathis was confused because it seemed as though Kraygoss was not listening to him. None the less he was at the ready and so was Mathis. They sat and waited a bit to see what would come out from hiding.
Soon through the haze four orcs walked out fully armored and armed with two handed swords. These orcs were no scouting party, these were legion orcs. These orcs fought directly for The Dark One, and they bore the insignia of him. Mathis drew his swords, everything was coming together and he saw what he needed to know. The Dark One was back and he had a chance to make a primitive strike. Mathis waited breathing heavy as though he had already been fighting. Something seemed wrong, but now was not the time to think about it. The time had come to end these vile creatures.
The orcs moved together side by side closing in closer to Mathis and Kragoss. Mathis was now about to jump out and attack just as the orcs passed by, but as he was getting ready to jump he felt himself once again get pulled except this time he fell. The noise that was made by him falling startled the orcs and they turned towards Mathis and rushed towards him. Mathis whistled for Kraygoss to attack, but Kraygoss was gone. Shocked and confused he refocused and jumped up and blocked the first striking orc. After blocking him he turned his swords towards the second and third orc. Just as the orcs were getting ready to swing their swords Mathis was getting ready to block, but just then once again he started to fill the pull. This time the pull completely took him off his feet and he fell hard. Stunned from the fall and completely confused, when his focus came back he looked up and saw the orcs above him about to drive their swords into him. Just then Mathis was pulled again just as they stabbed. He felt a sharp pain and everything went black.
Everything was black and weird sounds started to echo slightly. Mathis started to slowly open his eyes. They were extremely heavy and it was hard to move his limbs. The only thing that was going through Mathis’ mind was where he was, and what happen to Kraygoss? Mathis was trying his hardest now to move and get his eyes open to see around him. Just then he felt a pull of his sleeve and his arm being pulled. After it stopped he felt something wet on his face. He started to come to, but everything was blurry. He started to see a large object moving in front of him and once again went back to the four orcs that they found. He started to reach for his swords when the objected in front of him let out a loud howl. Mathis immediately stopped moving and sat still. He reached his hands out and said, “Kraygoss?” Mathis felt a head of fur touch his hand and then lick it. Mathis reached forward and hugged Kraygoss as the nightmare was now over.
It was now dawn and the fog had retreated some from them and Mathis was starting to get his wits about him. He could now see clearly and had started a fire to get some remedies made. He had pulled out some of the fruit he picked close to his home. With some fresh water and the fire, Mathis brewed them and created a remedy to heal him. While brewing Mathis thought back to what had happen to him. Remembering how tired he felt and how easily he and Kraygoss fell asleep there had to be something in the air that put them to sleep. It then created a dream like state that felt real. Mathis’ only true question was what would have happened had the orc’s blades connected. Would he have lived or died? He did feel soreness and there were slight cuts on him from where the orcs stabbed. This forest was a nightmare in every way. Even the very air was tainted with black magic. Hopefully this brew with the fruit would fix his ailments, and keep him and Kraygoss from falling under anymore of this tainted air.
Kraygoss wasn’t effected by the fog and for Mathis that is what saved him. Kraygoss was awake and could tell something was effecting Mathis. He was the one pulling him in his dream. Kraygoss was trying to wake up Mathis and to break the spell that was over him. Every time Mathis felt himself getting pulled in his dream, it was Kraygoss trying to wake him by pulling or pushing him in the real world. At first the dream state was so strong it didn’t affect him too much, but through persistence Kraygoss was able to wake Mathis enough to break the spell.
After a few hours Mathis was on his feet and the feeling of being tired and the heaviness of the air was gone. Kraygoss was up and ready to go as well excited to have Mathis back to his original form. They gathered their things and this time headed out with their heads on right and their focus set straight. They were back on the move heading west and even though the dream Mathis had wasn’t real his motivation was doubled. He wanted to beat this forest and the being controlling it. The one thing that did bother Mathis about all of this, was the fact that Mathis and Kraygoss were being attacked. It seemed that maybe Mathis and Kraygoss were not as unknown as he might have thought. Maybe whatever was at the center of all of this knew that they were in the forest and heading their way. Soon they would be at the source and would be able to tell themselves. Mathis learned that day that there was nothing in this forest that was safe and to be prepared for anything. If something was watching them then Mathis had a warning for it, and that was for it to be prepared for anything, because The Harbinger of Death was coming for it. Mystery abound this forest for Mathis, it also seemed different than it was last time he visited it. Something else was itching at the back of his neck. This feeling of dread and darkness, but different than the Darkness that once kept a death grip on the lands. This forest had a history as the longest held area that was controlled in darkness. It was marked, maybe tainted by that previous being, but there was something familiar to it. At this point he kept it in the back of his head. It was a light spark in the darkness there. At one point it was going to start to burn brighter, he just needed to get some kindling to add to it. The one thing Mathis had learned through his many years was time. It was always present and never yielding. He had learned to ride time. Sit back and let time do its part. Planning was something he was used to, and most well laid plans had to have patients and time. Hoping it would never come to be, Mathis chose to live in the forest fearing that one day this would be something he would have to do. There was a small part of him that wished that he wouldn’t have to every step in the harbinger role once more. Never again after long ago, but the itch and raw energy that accompanied him in this role, gave him a jolt. Something he missed, and it surprised him.