Chapter 20. Completion

  The axe bit into the tree with a vicious bark, spitting chunks with each bite.

  Sid chop with a violent manner, a fiery roar with each twist of his back.

  Now Sid wasn’t much of a woodsman, sure he could chop a tree down, anyone with a star in strength could accomplish that. What he lacked was the knowledge in knowing how to fall a tree properly.

  He was lucky along the first tree, thinking he could just chop and the tree will fall in that direction. He quickly found that wasn’t the case after a grueling amount of time with the second falling tree.

  The second tree had fall right for the animal, landing with a rippling slam, and bounced higher than any tree should be allowed and landed along the iron linking. Branches covering the animal and the worst came to mind.

  Sid didn’t pray, it was a waste of time, but had there been someone or something decent to pray to, he would have. He would have pray none of those tree limbs break and puncture the animal.

  “God’s damn it.” he mumbled tightening his grip along the axe.

  Sid hack through every branch the tree had to offer, in search for the animal. That axe attacked each thick limb growing from the trunk. Sid only need to swing that tree dropper but once for each branch he chop.

  One after another, he forced that silver head through, and through. After clearing the limbs and even stacking them aside, he was absolutely bewildered that the animal was gone. Just gone, the thing had completely vanished, even the trap that hold it hostage, gone as well.

  He circle his area and around the stacking of sharp branches, beady eyes narrowly scan while he pace. A thick hand brushed that noble mustache, while the man thought.

  He held a blank stare for the deeper wood. Had he truly see a beast along the twisted tree? Or was this all a haunting illusion of sleep deprivation.

  Was there really a internal feeling, a seventh sense that led him here? It had to be real, he couldn’t think of something as torturous as this tainted feeding ground.

  He listen to the deep woods, were they calling to him? Was it just the wind, or was it that the timbers plea for help? Did he truly feel something, or was it the fact that he was just a tired old man who need his rest?

  Sid didn’t just hear the clamor in the leaves now, he was listening to the shouts that carried with the wind.

  He turn to the great twisted tree, beady eyes follow the spiral bark until a branch.

  Those dark eyes crawl along until they spot the talons, then they locked with eyes of the raven.

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  That bird inflated with a ruffle acknowledging that heavy man down there. The raven cock its head with a wild twitch when that wonderful mustache bark an order.

  “Find them!”

  The black grease of those feathers had a magical sheen while it lift with a single beat of its wings. Leaving the heavy man stomping for that great twisted tree.

  Sid removed his satchel and rest the sword over the top before he approached the twisted bark of that stained tree.

  This tree had the disfiguring mark left by the undeserving souls forced through its process of growth. He would not allow this cancer to grow along the mountains. Sid let the axe take a juicy bite along the wide trunk.

  “AHHH ahhh AHHH!”

  The trapped souls within scream as glimmers or whispers of something drift from the gash he had begun. It was an odd sight but it was also jubilating watching the color and foggy texture leave their prison, that triumph drive another force and he swung harder and harder. Just like the sea breeze breaking along a rocky shoreline, a fine red mist spit from the trunk as Sid swing the axe.

  The sun examine the man while he work against the tree. It pace along from one side of his shoulder to the other. The warm orb turn its head for a cooling moment while a silky cloud strolled through. That heavy fellow snuck a peek at that pleasing silk as it lewdly float by, before that beating warmth stare him in the eye.

  Wiping the warm crimson splashing from his face he examine his progress.

  Sid had cut a large chunk out from this tree, and the sap bled with a heavy flow. The ground around him had become slick, and the opening he had create vibrate with a breath.

  Beady eyes followed those glimmering reflections, some drifted above, while others bounce and pranced through the forest. Each one of those wispy entities though, escaped with a radiating passion.

  Tucking a hand under his shirt, he wipe his face. At least his shirt was somewhat close to the same color, hopefully it doesn’t stain.

  The tree groaned hollowly, it slightly drift one way then sway to the other.

  Now like said before he may not have been a skilled woodsman with shiny stars in the stat, but he knew when a tree was about to fall.

  Pulling his axe from its bite, the tree let out a heavy groan. Sid stepped quickly for his sword and satchel. The tree groaned and creaked with a heavy lean. Fitting his satchel, he looked up the twisting tree, the lean was dramatic and moving.

  -C-r-r-r-ack!-

  The massive spiral kicked, and the tree thrashed. Smashing into the smaller trees as if fall.

  Many branches explode while the great twisted tree collides from one then another. A few smaller trees toppled with that nasty twisted one before if finally met the ground. Sid was bent half expecting the forest to shake as it crash down.

  Instead, the tree burst into a black ashy substance. The black dust float near Sid and he caught a flake in his fat hand. The way it smear reminded him of soot.

  There was a sense of enlightenment that came with the drifting of this black ash.

  Sid look at the bleeding stump and the other trees. He wasn’t sure if he had the energy to cut them all. In the debate of whether he should chop them down or not, the ground had an unseen illumination to it, and a force of passion or energy washed over.

  The carcasses along the trees faded breaking down to the fine black ashy substance. The trees carved to trap and bleed; their spiked branches grow anew with lush green leaf. The gore and carnage that stain the grounds seep into the earth, while the grass grow thick and full.

  Then there was that chirp of the bell, just a single chirp that pulsed with a gentle reverberation. He closed his eyes anticipating the snarl, and it came, bringing too that skin rippling feeling.

  There was no sense of advancement this time, but more so the sense of completion. A glimmer of text appear while a solid line slash straight through the words. The glimmer turned a joyful green, fading as Sid blinked repeatedly. That was weird.

  Looking the grounds over once more, there was a certain clarification to the area now.

  Remembering the name the forest had told him he start for a direction that feel right. Searching for the raven, listening for a calling.