Vess levied a dark red finger at the speaker and chortled, “Is this about the so-called Conqueror, Lem? Oh dearest that topic has been done to death. He is far to the east. His war is with the humans and the dwarves. The Bough and our people are far beyond his reach! Dearest Lem, you are withering with all this fraught discussion.”
As their conversation grew more tense and heated, Maria's attention strayed again. She saw one of the beautiful female arboreal’s stand and try to soothe the two from starting a full blown shouting match. Her eyes drifted back to the young host and all of the conversation stopped. In fact, there was no sound at all.
Maria’s eyes looked onto the beautiful noble’s again and saw the genuine elation there. The figures around the table had stopped talking, in fact they had stopped moving entirely. They appeared to be stuck in mid motion, some in mid conversation. Vess and Lem were both standing and pointing accusatory fingers at each other. Even the forest seemed to have fallen silent and nothing stirred or moved.
Maria studied the strange arboreal host, who seemed to be the only one still animate besides herself, and said, “Where am I? Who are you?”
The arboreal woman’s lips trembled and she finally said, “My name is Alora and I have been trapped here in the Bough since Dominus came to Eilyth.”
Maria raised a hand and said, “We are officially outside terminology that I know. Slow down, and tell me everything. We have time.”
She could see what appeared to be a red tear running down Alora’s cheek as she shook her head, “No, when she realizes that you are here she will come to eject you from the Bough. I am healing you so that you can awaken and escape before she arrives.”
Maria blinked and the small arboreal woman was standing in front of her. She leaned forward and cradled Maria’s face in her hands looking deep into her eyes as she said, “Maria Emilia Rossi of Glendale, Arizona I am one of four daughters who were once the overseers of the world you are in now.”
Maria blinked and the last of her lethargy and muddy thoughts were dispelled as she said, “You know where I’m from?”
Alora’s lips quirked into a sad smile, “I know your world. It is the world that my Mother came from.”
“Who is your mother?”
The entire area shook with a rumble and the arboreal woman winced and let her hands slide from Maria’s face. She took one of the woman’s hands and held it as she continued, “My mother is the founder of a group from your world called Unity.”
Maria blinked and cocked her head, “What? Like the political group that the government says are terrorists? Like, ‘A Nation Online’? That Unity?”
Alora nodded as the world shook around them again. In the distance there was a deafening crack as one of the gigantic trees buckled at its base and started to fall. She hurried her explanation, “My mother created this world and my sisters and I because she became disillusioned with your world. She wanted a place to live in peace and for a long time that was the case.”
The strange arboreal woman studied Maria’s hand and continued as the guests at her tea party turned into decaying brown leaves and drifted away on a growing wind. She continued, “We lived here on Eilyth for millions of years, time passing here much faster than your world.”
Her voice was filled with pain as she said, “Then, our mother grew ill and fell into a great sleep. She was attacked by a vicious being from your world… and then it came here. A disease that infects and spreads through destruction.”
As Maria studied the strange world as it continued to fall into ruin she muttered, “The Noctis.”
Other trees were collapsing into each other causing a cascade of destruction. A blight was spreading over the surrounding greenery spreading hues of desiccated brown and black over the strange world. She asked, “Did your mother bring me here?”
Alora studied her face and offered a weak smile, “No. The Dominus brought you here. This world was never meant for people from Earth. Eilyth and its people were thrown into chaos when the Dominus came here and imprisoned myself and my sisters.”
The earth beneath them started to shake and the trees around them acting as supports started to collapse as well. Maria looked out at the forest of destruction around them. The sound of collapsing and decaying plant life was a dull roar. She continued, “For centuries he kept us locked away and made this world his own. He brought the Angelus here as his servants. He enslaved our worshippers.”
As the world collapsed around them she continued, “Eventually his power was usurped by others. Even now the worshippers of the Dominus are wracked with doubt as these invaders claim to be my sisters and I freed from enslavement.”
She felt herself pulling Alora close and she asked, “Invaders from where?” She looked down into the saddened visage of the strange arboreal woman waiting for answers.
“Invaders from your world,” she looked unsure as she paused before saying, “You can help me.”
The world around them grew dark and the earth beneath them shifted as if on the precipice of collapse. Alora’s final words echoed in her ears despite the sound of the world’s destruction, “We have to kill them.”
-
Maria sat up sharply from the cold stone. She was back in the cold darkness of the cave. She reached up to her chest and found her torn armor, and underneath it freshly healed but still tender scars through the dark fur there.
She looked down to her other hand where the green glowing herb, its glow now sluggish and darker than before, sat. Nearby there was the burned out husk of the Vyre skeleton with little to no remnants of the Noctis that had inhabited it. She carefully placed the herb into her backpack, this time into a smaller more protected pouch and wondered at the strange vision she had.
How was she supposed to help Alora? Was she able to at all? It did not help that she was also a fucking Angelus, a concept that was still a little murky. At the very least it seemed certain that the Dominus was opposed to the idea of freeing them. However, didn’t the symbol she had gotten during the tutorial lead her to the Bough despite its ties to the deity.
She didn’t like the idea of anyone being enslaved or imprisoned.
A case of literary theft: this tale is not rightfully on Amazon; if you see it, report the violation.
Standing she shuffled around the chamber to try and get the chill out of her arms and legs and pick up the items she had tossed around during the course of the fight.
By the time she had gathered everything she had come to a decision. She reached into the pouch and withdrew the herb and looked down at it as she said, “I don’t know if you can hear me, but you helped me and I don’t like people being held prisoner. I am going to find a way to get you out of this. Thank you for healing me.”
She put the herb away and started on her path down the side of the underground river again. Another hour passed in the dim glow of the tunnel before she caught sight of another kind of light. Slivers of it were filtering through the ceiling. It seemed to be the sight of a past collapse with piles of stone arrayed beneath it. Dense vines hung down through the opening worming its way through the piles of stone prying it apart in places.
Maria made her way up the piled stone ascending through the vines towards the light, her tail acting as a fifth limb as she climbed.
“Be careful Mare. We aren’t in a rush.”
She finally hauled herself up and into the open air amidst several trees. The terrain didn’t seem much different than what she had encountered before. It seemed to be midday with sleet falling through the canopy turning the forest into a haze.
“Of course,” she said drily as she hauled out her bag and pulled another hardtack biscuit from its package and munched it with a grimace.
Her meal and rest finished, she surveyed the area and got her bearings. It was hard to estimate how far west of the ice shelf camp she had come but the mountains provided an easy landmark to tell her current direction. Backtracking would provide little aid. The best choice was to continue west and hope she could find signs of the Grath and steal the stupid rock so she could get home.
She was conflicted now that the mystery of the strange plant noblewoman had asserted itself. She wanted to help her but getting home came first. She pulled out her bow and checked the quiver. Five arrows. She had to make some ground while her supplies lasted. These Grath could not have raided the ice shelf camp too far from their home.
Shouldering her pack she set off west looking for sign of the Grath raiders passage. Two hours later, and very near nightfall she found tracks. Long slender, and large feet. Not armored but booted just the same. She was almost certain that the singular set of tracks were Oser’s. How had he gotten this far west? Why the hell had he left the camp without waking her?
With no other signs she set off to follow the tracks south and west, deeper into the tall trees. A half an hour later she caught sight of other tracks. These were Grath sized tracks, perhaps two individuals, who seemed to be following Oser.
“Well, this just got a little spicy.”
She picked up her pace and hurried after the two sets of tracks. The sleet had become more intense as she traveled and she was glad for the fur lined and dry cloak that the Mysta had given her.
A short time later she heard a voice call out through the trees. Despite how muffled it was she recognized Oser’s nasal timbre, “Heathens! The Dominus will not stand for this disrespect!”
She moved forward with more care, keeping to the underbrush and scanning for signs of the loud acolyte. Finally, she saw the man in a bundle at the base of a tree. His hands and feet had been bound and his struggling seemed futile.
There were two Grath huddled at a small fire beside him. They had food, some kind of bird, on a spit and were speaking quietly to each other. Their attire was much more tribal in nature. Their armor was some kind of dark serpent or lizard hide adorned with leaves and bound with vines at the knees, elbows and shoulders. One of them was female with dark fur and tanned skin and the other was a male with longer grey hair and a somber but kind expression. The female seemed excited and was making frequent stabbing motions at Oser, who had still not stopped yelling, with a hunting knife.
Surveying the scene Maria made a decision. She kept her bow ready and walked out into the open before the arguing Grath. The two of them went for their weapons. The younger female grath faster and more haphazardly than her older counterpart. Oser’s eyes went wide and he hissed, “Get me out of this! Kill these two blaspheming animals and get me out of this!”
Maria raised an eyebrow at him and furrowed her brow. Animals, eh? What do you think of me then champ? Her eyes went back to the grath and she said, “Not an enemy. No need to get excited. Can we talk?”
Oser was apoplectic, “Talk?! Talk?!”
The older male grath ran a tongue over one of his large canines and said, “You know the tongue of the people? You dress like an eastern slaver.”
She was actually pretty surprised that they did understand her. Maybe it was an Angelus thing? She came to the conclusion that the safest way to handle this grath situation was to tell as much truth as she could.
“They hired me to get their rock back.”
Oser was purple in the face as he screeched, “Traitor! Traitor! The Dominus will destroy you for this. He will punish your entire line!”
Maria flashed her teeth in a smile and gestured at Oser, “If that doesn’t tell you I am telling the truth, then what will?”
The younger female grath made a threatening gesture with her spear. When the weapon was brandished she noticed that the woman had elaborate painted nails just like the Ohzj Priest who had summoned her. The young warrior growled, “Why should we trust someone who would turn their back on a promise bound and given?”
The older grath raised a hand to the angry warrior grath and said, “Be mindful of the situation,” and nodded in Maria’s direction.
To Maria’s surprise the younger warrior cocked her head and let her spear droop toward the ground. The man gave her a look and said, “Explain.”
She sighed and said, “I was always taught to understand all parts of a problem and to see things from all points of view. I was never a fighter until I came here. I would much prefer to talk things out and find a solution that is better for everyone,” she glanced at the enraged Oser who looked as if he might dislocate something with how vigorous he struggled against his bindings.
She gave him a sheepish shrug.
The female grath blinked at her and gave a quick glance over her shoulder. She kept her weapon at the ready but seemed confused.
He gestured to her weapons and pack and said, “Remove those and you will have your chance to speak.”
She did as she was asked. When prompted she removed her pack and opened it. She tried to clandestinely ‘omit’ the pouch with the herb, but the keen eyed old grath noticed and gestured for her to open it. Sighing she did so but couldn’t hide her shock when she found the herb lifeless and without its tell-tale glow. The grath glanced at it without interest and gestured for her to take back her pack.
What had happened to it? The herb had looked like its light was dulled when she returned from her vision. Was its life and energy expelled? Had Alora’s efforts to save her doomed the goddess and her strange pocket universe?
The younger of the two gestured at her with her spear and growled, “This way.”
The old grath said, “I am Totomac and this is Mediana,” with a gesture at the young grath, “we will see you to our village and the elder speakers.”
Maria looked upward at the treetops and the darkening sky and said, “Is it a good idea to travel at night?”
Totomac gave her a smile and said, “We need only rest one night and should reach our camp tomorrow evening.”
Almost as an afterthought he extended a fist with his index and ring finger pointed at Oser. The paint on the grath’s fingers flared with a verdant glow. The vines binding the man’s legs swarmed up his legs. The movement reminded her with unease of the way the Noctis had co-opted the Vyre skeleton, and had much the same purpose. The vines wrapped tight around the acolyte’s legs and hips and heaved the cursing man to his feet. A single vine snaked its way around his neck up his cheek and then sprouted a dark leaf that then wrapped around the still cursing acolyte’s mouth to finally muffle him. The vines worked together to force the prisoner to walk and follow the three of them. Totomac focused on the bindings with his fingers for a few long moments. After a short distance walking the vines took their task on without his constant focus.
