Fantasy Banners & Blood (Closed)

[Grammatic]

Tanner came to a stop by a tree, resting his hand on the bark while he poked around in the dirt with his other hand. He shifted the dirt and mud aside, looking for anything that might resemble tracks, delicate but swift in his work. They had parted ways with the lad Eldor a short while ago, as he said he would. Tanner respected him, though he would not let it show. The world had few enough able body Hunters in it, and every blade that helped the Rangers was welcome, no matter the age.

"What disturbs me the most about all of this...is that I haven't seen the smallest trace of wildlife for days. I expected to start seeing some the further away we moved from civilization, but it seems to be the exact opposite. Either they have all moved on, or something has killed them all off in this territory. Both options bode ill for Oakheart. Wouldn't you agree, Madam Fuzz?" Tanner smiled at his own poor joke, a jibe he had used in one of their last scuffles. Things had gotten fierce, and in a desperate move Tanner had actually used his teeth. He had fur in his mouth for days afterwards. Even worse, he had lost that battle.

"Any thoughts?"

marshmarrow Hestialuna

 

[elie]

He looked around, and noticed that there were indeed some worried faces up near the front of the caravan. "I don't like anything here either. It feels like we're being watched... I don't know what it is, or who it is, but I do see what you mean..." He frowned and saw Tanner stop. He seemed to be investigating the area. "I say we stay aware. You're more easily defeated with your guard down." He spoke up so that those in the front could hear him.

He returned to his previous conversation. "I enjoy spells, but I'm not inexperienced in physical fighting and stealth." Voxi then, finally, put his belongings on the caravan.

He was scared, extremely, but he tries not to show it. Afterwards, he went back to attempting to clear out the fog, seeing as that was his biggest problem right now, besides the mud. "You wouldn't mind watching out for me while I try to clear some of this fog, would you?" He asked Finch, close to laughing.

Spoiler: Mentions

Grammatic , PJ-Flash

 

[marshmarrow]

Crouching down beside Tanner--still at an arm's distance--Faythe though back through their journey thus far. The only animals she remembered passing were murders of crows, keen birds that seemed to laugh at them from the treetops. For such a vast forest, there was so little life. The black soil was fertile, but hardly anything grew from it apart from the old-growth hardwoods and an assortment of moss and lichen. No other animals to be seen, heard, or smelled.

Faythe decided to ignore the moniker he had given her, but made a note to kick him in his liquor-stained teeth the next time he uttered it. "They could be in hiding," she suggested. "I have only seen the crows, but I have not heard a single one of them caw. We may not sense the animals, but that might not mean they are gone." Thinking hard, Faythe tried to put the pieces together, but they all didn't quite fit. "Our own animals became anxious only when we stopped, but remained calm when we began moving again."

Faythe sighed, getting to her feet and rubbing her temples. Her arm seemed to have a mind of its own, because it drifted away from her and offered to help Tanner stand. "We will not find our answers in the dirt. Even if the animals disappeared, they might not necessarily want to be found," she added.

Grammatic

 

[Grammatic]

He ignored the hand, pushing himself to his feet and looking at the mist around them. Sadly, Faythe was right, a disturbing concept to admit to. Whatever it was that scared the creatures away, or even killed them all, had left the crows behind, or perhaps it drew the crows to it. There were several monsters in the world that had that effect, but none came to mind that were brave enough to attack a target as large as a wagon. Like the birds that followed them, they were scavengers of the dead. No, this was something else entirely.

Suddenly, Tanner realized the fog they had been passing through was becoming thicker. It had been subtle since they left the convoy, but a gradual change was still a change. Extending his hand, he waved through the fog, shocked to find resistance to the motion. All at once, years of training kicked in, and Tanner realized they were being led into a trap. Drawing an arrow and knocking it, Tanner turned to look at Faythe, a smile lighting up his face.

"Seems something is trying to slow us down. I think we are going in the right direction."

marshmarrow

 

[marshmarrow]

"That's why I can't see through it," Faythe murmured, her movements beginning to feel like she was suspended in molasses. Her suspicions were confirmed with evidence--this was no normal mist. Watching Tanner prepare his weapon, Faythe adjusted her grip on her dagger, a backup at the ready in her sleeve. She blinked at his smile, but the look suited him. Her cognition sparked, drawing her away from her thoughts of Tanner as she realized what they could be dealing with.

"Wherever the animals are, the merchant must be there too," The crease between her eyebrows returned, deeper this time around. "Unless he managed to escape, of course. But who can say this mist has not already spread outside the woods?" The pressure in her head increased as she struggled not to consider the consequences of her last sentiment. She suddenly felt like she was drowning, choking on fear, the trail providing the anchor she desperately needed.

"We should get back to the others," she managed to say without changing her expression. "The mayor will want to hear what we have to say."

Grammatic

 

[Aimless Vagabond]

"Children? Surely you jest, my compatriot," Elias said quietly back to Ash, his tone still lighthearted and carefree despite the increasing terror the others seemed to feel. "The half-elf and the clangorous one perhaps, but the rest can't be much younger than you or I. Besides, it'll be a good experience for them! They're bound to encounter such things down the road, should they continue this line of work. Nothing like a good Hunt to whip them into shape, eh?"

Elias paused briefly to chuckle to himself, then continued. "But since you seem insistent, I will comply. That foresight of yours is what let us uncover the secrets of Longcopse and I trust it will do the same here. Know I do so reluctantly, however. My usual prey has been in short supply this past year and I'll not let the chance for a Hunt pass me by." With that, Elias fell back until he was once more in step with the first wagon in the caravan, though he kept his saw drawn, fingers tapping the handle.

In spite of the company's increasingly stressful circumstances, Elias remained unperturbed. This was his life's work, after all; unnatural fog was merely a part of it. Whatever came their way, natural or otherwise, he'd be ready for it.

Spoiler: Mentions

Ronan

 

[Grammatic]

Tanner ignored Faythe for several seconds, his eyes staring into the fog before the two. Gripping his bow tightly, Tanner finally nodded his consent and began to walk backwards slowly, the arrow still resting on his bow. Without looking, his feet easily avoided every twig on the ground the two passed, lending him a completely silent passage as the two progressed. Every few steps though, he would reach down and pick up a rock from the ground, before throwing it to either the left or the right in alternating patterns.

"If something is out there, I am hoping to confuse it off our trail." Tanner explained his actions to Faythe briefly, though he didn't really divert his attention away from the task.

marshmarrow

 

[PJ-Flash]

For a moment, Finch tuned their conversation out to catch the murmur that had passed through their party. The front had gone on high alert. Eyes trained to both Voxi and the space behind him, he lowered his tone when he spoke. "It's this damned fog. The air's too heavy, slowing us. We're distracted by it." To punctuate, he retrieved his dagger from its small scabbard and jabbed the blade into the misty air, irritated to find the motion similar to tearing through a bedsheet. It was as if the fog was dragging him into the mud and trying to suffocate him.

"Something wants it this way. Hey - we might get to see a few of those spells soon," He beamed, yet his body ached with suspicion, and his mind was a-fluster. He swept his hand along the loops of his belt til he found a pouch of thin vials, each topped off with a different brew. The contents were mainly corrosive, and had not been tested on anything that could manipulate the air itself. His enhancement mixtures had been tossed in Iio's wagon. The large backpack that held the components of his makeshift brewery weighed him down. He hated to admit it, but he would be of little help like this.

As Voxi bustled about, he threw a salute in his direction. "I'm at your service! Lead us to safety, Wise One." Finch twirled the silver blade between his fingers. He forced himself to remain jovial despite his worries, trying hard to improve the atmosphere.

elie

 

[marshmarrow]

Faythe inhaled, letting Tanner lead the way. She mimicked his way of walking, stepping close to where his feet squished in the mud, yet left no footprints. She didn't speak, questions racing in her mind. She could hardly see the outline of the ranger's back, and what lied beyond, she couldn't see at all. She didn't hear hooves or wheels in their direction, only the soft pad of their boots in the mud.

She cursed herself for being so companionable with Tanner, sitting well within distance to wrestle her in a choke hold or stab her in the knee with an arrow. They seemed to be able to tolerate each other only if it meant a small pouch of gold or a thick envelope by the end of the week. Nothing more, most likely a little less. That stupid nickname only served to remind her of their place.

By now, their comrades must have noticed the slowing effect the fog had, growing worse by the minute. She briefly wondered how long it would take before they couldn't move at all, statues trapped by the air around them. Fog was just vapor, and vapor was just water. If whatever caused this property is in the air it must be in the ground as well. Everywhere, slowing the entire forest down. If it was magic, she would have sensed it. If it was toxic, they would be dead. What was the purpose of keeping this place frozen in time?

Grammatic

 

[Grammatic]

As Tanner continued to walk back towards the convoy, he began to notice the slightest differences in the fog. Here and there, small movements could be seen in the fog, though what made them Tanner could not see. Over time, the movements slowly began to grow closer and closer to the pair, until Tanner suddenly snapped an arrow off into the newest one, barely ten meters away. The arrow began to slow down almost immediately after it was fired, until it stopped moving entirely. It hung immobile in the air, several feet off the ground. Lowering his bow, Tanner grimaced.

"Looks like that idea of the merchant floating away wasn't too far fetched after all...Best regroup with the others and decide what to do." Slinging his bow over his shoulder, he drew the sword hanging at his hip and began to withdraw much quicker, ignoring trying to remain silent.

marshmarrow

 

[WlfSamurai]

The fog continues to thicken as your group continues along the path. It seems to wrap around you and envelope you. The feeling you’re being watched never subsides. The path winds and twists back and forth between gnarled trees. The caravan sounds grow muted and distant, despite their proximity. In fact, there aren’t any sounds at all in the forest proper.

Despite the growing sense of danger, the group is undisturbed well into the evening hours. The Deep Wood is even more menacing blanketed in darkness. The shapes of trees and plants play tricks on the mind. They seem to grow into creatures ready to pounce. The fog makes the night impossible for travel.

“We should find a place to stop for the night,” Raes says to you all.

“I’m not sure stopping anywhere is a good idea here,” Alysha replies.

The path had been crawling upward for a time. As in response to Alysha, you all crest the hill and Gillie gasps. Deep in the black that you assume to be continuous forest, a fire dances to the left and down the hill. Its small flames struggle to rebel against the fog and night. Before anyone can say a word, a sound breaks the forest’s silence. It’s a song, quiet and in an old woman’s voice. It’s faint, but all can hear it and it’s coming from the direction of the tiny fire.

What do you do?

Spoiler: Tagging

Teh Frixz , marshmarrow , Hestialuna , MiraAutumn , elie , Ronan , PJ-Flash , @JohnEgbert, Grammatic

 

[Ronan]

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[/div]Her boots were were soft against the sound of the crunching, dead leaves, as if they were an autumn of another century. She felt it in the fog that rolled in, sweeping her shoulders and caressing her cheeks and hiding in the caravans like a spectre: the Deep Woods have only known the night.

Page three-hundred and four of her atlas on the Forty Elephants: 'thousands of years ago when the trees still lived and gifted the land with the fairest flowers, there came a night that lasted a generation. The people of the forest froze to death and the sheep were lain to sleep, frozen on hills like rocks. In that darkness, the monsters came. They swept through the cities and kingdoms bringing the night with them, hunting in their fiendish packs of great beasts: pale spiders and Cerberus hounds ...'

Fear is for the cold, Ash remembered. Fear is for the eternal night in the Deep Woods ...

As she walked in stride with Elias, Tanner having disappeared from them again, she raised a silver brow at his regard—the Longcopse; the Baron at the dining table, the rooks picking at the dead, and the memory the mound far from the town watching as it burned to the ground. They parted ways after the destruction, a mission well-done, but Elias' second remark surprised her even more. He has not hunted for awhile. If anyone was going to take a break from the sight of blood and death, it would've been Ash. 'Then I rescind my earlier comment, but it still does not mean we should toss them into the fray.'

They left the conversation at that, and Ash continued forward with the Tiefling on her left. She made a mental plan to speak with her when they breaked for the evening. If they were the vanguard, the least she could do was acquire a deeper understanding of her.

As the group crested over the slope, the dead trees unchanging, Ash heard it.

The wailing.

They saw it first and heard it first: the wailing song of the forest and the firelight in the fog. As if on cue, Ash moved closer to the Tiefling—Nemeia! That was her name!—and her hand hovered over the silver scabbard ready to draw her rapier. It comes. She was waiting ... prepared for the strange firelight and the wailing forest.

'On your guard,' came her firm voice.

Spoiler: tagging

Aimless Vagabond & MiraAutumn

 

[Teh Frixz]

Iiolete

A loud crack rings out, cutting through the oppressive darkness followed by another. The far off sounds coming from the direction of the caravan.

Iiolete, having decided to let the group sneak off into the woods, doing the very thing that the stories and tales warned not to do, was sitting atop her wagon, a trio of rifles set beside her. Pulling the butt of another one to her shoulder, she sets her sights on a thin branch and squeezes the trigger. A third shot cuts the night, this one zinging off into the woods as the round ricocheted off of a rock. The branch cracks and falls after dangling for a few moments, much to the delight of Iiolete.

Quite aware of what she was doing, Iiolete laughs loudly and starts reloading all three rifles. There was fear in the hearts of all beings who stepped into the Deepwoods but if fear was to make itself present in the heart, then it could be acted on and altered. Her father told her this when she was young and afraid of the darkness in the deep of his mines. His rolling laughter echoing off those dark halls and banishing the fear she felt. Like it or not, she'd do the same for her fellows and possibly draw attention away from them while the waltzed about the forest.

"Light do I see within my Fellow’s eyes
And loving spirits in its plenisphere
Which bear in strange delight on my heart’s care
Till Joy’s awakened from that lengthened sculpture!"

Iiolete laughs at the dirty tune she sang while reloading, considering setting a target down range to explode when shot. Yet despite her levity, she kept her good eye on the treeline. There were consequences to drawing so much attention but nothing she felt she couldn't handle, it was for the good of the group after all.

 

[WlfSamurai]

The shots are deafening and echo through the trees for miles. Yet, even with such power, the forest swallows the sounds up into silence. And then suddenly the night seems colder and a darker.

Iiolete, Alysha stalks back to you from the caravan. Her face is awash in anger and her jaw is set.

“What in the Nine Hells are you doing!?” she says. She jabs a finger in the air out into the black forest. “If there are...things out there, they're coming now, even if they weren’t before! Stop shooting!”

Up front, Raes is unleashing a flurry of curses and swears as he cranes his neck around the wagon. Even with the complete darkness of the path behind, he knows it’s Iiolete firing. Gillie shrinks further into the wagon.

 

[Teh Frixz]

Iiolete

“They knew we were here before hand, now they know we aren’t hapless. Be a dear and help me now.” Iiolete continues half singing, half humming her tune in defiance to the oppressive surroundings and hops down off her wagon, clutching her primary rifle.

With a rhythm in her step, she opens up the back of her wagon and carefully moves aside the wares of her comrades in arms and points at a half dozen brightly painted barrels. “Grab a pair and help me carry them off the trail, don’t leave sight of the wagons.” Iiolete doesn’t bother looking to see if Alysha complies, her effort placed instead on hauling her own pair of targets out into the woods.

A gnome friend of hers had been fond of using the expression ‘an insurance policy’. He’d used it to describe nearly everything he did and Iiolete rightly assumed she was using his terminology correctly. Her whistled tune quickens are she hastens in her task.

 

[Grammatic]

Walking slowly out of the forest, Tanner glares at the group, his knuckles white from gripping the hilt of his sword. The moment he was out of the fog, he sheathed the weapon, drawing his bow and knocking an arrow in one fluid movement. Releasing the arrow, it flew through the air and planted itself a half inch away from Iiolete's foot. Lowering the bow, he began to walk forward once more, a grimace locked on his face.

"Would you look at that Faythe, seems arrows work again. Maybe my next one will find its way into the person shooting our limited ammunition into the woods, declaring exactly where we are and that we have stopped." Coming to a halt a few paces away from the noble, Tanner briefly ran a hand down his face in frustration.

"Any monster within miles will have heard those shots. Whatever is hunting may soon have help. Did you think about that, milady."

Teh Frixz marshmarrow

 

[Aimless Vagabond]

Elias was paying no attention to his arguing allies, his eyes and ears instead focused towards the direction of the fire, saw still in hand from when he drew it hours ago. He couldn't hear the old woman's singing anymore, and not because Iiolete's shots were too loud. Whoever or whatever had been singing, they had certainly gotten its attention.

"No point arguing over it now," Elias commented plainly, eyes still looking towards the fire. "What's done is done. To be frank, I'm glad she did it. I've never been one for long games of cat and mouse." Shifting his grip on his saw, Elias turned to looks at the other over his shoulder. "I'm going to make for that fire. If the voice we heard was coming from there, then I don't think its moved just yet. She cared enough to light it, I doubt she'd just leave it behind so easily. Anyone who wishes to accompany me is welcome to do so."

Without waiting for a response, Elias moved away from the caravan, headed downhill and straight for the fire, his saw reflecting what little light was left ever so slightly before his form began to fade into the fog.

 

[Teh Frixz]

Iiolete

Casting her eyes downward to the arrow and casually bringing them back up, Iiolete broke from her little ballad she’d been working through.

“Mate, I do believe you’ve dropped something there, since you’ve kindly demonstrated your caring about my ammo stores, should pick it up.”

Iiolete steps over the arrow, continuing her work at placing the six targets about the woods. She rolls a barrel into place, speaking aloud as she does so. “See, the thing about ‘monsters’ is, they are only about as monstrous as you make them out to be.” She takes a few steps back from the last barrel, holding her arm out straight to point at it, then doing the same to the others she set up.

“They are just great big animals after all. And y’all know that animals follow the four F’s of life. Feed, fight, flee, and Fornicate.”

Entering her wagon and emerging with her curaiss, helm still safely stored away, she climbs back atop her wagon to double check the small Arsenal of firearms she brought up.

“So, in a sense, we just play to their nature. Lure them in to feed, they try to fight, they get hurt and flee, then they realize they are....” She grins, slipping on her gear which as she put on made an audible hiss “... in trouble” Iiolete laughs again, leaning back to check her sight lines.

“Depending oh what we got stalking us, I feel ohh, his or her hide being taken with us should scare off anything from the scent alone. Something you should know all about, am I right Voxi?!”

She looks down for confirmation of her hilarious joke from the Elf, ignoring Tanner’s reaction.

Grammatic elie Aimless Vagabond PJ-Flash

 

[Grammatic]

Hearing Elias, and seeing him walk away, Tanner forced himself to relax and walk after him. He grabbed the arrow off the ground as he passed, the end still intact despite the impact. Just as he was passing Iiolete, Tanner took a moment to pause and speak. "Monsters and animals are two different things, girl. By the time this is all, you will either know that difference well, or be dead." As he passes the lead wagon with Raes in it, he looks up briefly, a smile illuminating his face briefly.

"We are all going to die."

With those encouraging words, Tanner set off to follow Elias down the road, preferring to be mobile than waiting for whatever monsters were on the way to strike first. No matter what that noble girl though she knew, actual combat against monsters was much different. The true monsters in the world would shrug off her bullets like nothing, and wounds would only enrage them to fight harder, not flee. If they survived this, he would be surprised.

In a few long strides, Tanner had caught up to Elias, walking just slightly behind him and to the right.

Teh Frixz Aimless Vagabond WlfSamurai

 

[elie]

Voxi grinned, but said nothing about the joke. "That is exactly the kind of talk that is going to get you killed." He said, laughing at Tanner's comment. "If you start to think that, we might as well give up now. He sighed and went back to what he was originally doing on this journey, playing with a flame at the tip of his fingers. He had nothing to do now but wait, and seeing as Tanner was afraid, it didn't seem like his odds of survival were at their best. All he had now was to wait until his inevitable demise. What if he's being paranoid? What if there are no monsters?

Naehorn put all these thoughts behind him while playing with his small flame. Ruth was long gone, disappearing out of fear of the loud noises Iiolete had made.

Although, it was strange. Seemingly, the only ones panicking were the ones most capable of handling situations like these...

Spoiler: Mentions

Grammatic

 

[PJ-Flash]

Finch had wanted to be quiet. The woman sang with the softest of voices, yet soulful and certain, and despite the distance it rang clearly in his ears, as if it beckoned him. But sirens, he thought, only hunted at sea. This had to be someone else. His eyes were glued to the flickering light from the faraway fire; he took a small, tentative step forward, curiosity tingling at his fingertips.

Then Iiolete began firing, snapping him out of his reverie. He jumped, whipped his head in her direction, his backpack clunking loudly with the sudden movement. "On what planet is this a good idea?" Finch squeaked, flustered and afraid, tightening the grip on his dagger. They weren't ready for a fight! The majority of his brews had been stuffed in the back of her wagon - he was exhausted from dragging his feet through mud and this thick fog, and sure others were, too. Not only had she alerted whatever had been following the caravan at first, but every other beast in the area! Ears ringing, Finch clambered into her wagon and fought with himself on what he'd need for this conflict; a half of his potions, some pre-made medicines, lots of darts. He carefully deposited his brewing pack amongst barrels of ammunition. Normally, in such a large group, Fin would be eager to fight, to strut his stuff and toss a few acid bombs around - this monster was too large of a threat. Whatever ruled this forest could change the consistency of the air itself, and should not be trifled with.

He slipped out of the back, now heaving much less cargo, and kept a glare away from Iiolete. Instead of sticking around, he hurried after Tanner and Elias. Too many things ran cycles in Finch's head for him to stay and stew in them. He wanted to know what had started the fire. He wanted to know why she sang. He wanted to hear what clever insight the hunters just ahead of him could give! Finch had a hunch - this woman could be behind it all; hallucinations of monsters, the choking air, the lack of wildlife. If they could eliminate the source, they might void a 'beast' encounter with the convoy entirely.

It hit him then. Assuming that the singer was the witch behind the desolation of the forest, she had to be incredibly powerful to not only cast the spells, but maintain them for so long. She wouldn't sing should she be at risk of being attacked, disrupting her magic. She was baiting them in.

"I, uh, I think -" Finch puffed as he caught up with the pair, worry gnawing at the back of his skull. "This might be a trap."

Aimless Vagabond Grammatic

 

[WlfSamurai]

Elias, Tanner, and Finch, the old woman's singing has stopped, but her small cookfire still gutters in the distance. Through the fog, and against the black forest, it seems inviting and warm despite its size. It promises some small measure of safety like a distant end to an inky tunnel. You all get halfway down the hill toward the fire when you hear commotion back by the caravan.

At the caravan, three black shapes leap with unnatural speed, roaring. Alysha, Ash, and Nemeia are tackled off the road into the tree line and dragged away. In the pitch darkness and fog, you cannot see where they are. You can hear Alysha screaming.

Ash, after being slammed to the ground by something as heavy as an ox, you feel it’s jaws wrap around your ankle and crush the bones inside. And then you’re being dragged through the dirt into the woods like a rag doll. You cannot make out what has you in the darkness other than its hulking shape.

What do you all do?

 

[WlfSamurai]

Forgot:

Spoiler: Tagging

Teh Frixz , marshmarrow , Hestialuna , MiraAutumn , elie , Ronan , PJ-Flash , @JohnEgbert, Grammatic

 

[Grammatic]

"I feel like everything we have done since the moment we left Oakheart has been one big trap. However, best way to deal with a trap is to spring it, otherwise you don't know what you are dealing with..." His words to both Elias and Finch were cut short, his head snapping around back towards the convoy where the sounds were coming from. Gripping his bow, he spins around, knocking an arrow and sighting down its length, trying to find a target. Cursing, he turns back to the others.

"We have to get back to the convoy!"

PJ-Flash Aimless Vagabond

 

[Ronan]

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[/div]She senses it a moment too late.
She spins on her heel, ponytail smacking her face with the force of the spin as she tries to seize Alysha and Nemeia's wrists in time. Stay together! But the figures leap at them from different directions. Her fingertips barely miss their wrists before she is violently yanked down, chin slamming against the ground with such a force that she's sure that she's bleeding.
There is a brief moment of calm as they three lay on the ground, Ash espying a winded Nemeia lying flat on her back and Alysha on her front, much like herself.

It doesn't last long.

First comes Alysha's deathly screams; Nemeia's disappearance into the fog, then Ash with jaws on her ankle.

As a baker running for burning bread, Ash reaches for her rapier to cut the carnivorous teeth at her ankle. Like before, her fingertips miss the rapier by a half-inch and she's launched into the air, the branches of the diseased trees scraping her face as she flies before returning to the earth with another violent thud. The jaw is at her ankle again and this time she's pulled back into the fog like Alysha and Nemeia.
The dead leaves bury into her clothes, her tricorne hat lost somewhere in the chaos, and the pain of something crushing her ankle worse than the moments before. Broken, is all she can think. Broken and blinded by the dangerous fog and the unknown.

She can't die.

Home is still waiting.

Ash thinks to scream, but the pride lodged in her heart says no. If she can kill the beast at her ankles, then she'll live. She has to live. Just a little longer.

As she dragged through the winding trees and low-hanging branches, Ash grabs the rapier from her side, messily yanking it out of the sheath and stabbing the earth with such an angry force that it slows down the drag with leaves catching her frock and scraping her stomach as they come.

She splits her rapier in two (a double-bladed, a rapier and gladius, like instant chucks) and uses one to hold her place and the other to swipe at the beast behind her.

There's new blood on her clothes.

Not hers.

Got it!