During this catastrophe of a night, Zephyr's aim was to find Garzon and put an end to him. Fig gave him key information regarding getting to the next level. By killing Garzon, he would level up and become more powerful.
Allegedly.
Had Fig not taken it upon herself to poison Garzon tonight, Zephyr might have stood a better chance at killing the creature. Sure, he was poisoned, but this wound on his back inflicted by Ace's sword stung like a bitch.
Despite his rotten luck, Zephyr was sure he'd be dead by now. Beheaded no less if the cuts on his neck were any indication. Still, he pushed on. He wouldn't let this opportunity go to waste.
That was easier said than done. The Slinktail struggled to move forward. The battle raged on behind him, with more fae and elves arriving to join the fray.
'Luminatous Mushroom.' That voice was back again.
Zephyr paused, clinging to the side of a tree as his clothes clung to his form, blood sticking the cloth to his scales. "What?" He asked the night air.
Images flickered across his vision with vast information about this magical healing mushroom. Zephyrion, the Slinktail whose body Seth had overtaken, had rooted these out once or twice. Living in the mountains was treacherous, especially with the scum he used to live with.
The Luminatous Mushroom cap glowed a luminous blue and was only found deep within forests. Humans knew nothing about these fungi. If they did, the enforcers wouldn't be trying to burn the Dark Forest down, which is known for its enchanted and strange ongoings.
"Right." Zephyr's focus shifted to the mushroom and he used some of the knowledge the previous owner of this body knew and somehow kept from him? That was something to ponder about another day.
The mushroom liked dense areas, damp earth and nearby water sources. The Slinktail ventured further away, the sounds of battle decreasing the more he walked on instinct.
Gradually, the forest grew thicker and darker, without barely any moonlight shining through the leaves. Zephyr's sight wasn't bad though, he could still see a few steps ahead of him. After some time, a light glow shimmered along the dark trees like water's reflection.
Yet he could not hear any running water from a river. Rounding the corner, Zephyr stopped at the sight of a lake glowing a mesmerising blend of silver and blue, casting an otherworldly light across the surrounding trees. Zephyr's breaths clouded before him, revealing the temperature drop, yet there were no signs of snow or ice.
The smooth surface reflected the starlit sky with perfect clarity. Each star shimmered and danced upon the water. As he stepped closer, Zephyr realised the trees extending limbs and leaves covered the night sky. The lake wasn't reflecting the stars.
Upon closer inspection, he then noticed the faint outlines of figures beneath the surface. They floated on their backs, eyes closed like they were resting, their bodies iridescent and mostly translucent. They moved gracefully around the twinkling lights he once thought were stars. He dared not step any closer for fear of being tugged into the lake and drowned.
Zephyr flicked his attention to the side and there like some beacon of light revealed the the Luminatous Mushroom. Like in Zephyrion's memories, it glowed a brilliant blue. It wasn't the only one, there were a few more further ahead.
If it wasn't for the fact that the mushroom gradually lost its healing qualities the longer it was yanked from the soil. Zephyr took multiple for future uses. He wasn't entirely sure what the time frame was. Maybe he could take three and test the theory.
Zephyr was going to fight Garzon, even with poison in his system, it would be tough. There was no doubt he'd need time to recover. Kneeling beside the mushroom he didn't bother removing it from the ground and clamped his sharp teeth around the cap before pulling back and chewing on it. With a forced swallow, he instantly sighed as the magic already started knitting together his back together and the other wounds around his body.
It really was something.
"YOU."
Zephyr slowly rose, looking over his shoulder to face Naexi's ire. He played dumb at first, expecting her not to recognise him. All Slinktails were the same after all. Yet it was clear recognition flashed in her fiery gaze.
"You," Zephyr smirked, closing his satchel bag and hiding the two magical mushrooms. But she'd already seen it.
"You dare disturb the lake of creation." Her hand tightened around the spear as she stepped closer, yet she kept her distance as she assessed him.
"The lake of what now?" Zephyr questioned, reaching his arms ahead and stretching, his tail swishing from side to side.
"This is a sacred place. And you decimate it with not only your vulgar presence but cutting up the Lumini shrooms." The spear twirled in her hand as she began stalking closer to him.
"Sacred?" Zephyr looked at the beings in the lake.
"Yes," Naexi snapped, her icy blue eyes spearing through him. If looks could kill… "But you wouldn't know the meaning of the word."
Zephyr shrugged, backing away, watching her movements. The last time they met, she did warn him, and it wasn't like she was his biggest fan in the first place. There were no elders to save him this time.
Naexi paused, her eyes widening and she looked behind her with a gasp. Zephyr followed her gaze but couldn't see anything. The elf ran to the closest tree and touched it, leaning her head against the bark.
"Fire," she breathed. "There's a fire in the central woods…"
While she was… acting like one with a tree, Zephyr backed away, allowing the coverage of trees to swallow him up. Naexi would either try and rescue the elves, or she would turn on him. With his wounds sealed it, Zephyr was confident he could fight her, but he didn't want to waste energy on an angry elf when there was a Draegorth he had to murder.
Just as his golden eyes were last to shine among the darkness, Naexi's head whipped back to where he was.
"You brought this to my people!" She screamed into the night.
That was his sign to bolt. Zephyr spun around and sprinted. He looked over his shoulder, but the she-elf had vanished. He didn't dare slow down. The once hauntingly loud woods were now silent besides the thrum of energy that never left the trees and dirt.
With his body rejuvenated, Zephyr passed through the woods smoothly. His confidence about fighting Skullhead increased the more his limbs freely moved without pain.
At the last minute, he sensed something behind him, and as he looked, Naexi had leapt off a tree, spear pointed at him. Zephyr blocked it with his sword, but she released a dagger before being thrown off. It sliced the side of his face.
Zephyr didn't stop. Naexi wasn't important. Getting out of these woods to find Garzon was.
"Fight me!" She chased after him.
"No thanks," he mused. "You're angry with me, and I cannot fathom why. I have more important things to do than put up with your tantrum."
"Tantrum?!" Naexi somehow caught up to the Slinktail and flipped over him, landing gracefully and jabbing that wretched spear at him.
"You are the reason my home is on fire right now! My HOME! My people! Everyone is dying or being captured! Children! Grandparents! The trees!"
Zephyr deflected the elf's attack and moved out of the long reach of Naexi's spear. "Why am I the reason?" He asked, his tone bored. "The enforcers were already purging the mountains of demons. Why do you think the Dark Forest was safe?"
Naexi parted her lips, but he continued. "Because the fae warned them? If they have the manpower and will, then these woods were probably next on their list."
"Lies! You're a demon! You speak with a silver tongue!"
"Actually, it's forked," Zephyr retorted dryly as he dodged and deflected Naexi's rapid strikes. The spear swung wildly, then aimed for his feet; it wasn't just the spear he had to be look out for.
The weapon was like an extension of Naexi, and she used all her limbs in her agile assault. Quick and nimble, though lacking power, she was much weaker than him. She struck the ground, used the staff for balance, and double-kicked Zephyr's chest before flipping back.
Zephyr lunged with a lethal strike, but Naexi was too quick. She deflected with the spearhead, swiped down, spun, and back-kicked his shoulder. He stumbled forward slightly and swiped out, pausing when she'd moved to close the gap between them.
They were chest to chest. The Slinktail frowned. What was this? What's her next move?
Surprisingly, Naexi lifted the spear over his shoulders, the shaft tugging at his neck, forcing him to hunch over her. She lifted the spear over his shoulders, the shaft tugging at his neck, forcing him to hunch over the she-elf. His grip on his blade faltered as he took in her striking features, feeling her breasts squishing against his scales.
"If I'd killed you the first time, none of this would have happened," she hissed.
Damn, why was her anger a bit of a turn-on…
"You're adorable." What the fuck was he saying. Naexi's eyes burned brighter at his comment. Oh, she didn't like that. Zephyr smirked.
"You should pay closer attention to your surroundings," she whispered maliciously, her eyes triumphant.
A five-second distraction was all it took. His gaze flicked up, and he realised his mistake. They were at a cliff's edge.
Zephyr's grip tightened on his blade, but it was too late. They were already in motion.
Naexi fell back, dragging him with her. She landed hard on the ground and used her feet to thrust Zephyr over her head and off the cliff.
"Vicious little thing," he gritted out, hands reaching desperately to grab something, anything, to stop him from the sharp drop to an inevitable death.
There was nothing. The last thing he saw before the night sky was Naexi's smirk and glittering blue eyes.