The forest felt almost endless. Days passed with little to no events. Each passing hour is a perfect reflection of the last.
The trees taunted us as we spiralled through their winding maze.
Since the shapeshifter, no other creatures had dared come too close.
Most likely because the smell of blood still permeated off our unwashed clothes and armour.
Over such long lengths of time, I've become adjusted to the monotony of the walking and began to find solace in the calm nights and peaceful sounds of birds flying above.
While no less in practice the forest felt less dangerous now. More like a familiar friend than an unknown entity.
"Schreetch, they're stills followings us"
I heard Twig mutter behind me.
Twig , while the most ineffective fighter of the group, was the single reason our party had made it even half this far.
His ears and nose worked like magic even amidst the hundreds of smells and sounds which reverberated throughout the forest.
"Hmmm, we will keep walking, Thassius move the back and keep aware for sneak attacks. Those lizards look small but you can't be too sure"
I watched as Thassius slowly and calmly moved to the back of the queue and squeezed his hands around a smaller hammer at his belt.
The creatures stalking us were nothing too dangerous. In fact, we had run into a few only two days prior. They scittered off the second we saw them.
This pack however seems much larger.
"You three"
I turned my head and motioned to sniffer, nibble and chitter who had become increasingly close over the previous few days.
"If we get attacked cover the sides and protect Twig in the middle"
Twig no longer played a part in minor skirmishes. He was too vital elsewhere to die or be injured.
"Yess bosss"
The three chimed back in unison.
Once commands were settled I turned back to face the emerald expanse of trees and kept marching. There is no reason to stop just because a few lizards seem to have caught our scent.
For a few tense hours, the lizards continued to chase, most likely waiting for us to sleep before they launched their attack.
As the light of day slowly seeped out and transformed into the silvery threads of moonlight, I finally slowed to a stop at a larger clearing.
"We shall make camp here for tonight"
I pointed down towards the ground.
"But bosss theys stills out there's"
Sniffer was the voice of worry.
"We will take guard roles, I will start, then Thassius and twig and then you three"
This satiated their worry however camp still felt tense as the shreds of meat we had hunted sizzled over the campfire.
We wolfed down the food in anxious silence. However, even in these circumstances, sleep still found the others quickly. Engulfing the camp in a peaceful hush.
I sat gently stoking the flames.
Unlike the others, I had no need to keep a strict watch.
The thin yet strong red threads that seeped from my soul alerted me the second anything came too close.
I sat alone deep in thought for several hours before gently waking up thassius and flopping down into my bed. The long walks had whittled away at my resolve to stay awake as I too was quickly swept up in the comfort of the hay.
I expected to be woken up in the night however to my blissful surprise was gently cooed awake by the chirping of the local birds. Night time had passed without a hitch.
Pulling myself out of bed I observed the camp. Most of the others were already wide awake with Twig busy cooking some food before we set off.
"I'm assuming those bastards didn't make a move".
I sat down next to twig as he fiddled with chunks of meat which were roasting over the open fire.
"Quites the opposites, Theys is no wheres to be seens, There smells have disappeared"
Finally a few positives.
"Smell anything which might show us where this artefact is."
"Nos, just the commons scent of bloods which lingers everywhere in this forsaken place"
The biggest reminder of the dangers of this forest. No matter where you went the stench of iron seemed to seep from the very trees themselves. The lorath had once told me the folk name for the forest among his kind is the forest which bleeds. I understand why now.
After a while longer camp was all packed up and our small cohort was back on the road.
Ten minutes after we left camp the trees made way for a smaller clearing. This one however was anything but natural.
The trees had been uprooted all the way down to the most entrenched at the bottom. Tens of trees which had completely disappeared. Their carcass is nowhere to be seen.
In the centre of the clearing lay a small pile which radiated the soft sound of buzzing.
Inching forward I got a good look at the pile. Several mangled piles of flesh. impossible to discern anything from.
Twig however seemed to almost instantly light up.
"The lizards," He said in a mix of both relief and horror.
Only now I knew what they looked like in life did I realise how mangled the bodies were. Arms are cruelly torn from their place and brain matter coats the creature's innards.
The bodies were still flush with fleshy pieces. This was unlikely done purely for food.
A brutal act of warning maybe. To those who intrude on these lands.
Another voice spoke up from behind me.
"Schreetch, Comes here's"
It was Thassius.
Walking over to him I followed his gaze to see a large wooden tree trunk embedded in the ground. On the top was crudely drawn text. The text was written in a barely discernable language.
It seemed both familiar and unfamiliar, Very similar to goblin writing.
"I don't know exactly but it seems to be a warning. 'To those who enter this part of the forest, may they face the wrath of the prince of fire and death, wielder of the final ember'"
A slow sigh escaped my mouth as I allowed my legs to limp and fall to the ground in a seat.
Great.
Some clans of creatures lived here. We would most likely have to go around if we wanted to get the artefact.
I stood back up and prepared to inform the other 4 of my findings when I repeated the words in my head.
prince of fire and death, wielder of the final ember
This was no mysterious clan of creatures. This was the dungeon itself.
The final ember must be something of great power if they refer to it as such a high-grade item. It must be the artefact.
I looked around once again at the carnage which had laid waste to the surrounding areas and back at the mangled corpses.
Shit.
It seems like I'm gonna have to seek out this prince of fire and death and rob him blind.