-31-The day after, Mark went to the stables. It was the day he started riding with the rangers.He rode with them as they taught him what he was to know.Until they decided he would be fine alone.That was a mistake.They never should have left him alone.Maybe if they didn't, it never would have happened.Maybe if he just said no to Rumdroll, it could have all been avoided.-"Out late ranger? Ain't seen you before. You newblood?" Said a watchman holding a torch. He stood on a terrace, behind the boxes, and peered at Mark with a palm above his eyes."And these people. What you need them for this late?" He added.Mark sat atop Valor, attired in a black shirt and matching trousers. Around him on the slope were a crowd of volunteers all carrying sacks and sickles."The creatures won't attack tonight. Commander has a task for the volunteers." Mark replied, lowering his voice as much as he could."Uncanny how you rangers tell. Mind sharing?" The watchman smirked at Mark.Mark silently stared at the watchman."Tight lipped bunch y'all are. Fair enough, ye may pass," The watchman said."Though I wouldn't be able to stop ya either way." He gave a dry chuckle as he left."Ah! Almost forgot," He turned and stared at Mark, "Which commander?""Commander Zeloc." Mark replied."Of course it'd be him." The watchman mumbled as he returned to his seat, next to a campfire.Mark stared at the volunteers who were all looking at him."We move." He said.They passed the boxes and marched towards the forest.Mark cantered ahead, keeping watch while making sure no one fell in the holes.The sky was dark and devoid of stars as Mark watched the volunteers march across the stretch.
One of them marched up to him.
"Thanks a lot Mark. I mean it, a whole lot." He said as he stared at Mark with his hazel eyes.He wore a dark brown shirt and matching trousers. A miner's cap covered his dark-brown hair that fell to his shoulders."You sure they all agreed to give you half, Maurice?" Mark asked as he looked at Maurice.Maurice was a member of their unit, who was only two years his elder. He noticed Mark not setting out for his night vigil - for many nights - and invited him to join the grass pickers. Who had to pick a sack of grass a day from the woods and were exempt from night vigil.He also introduced Mark to the sappers after Mark stopped grass picking."Mm," Maurice nodded, "We'll hand it to the broker and they'll pay me half. You really saved us, Mark. Seriously. My family will remember this forever."Mark grit his teeth and nodded.He owed Maurice, so when he came to Mark asking for a favour, how could Mark say no? Not to mention Maurice needed the money quickly as a storm had demolished his family's house - who were, thankfully, safe as they sheltered in the town hall."You don't think they're trying to cheat you Maurice? The rangers said the grass only works in the woods." Mark said."That's okay," Maurice replied, "Word's spread far and wide about the huge horses. They'll even buy it for the sole reason that it's from that forest.""Are you certain it has to be at night?" Mark asked."What's this Mark? Cold feet?" Maurice replied, "Keep your cool and it'll be fine. Didn't you say the creatures won't attack tonight? And like I said before, they take all our sacks if it's day. So we have to sneak them in at night."'But that doesn't mean it's safe.' Mark thought, as he stared at the forest."They've reached the entrance. Let's go." Maurice said and marched toward the forest.Some volunteers stood before the entrance with more slowly joining them.Mark stared at the crowd and the forest for a moment, and then turned back and stared at the plateau.He gazed forward, adjusted his belt and clenched his hand around his flasks.He nudged Valor and they galloped towards the forest.-"Hm?" Sord blinked as he stared at the forest from the watchtower."See something Sord?" Said Oldpot, standing beside him."A flash from the forest, then some figures inside. One on a horse, even.""Might be seeing things?" Oldpot yawned as he covered his mouth with a palm."Who'd be at the forest now? Rangers r' back 'ready." He added."Might be." Sord replied.He'd think so too, if his fingers and toes didn't twitch.He never liked it when they twitched. It meant something bad would happen.Something bad always did.-Mark sat atop Valor who stood in the forest. The glimpses between the leaves of the treetops revealed a darkened sky, yet an eerie dim light permeated the woods. Granting him sight, albeit minimal.It was odd. Mark wondered if the other rangers knew of this.He had a hand clenched around Valor's reins as he stared around him. His head darted from one side to another, and then another.Mark heard nothing, neither any grass rustling nor wind gust between the trees. It made him wonder if the forest had stripped all sound away and rendered him deaf.The silence made his heartbeat ever clearer in his ears. Pulsing and pulsating, threatening to deafen his ears.'Are they done yet?' Mark thought. One whistle from them and he would bolt out of the woods with Valor. Just one whistle.Mark's head jerked from one point of the forest, to another, and then another. He barely managed to still his hands - both holding the reins - from shaking.He scanned the ground, covered in grass and tree roots slithering between. He raised his head and scanned the areas above.Mark froze.'There should be no tree roots.'His head quickly darted back to the ground and focused on the tree root. He traced it with his eyes as it trailed deeper and deeper into the forest.His eyes darted back and traced it along the opposite direction, up a tree and to its side.Mark nudged Valor, the saddle attachments jingled as his hands shook, his heart thumping quicker and quicker.Valor slowly walked while Mark stared intensely at the roots on the tree.As Valor stopped, Mark saw the roots on the side of the tree extend to another tree and another. In the direction of the entrance. And the volunteers. "Aaaahhhh!"Mark jolted, and twisted his head towards the cry."Aaaahhh!"He twisted his head again."HELP!!!!"And again.More and more screams and cries echoed in the forest, Mark swung the reins and Valor galloped to where the volunteers were.'We have to get out right now!'Mark pulled the reins as they neared the place.They stopped, but he could not calm his heartbeat. It only quickened.'Where are they?'There were no volunteers around. Not one person. Only a chilling silence covered the woods.He scanned the ground and saw some half-filled sacks of grass and sickles on the ground, with some dead torches here and there.He heard a thump. He jolted.Then he slowly raised his head.Then he saw them. He saw it.There they were, the volunteers. Hanging upside down in the sky with their arms hanging down and swinging as they shook. Some with their eyes closed, some with their eyes completely pale. Some with their mouths wide open, drool dripping to the ground.A vine-like branch twirled around a volunteer's feet, then moved to another, then twirled around all the volunteers' feet and hoisted them in the air.Then the vine-like branch connected to the monster that was staring at him.Mark trembled frantically as he stared at the thing, his hands clenched even tighter around the reins.Petals ensconced a white ball-like part, narrowing from base to tip and nearly meeting above the ball. Which was ensconced in giant petals that narrowed from base to tip.Layers after layers of dire spikes extended from the inner side of the giant petals. Two petals flared out with fiendish eye-like patches on them.The entire creature was pointed directly at Mark."IIIIIIIII!!" It shrieked a shrill, deafening, ghastly cry and the woods trembled.Mark froze as he stared at the creature. His limbs went slack, his fingers went cold, his eyes were fixed on the creature as it slowly filled his vision.Valor bolted.Mark was jerked back. He barely hung by tightening his knees around Valor and his feet on the stirrups, and his hand clenched around Valor's reins.Mark pulled himself up and turned his head back. Just as the creature barrelled past them, missing them by a hair's breadth.It turned and quickly followed after them.The monster was keeping up with Valor as he galloped. It floated in the air with its branch swaying left and right wildly behind it.And more, it was gaining on them fast. Even as it swerved from one tree lane to another in a slant.The spikes in the monster's petals glinted as it drew closer and closer.Mark unhooked the flasks with his trembling hands and clenched his fist around them.He turned and - as the monster was flying straight for them - threw it at the monster.The flasks hit the monster and it burned and shrieked. The creature's shrieks split his ears.But it didn't stop. The terrifying monster burning in dreadful white flames only drew closer.Mark stood on the stirrups and leaned forward with his back curved.He glanced back a moment and saw the monster right on their heels. Only a moment away from Valor and Mark. Spikes inches from his back.He closed his eyes and braced.Mark heard the sound of Valor galloping on the ground.The sound echoed in a wider place than before.
He opened his eyes.The expansive stretch spread before them with the plateau afar. They were out of the woods.Mark turned his head to the forest. The monster was gone. And so was everyone.He exhaled and breathed in deep, unaware he had been holding his breath. His chest heaved with each breath he took, breathing in and out, in and out..He stared forward and did not turn back again.