The eerie silence caused by the greyness makes the skin beneath Bog's carapace crawl. He can barely hear the sound of his own wings or even the sound of his guards' dragonfly mounts. It's as if the fog is absorbing sound just the same as it is with the light from the torches.
Bog grits his teeth as he narrowly evades another tree obscured by the thick fog. He couldn't slow down but at this rate, he's going to crash. A fate he couldn't let happen. They were depending on them, Marianne is depending on him, and he will not let them down.
Who knows how long they'll be able to last against such an enemy. Even now, it might already be too late.
He forces down the rising panic as he flies around another tree. They have to hurry and get reinforcements!
"We will not lose!" Bog growls lowly, tightening his grip on his royal scepter. "We can't!"
"Sire, we just passed Fern Gully," Dax calls out. "We'll be nearing the castle soon."
"Good. Can you smell anything ahead of us in this blasted fog?" Bog asks.
"I...I don't know," Dax whimpers. "I smell fire and something like burning rotten eggs but that doesn't make any sense."
Fire and burning rotten eggs?
Bog groans with the others as they get near enough to the source of the scent for the rest of them to smell. No wonder Dax sounded sick. It also made sense why he couldn't name it, the younger male has never been near the sulfur springs that were in the Placid Swamp. Although, even the sulfur springs never smelt this horrid.
What would smell like burning sulfur?
Oh, no! His dream!
"Sire! There's something up ahead between us and the castle," Cynder calls, panic lacing his voice. "It's huge!"
"Everyone land!" Bog orders.
They obey just in time as a flash of blue light illuminates the area even through the fog and they watch in horror as lightning reveals the source of the putrid scent, a large ghostly black-mangled-furred dog right in front of them with a glowing-golden-eyed raven perched on its head. A deafening sound forces them to cover their ears and they brace themselves against the ground at the rush of air pushing against them.
Opening his eyes, Bog can only moan in agony as he watches his castle, his home, burn and crumble from the force of the lightning strike. Wails from the royal guards echo his own when the structure collapses into the stream bed below.
His home, his people, his mother. All gone.
WHY?
He takes little comfort as the ghostly dog in front of them merely glances at them with its glowing red eyes before walking away and shifting into mist. Even the raven's insistent croaking to its disappearing companion being silenced by the bird flying into a fog-hidden tree gives him no relief.
Though, he would have found the sight hilarious had he paid more than a passing glance to the crumpled mass of feathers.
"Shuck! Don't leave me here!" the raven cries, shaking its head and stumbling unsteadily to its feet. "Shuck! I know you can hear me! At least remove the fog! You know I can't see through it like you and the others."
Others?
Right. How could he forget?!
Bog snarls toward the nearby disorientated bird and rattles his shoulder spurs as he stalks closer with his royal scepter ready to do damage. The day had gone from worrying to terrifying to heartbreaking and somebody deserved to feel his wrath.
A sentiment agreed by the rest of his companions as they too bare their teeth and claws, their heartbreak feeding their rage. Their satisfaction at the raven's panicked reaction at noticing their approach turns to confusion as the black-feathered bird morphs into a black-haired glowing-golden-eyed billy goat before leaping into the fogbound forest.
"A pooka?" Kyanite rumbles in confusion. "First those ones back in the Light Field and now Black Shuck and a pooka. Sire?"
"What do we do, Your Majesty?" Apatite questions, gazing at the smoldering ravine with tear-filled eyes.
"I...I don't know," Bog sighs.
He ignores the whimpers and the despair-laden moans as he closes his eyes. His home has been attacked and his mate is fighting desperately. If they don't return with water from the Sacred Spring soon, the Light Field and all in it will fall as well.
But how can he just leave when his people need him! There might be some survivors. Surely, some might have been able to make it to safety.
But he can't abandon his mate! He swore that he wouldn't let her fight alone again and that's precisely what he's doing right now.
What do I do?