AN: Thanks for the review Magus! I'm glad someone enjoys it already! Anyways, here's chapter two!
Chapter 2: Like a Blanket it Spread
"I don't like the looks of this." I stated, looking out at the red field before me.
"Neither do I. It seems worse than usual." Dryad replied worriedly. As she said that, a beam of yellow liquid came flying towards us. We both moved out of the way as the yellow stream crashed into the rocks where we were just standing.
"What the-" I exlaimed, as dryad pulled me aside. Another yellow stream hit just where I stood.
"I don't know, but we have to kill whatever's doing this!" Dryad shouted. We split up and ran towards the forested area where it seemed to be coming from. It seemed to have ceased fire. When we got to the trees, there was nothing in sight. No life. Only a source of infection that seemed to be growing ever closer. Dryad and I exchanged glances. Quickly, she took out a bit of purication powder and sprinkled it at the roots of the trees. The green started to come back, as if it were recovering from a terrible disease. Hope shone in the green grass and leaves. But only for a moment, for the crimson spread over it like a blanket soon after.
"This is worse Than I thought." I said simply. The writhing leaves seemed to mock our attempt.
"Maybe it is, but there must be a way to stop it. we'll find it. Soon." The dryad asserted.
We walked for a few minutes, when we suddenly came upon a small opening. It reminded me of the mouth of a cave.
"You first." I said, motioning for Dryad to go in. She walked in a few steps, and nothing happened, so I followed. We descended a bit further, and the last light from the already blocked sun disappeared. I lit a torch, and held it in front of me.
Something told me this was a bad idea.
We walked a bit further, when I suddenly stumbled and fell. I fell for a few seconds, before landing in a pool of water.
It smelled and tasted disgusting, but it was somewhat shallow. It went up to my neck.
"Player!? You ok?" I heard Dryad say, the voice echoing.
"Yeah, there's water at the bottom. It's safe to jump!" I said, spitting out a bit of water. It tasted like blood- somewhat metalic. It was not a good taste. I managed to drag myself to the edge of the small body of water, and haul myself to the surface. My clothes were drenched.
"Hey, I thought I saw something. Do you see that-" I started, but didn't finish. A spurt of yellow liquid hit me in the chest, and threw me backwards. It burned, worse than anything else. I closed my eyes, and tried to keep my mind on something else, like sweet roles. Or healing potions. I managed to remove a healing potion from my bag, and take a drink of it. It only stopped some of the burning feeling. And I felt particularly weak, like a tiny pebble could cut me. If only I had worn armor! Soon after, another blast came, this one hitting Dryad. I tried to ignore this, and pulled out my bow. As I did, a huge, squidlike creature came into view. I fired an arrow, and hit it in the beak. It gurgled, and fell out of view. It hit the ground with a resounding "Squish!" I smiled and put my bow away. I ran over to dryad, who seemed half conscious.
"Are you alright?" I asked, concerned.
"Maybe. Could I have a healing potion?" She choked out, flinching. I handed her a red bottle of healing liquid. I only had eight left. "Thanks!" She muttered, consuming the potion. She managed to stand up after that.
"That liquid seems to lower the defense. My skin feels particularly weak, and I feel relatively off guard, and less alert." I said, drawing my sword. Dryad nodded, but said nothing.
We continued onward, and met only a few enemies. These were all easily dealt with. One of these was a strange floating creature, with a brownish white liquid leaking out of a bloated and circular bottem.
"Dryad! Look at this!" I shouted, turning a corner. On a small patch of rocks, surounded by all types of mutilated and horrible monsters, sat one of those crimson alters. There was no sword, or note on this one. The monsters had not yet noticed us. "Ready?" I asked Dryad. She nodded nervously, taking out the same curious looking blade guide had left me.
We both ran around the corner, and instantly began slashing at the monsters around us. A few yellow beams immediatly struck near us, but none hit. We made short work of the group, and managed to get to the alter. I took out my hammer, and smashed the alter. In a flash of light, it disapeared. But this one also sent me flying. I crashed into a wall somewhere in the room and slid down. When I hit the ground, My vision was blurry. I had an overpowering urge to sleep, which I gave in to.
"Player? You awake?" I heard Dryad ask, looking down at me. I slowly opened my eyes, and looked up. The cieling above me was wood, and I was laying in the grass.
"What? What happened? Why am I here?" I asked, still in a daze.
"The power released from you smashing the alter was enough to render us both unconscious. I woke up before you, obviously, and used the magic mirror. I guess that traveling through time and space woke you up." Dryad replied.
"Not unusual at all." I retorted, standing up. I brushed myself off.
"Also, when you destroyed the alter, it turned the area around to hallow. That gives us a point to start purifying the crimson from." She said in a somewhat more posotive voice. Well, now we had a place to start from, and that could prove useful.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
It was night now. I had decided to sleep in guide's house, since it was now empty. And I felt the strangest feeling. I felt like I was being watched. I felt like I was somehow not alone. Some sort of evil, strange presence hung in the air. I hoped I was imagining things.