Chapter Fourteen – The Hunt
The superstructure of the Elemental Star lay breached in the clearing of trees, fires still burned here and there but the majority had been extinguished through the heroic actions of the crew. It was from this wreckage that a strange procession left, striking out into the dark depths of the forest.
Hurin led the procession, striding purposefully through the foliage and around fallen trees, his hand never far from the rapier at his side. Felix and Cassandra walked shortly behind him, Felix now had a short sword somewhat awkwardly buckled at his side for self defence and Cassandra had a similar sword as well as a small shield attached by a leather strap to her left arm. Talim kept pace behind them, her sharp eyes sweeping left and right into the densely packed trees into which only a few meters of visibility was possible in the nights gloom. Finally Galamore brought up the rear, in his ceremonial silver armour he clanked along finding it awkward to navigate around some of the obstacles due to the armours bulkiness, Hurin had evidently thought carefully for the knight's weapon for he was armed with a small knife that almost disappeared into his massive metal gauntlets, he had not looked impressed but the knight had not complained…too loudly.
They pressed on away from the Elemental Star and down the trough of fallen trees the ship had made in its crash, eventually the ship disappeared behind them into the gloom as they pushed further and further into the forest.
"How exactly are we going to find the princess?" Cassandra asked after they had been moving for about an hour. "It's unlikely that she will be waiting for us in an easily visible position."
"As the princess demonstrated to us in Brimshare castle she is adept enough in the arts of the water elements for me to sense her presence in a wide area." Talim replied. "Failing that we have our expert guide Hurin here to help track her if needs me."
Hurin grunted as he hauled himself over a fallen tree. "Oh yeah, no problem…"
They pushed on a bit further before Felix slowed somewhat to walk next to Talim. "Talim, you've studied at a temple for a long time and know more about elements and the like, in the castle what was it exactly I did? I only had my element unsealed the other day and I was told it would be weeks before I could even hold power..."
Talim nodded while keeping her eyes sweeping the trees. "True, that is strange...but not unheard of. Elements as you know stem from the energy surrounding you, you already have the power in you, it just usually takes a few weeks to become comfortable with that power. Anyway, in the castle it was a case of life or death and your body reacted under great stress to do that, I imagine it may have repercussions in later life…"
Felix shivered suddenly and Talim for a split second gave him a reassuring grin. "Don't worry about it, just don't try and do anything along that magnitude again, even I was taken aback by how much power you were able to summon so quickly. Start small Felix like the rest of us, it was two months of training before I was able to snuff out a candle with the air alone, you should take things slow, otherwise you will put your life in danger."
"Okay, I'll try." Felix nodded and moved forwards again to join Cassandra, he did however miss Talim's brow furrow as if in concentration as he walked away.
"How long must this take!" Galamore blurted from the back of the group, his voice echoing through the clearing. "Her highness could be in danger!"
"Quiet!" Hurin demanding almost equally loud. "Talim will find her in time and don't draw attention to us in this place, dark things rest in this forest."
"Like what?" Galamore glared at the other man fiercely.
"There are all sorts of things within the forest." Talim replied on Hurin's behalf. "A lot of…things from the War of the Crystal can be found in the forest, the ancient path through here was fraught with danger, vengeful spirits, demons, that sort of thing, part of the reason why no one has used the path since the advent of air travel."
Galamore fell silent but Felix could see the knight grip his knife all the tighter.
"Oh brave sir Galamore?" Hurin laughed noticing the knight's discomfort. "Are you possibly afraid of the unknown?" He brandished his arms wide around the dark forest that closed all around them; rather appropriately there was a long, low, drawn out howl of some creature in the distance.
Felix, Cassandra and Galamore all jumped. "What was that?" Cassandra asked looking all around them.
"It sounded like a wolf…" Felix mused relising all of a sudden that he had half drawn his short sword.
"No…something far worse…" Hurin gravely replied his eyes searching the gloom of the thick corridor of trees.
"Wargs…" Galamore murmured… "Packs of dark creatures unleashed by the dread kingdom of Greeton during the War of the Crystal."
"Aye…maybe…" Hurin replied, his distrust towards the knight seemingly forgotten. "We need to get out of here…"
"I can sense her!" Talim suddenly announced.
"Where! Where is the princess!!?" Galamore blurted aloud.
"This way, it's a very weak residue, quickly, follow me!" Talim replied breaking into a run, leaping over fallen trees moving away quickly as the rest of the group struggled after her disappearing figure as she vanished into the gloom.
"W…Wait up!" Felix spluttered as he, Cassandra and Galamore attempted to follow in her wake as Hurin ahead of them hauled himself over the trees and used his rapier to hack his way through the clinging vines.
After another few moments of frenzied movement they came to the edge of the valley of destroyed trees, there Talim stood right next to a massive section of the ship that had dropped away, shattered windows and the like adorned it, out of one side of the wooden hull a massive hole had been gorged.
"Princess! Princess!!!" Galamore bellowed charging through the rip into the wreckage
"She's not here…" Talim replied, she knelt to the ground and placed a hand on the soil, her brow furrowed in concentration. "It appears that she survived the fall in the intact part of the ship…trapped she used her elemental powers to break free from the compartment." She indicated the large rip in the wreckage. "That's what I could sense…"
"Then where is she!?" Galamore replied desperately emerging from the wreckage again.
Talim looked into the thick folds of the dark forest. "I think…she stumbled into the forest…"
There was another, ominous howl in the distance.
"Why would she do such a thing?" Cassandra asked, Felix could hear her teeth chattering.
"Probably to try and hide…" Hurin mused, he was checking the ground as well. "There are prints here, looks like she was in a hurry, having exhausted most of her elemental powers she would have sought shelter, the last thing she would have done in a panic would be to find those that appear to have kidnapped her."
"You did kidnap her!" Galamore accused.
"Let's not get into that." Hurin replied briskly.
"Then we have to go and help her!" Felix took a step or two away from the wreckage towards the dense tree cover, another howl split the night, black birds drove into the sky.
"Looks like they have her sent…" Talim replied grimly.
"It would have been a kindness if she had perished in the crash." Hurin agreed solemnly.
"N…no!" Galamore blurted brandishing his dagger. "I will resue her myself!" And so saying he charged away from the group pushing through the debris with his bulk and towards the forest.
"Come on!" Felix urged moving to follow in his wake. "Its our fault she's where she is, we have to at least try to help."
"Alright….alright." Hurin agreed pulling forth his rapier as Talim and Cassandra had already began moving alibit the fact that Cassandra was now clutching her shield very hard.
Together they charged into the depths of Evendale forest in Galamore's wake.
When the knight became concerned for the princess he could really move! Felix half thought to himself as he drove after Galamore. Thick trees blocked the light of the moon, a few meters visibility was all he had, a split second to duck a low hanging branch or to avoid a snaking root, the party stumbled along in Galamore's wake as he barrelled through the foliage.
All around them was a chattering, a hum of wildlife and Felix knew that he could only keep on following the knight his shouts and cries for the princess allowing them to effectively keep track of him, more howls sounded, there was more then one and they defiantly seemed closer.
They must have running for a while for Felix could feel his breaths coming in shorter, sharper constrictions and a dull, thudding pain reverberating in his stomach, suddenly Galamore's shouts stopped (they had became shorter and more infrequent) and suddenly Felix saw a lighted clearing ahead and the silver silhouette of Galamore standing on the edge of the trees.
Felix staggered to a halt next to Galamore, half falling forwards to catch his breath as behind him he could hear the sounds of the others coming up behind them.
In front of them the forest branched out into open marshland. Thick, green, bubbling liquid stretched out in all directions, here and there black withered trees snaked up into the night sky but everything in the…liquid was decayed or dead.
"That's no natural marsh…" Hurin remarked looking out across the clearing, in the distance the silhouette of the forest could be seen across the marsh.
Talim moved to the waters edge, bent down and picked a leaf up and carefully lowered it into the water being sure to keep her hand out.
She then pulled the leaf forth and the bottom half that had been submerged was gone, corroded away and the rest of the leave was steadily going a dull brown shade.
"Where could the princess be?" Galamore blurted scanning around the clearings edge.
"She certainly couldn't have passed over that…" Cassandra gasped, like Felix somewhat out of breath. "We need to go around this."
Suddenly from the far side of the marsh there was a flash of blue energy and Felix felt his sense's jolt. "That's her! She just drew on her power!"
"She must be in danger!" Galamore cried and took a step towards the marsh but Hurin stepped directly in front of him.
"Don't even think about it, you will not make it through, we'll have to go around."
"But the princess is in danger on the other side…" Galamore growled looking as though he was about to bodily push Hurin aside.
"Think Sir Galamore!" Cassandra urged. "How would you help the princess if you died in your rush to save her?"
"This way!" Hurin shouted moving aside and along the bank of the marsh. "We must hurry!"
The others turned and dashed along the mosey bank but Felix saw Talim instead move to the marsh edge, he slowed as the others pushed away. "Talim? What do you have in mind?"
"I think I can pass over this…" She replied. "Go Felix, join the others, I will do what I can to protect the princess." And so saying Felix felt her seize elemental power and then with a run she leapt into the marsh, but instead of sinking into the venomous liquid she kicked off again and again, skipping over the marsh and out of sight to the other side.
Felix, knowing full well he couldn't do anything like that turned and dashed after the vanishing figures of Hurin, Cassandra and Galamore.
The four of them ran along the edge of the marsh, Galamore despite the heavy armour had seemingly summoned up a massive spurt of energy as he dashed forwards perilously close to the waters of the marsh.
The marsh took a few moments of frenzied running to come around to the other bank, finally they came to a stop having circumnavigated all the way to the other side.
"Where could she be…" Galamore gasped leaning on a tree turning his head every which way. Hurin for his part bent to the mosey soil…
"Here are some footprints...they lead this way" Hurin stood pointing deeper into the forest. "It looks like she was in a rush."
Suddenly there was an ear splitting howl rent the forest and out of the mists of the trees two black shapes burst forth.
There was no time to think, no time to react, Felix thrust his sword at one of the creatures that dived towards him, a mass of black rippled fur, savage ripping teeth, mad yellow eyes burning with hunger,
The sword went straight into the wargs open jaws and burst out through the creatures brain dripping with unearthly blue blood, Felix collapsed to the ground under the creatures diving weight and screamed with terror as he soiled himself.
The other creature drove into Galamore knocking the knight backwards into the acid marsh, there was a frightful hissing sound as Galamore thrashed in the water and then kicked up sending the creature flying further into the marsh before staggering out and collapsing on the bank. Behind him the savage creatures head broke the surface slobbering mad teeth roaring its rage before sinking below the acid waters.
The entire encounter was over in a little under ten seconds.
"Felix!" Cassandra cried rushing over and bodily shoving the carcass of the warg off his body, the sword still buried through the creature's skull. Felix took in shuddering breaths as fast as he could; his arms and legs were shaking out of control.
"Here!" Hurin came over and reached down and hauled Felix to his feet before turning to Galamore who had picked himself up. "Are you alright knight?"
Galamore's armoured chest heaved up and down as well, the knife it seemed had been lost, his armour had lost its silver sheen but he as well had suffered no injuries. "I…I am alright."
"Felix…Felix!" Cassandra grabbed him by the shoulders. "Snap out of it."
Felix closed his eyes, forced his hearts incessant beating to stop and then slowly, shakily nodded. "I'm…I'm alright Cassandra."
Hurin moved over to the carcass of the creature, reached down and with a single powerful movement yanked the sword back out from the creatures jaw before quickly wiping it clean on the grass. "Here Felix," he presented the sword hilt to him. "Take it, you've earned it."
Felix took a final deep breath, reached out and grasped the sword firmly with both hands.
"Come!" Galamore called moving towards the trees. "There are more of the beasts to deal with!"
"Then lets be about the business." Hurn nodded moving away from Felix and Cassandra and towards the thick dark trees. "Come, Talim and the princess will need our help."
They started off into the deepest depths of Evendale forest.
In the night sky above the trees an dark winged shape cut through the sky, sensing its target below it begun its descent