Fable - Ask [NY]The Bleeding Forest

The Reach - Velara's Edge

Crouching on the edge of the ridge, the sight before them was something one could almost call beautiful.

A forest lay before the gathered hunters. It's trees tall enough to dwarf even giants, their canopies vast and stretching to cover every bit of ground. No trunk in sight, save for those which stood at the edges of the wood. The only trouble of it's beauty came from the color of the leaves, not hued in bright greens or falling yellows.

But only a bright red.

Had the summer months fallen and winter were on its way, the sight would not have bothered anyway. But this forest and it's leaves had turned to crimson in the time of spring. What's more, each of the leaves when crumpled brought forth not sap nor water; only blood.

Whatever taint had touched the first tree had spread and spread, until the whole of the forest was nearly consumed. Each tree once proud, now gnarled and ripping into itself as leaves dripping blood pointed to the ancient ground below. Velara's Edge, a ridge which stood on the north of the Reach was the only thing keeping the plague from spreading further.

A stroke of luck some had said, and ill-omen others whispered. "There are trees like this on the Isles."

The Northman commented, and the man to his left let out a bark of a laugh.

"Course there fucking is." Turos said with a long drawn out sigh. "Let's get down there already then, might as well see what beast is bringing this shit."

The usually boisterous Nordwiir turned solemn for a moment, lips pressing thing as he considered his companions question. Answering questions about his home had not always...gone well. The customs of his people were strange, and often times even monstrous to most in the Southlands.

Still, he had found most of the Hunters to prefer honesty over platitudes. "In the isles they are a mark of Likami."

"She blesses the Tree with Flesh and Blood." He remarked idly as they descended further down the cliff. Their path taking them directly to the forests edge. "A gift to those who have neither in the colder months."

Njall offered, the implication of his words clear.

In his home, this was no curse, but a blessing.

"I do not think Likami would bring her gifts to the Southlands." Njall commented idly, frowning slightly as he noticed something skirting around the edge of the forest.

A creature, a fox...though far larger than it should have been. The creature's fur was not orange, but blood red, it's eyes a flickering gold. It seemed to stop, pause as it noticed the hunters, and then suddenly began to sprint forward. Charging at them as it's maw opened dripping with black bile.

"This is not Likami." Njall said simply, staring at the creature barring it's teeth. "Best we ki-"

Before the Nordwiir could finish his sentence, another creature suddenly burst from the right. Jumping straight out of the forest came a wolf near the size of a man, it's grey fur tinged with slashes of red at the edges of its hair. The strange black ichor dripping from it's fangs as it bounded directly upon Njall.

It's teeth sunk into the man's leather bracer. Chomping down just as the Fox bounded forward, its presence clearly having been little more than a distraction as two other Wolves bounded from the forest. With snarling, gnashing teeth, the blood-tinged beasts struck all at once. An unusual pack defending their home.

"Fuck!" Turos swore as he drew his knife and bounded forward, gauntleted hand grabbing one of the man-sized beasts in an attempt to drag it off Njall.

As Turos tried to rip the wolf from Njall's form, Dog suddenly came barrelling in from the side.

The massive hound tackled into the side of it's blooded-kin, and the two suddenly went ripping to the side as the other Hunter let go of his grip. "Kress what the fuck are these things?"

Turos complained as Njall scrambled from the ground. Fingers quickly wrapping around the hatchet hanging from his belt. The black steel of the metal flickering against the waning light as he kicked himself off the ground and followed Dog.

Crashing into the blood-wolf's side just a handful of seconds after his rescuer, The Nordwiir buried the edge of the hatchet into the creatures throat.

"Dead!" Njall roared with defiant laughter as he answered Turos' question. His hatchet dragging through the wolf's flesh, ripping the creature's skin and casting an oddly shimmering crimson onto the ground. It's blood seeming to glimmer and glow, even in the fading light.

"Good Dog." Njall complemented the barrel of a Hound as he picked himself up and off the ground. His bloody hatchet dripping with the shimmering crimson. Shoulder rolling as he checked the wolf hadn't ripped his arm from it's socket.

His gaze flickering up the trail of blood Gannis pointed out. Eyes crossing the grass and following into the woods.

"Easy enough to follow." The Nordwiir said, though didn't yet move to do so. Instead crouching besides one of the strange creatures. "But these creatures do not feel like calves for the slaughter."

Though she was right, there was something dark about this, but where the animals the ones being sacrificed?

His fingers extended, gently dipping into the small pool of blood. Head tilting as he held the shimmering crimson to his nose, sniffed it, and then licked the tip of his finger.

Almost as soon as his tongue touched the shimmering blood, a spark of vitality surged through him. His heartbeat quickening, his pupils growing small, a surge of energy and vigor rushing through his form. A deep quickly breath sucking into his lungs as something deep within him began to roil, and then suddenly pushed the surge away.

Njall's head shook vigorously, and then he stood. "Powerful blood."

He gestured with his ax.

"We should see what sacrifice makes it so." The Hunter offered, beginning to walk towards the trail the fox had left.

The Nordwiir grinned wide at Monroe.

"I would not suggest it." Something had happened when he'd tasted the blood. A surge of...power had rushed through him. It reminded him of a drug he'd once taken in the Summersea city of Teth, though far more effective.

Were he of a more academic mind, the northman might have tried taking some for further study.

Instead Njall simply rose to his feet, joining the others as they began to stalk forward towards the forest. His eyes flickered through the underbrush, lips thinning to a scowl as he realized the same thing Gannis did. "No other path."

He grumbled as small splatters of red began to fall down from the trees above. Staining skin and clothes as the small party of hunters continued to move. As they moved, the canopy above began to close, their surroundings growing darker and darker.

The forest becoming almost oppressive around them. "I assume this is nothing like from your homes?"

Njall asked almost casually as they walked. In the distance, a tree taller than the others seeming to loom.

"Hm." Njall considered to himself, wondering if perhaps he was the one that was strange out of the three of them?

Before he could ask another short-talk question, their attentions were grabbed by the large tree that Gannis pointed out. The huge trunk was wrapped in a white bark which climbed higher and higher until it reached dozens upon dozens of branches. Each one filled with those strange leaves.

Yet it was not that which caught the eye, nor the trees towers size.

It was instead, the body of a woman which seemed to sprout from the trees natural wood. The trunk splitting halfway up to reveal her shape, crafted from the same wood as the tree. Her form molded, and yet grown, blood red tears streaming down her eyes.

She sat within the tree, her head slowly moving as the three Hunters began to approach. Wooden eyes, colored only by the pigment of chlorophyll shifted. "You...why did you hurt the forest?"

The tree spoke, it's voice soft and yet somehow resounding through the clearing in echo.

"Why did you harm us?" It asked, crying eyes looking down at them.