Fable - Ask [NY]The Bleeding Forest

[Njáll]

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."

 

[Monroe]

"Unsightly." The vexed scoff came from Monroe, as if blood was not an uncommon thing in their line of work. To see it flow freely from not a wound or body unnerved her, but the Yaegir did not shy away as she began to follow Turos.

Her footing was slow, secure, making sure that her boots wouldn't slip as they began to trek under the crimson sky of leaves. "What do these trees mean on the Isles?" She called out loudly, so that Njáll could hear her despite facing away from him. "Some kind of omen?"

They looked the type to be the harbinger of ill will.

 

[Gannis]

Gannis spat on the ground.

"Dog, don't eat anything."

The custos canem was the size of a small horse and as intelligent as a small child. And Gannis had called his partner 'Dog'. Many venari found it embarassing, but as the ugly runt of his people they often found Gannis embarassing too.

" Most things 'at eat folk in a forest protect the forest," Gannis reflected.

In his experience, magic that ran out of control came from the mind of a human. Whether it was summoning a demon or unleashing a curse, most out of control monsters he dealt with looked after their environment.

Unless, he thought to himself, what they were looking at was the natural environment of something.

 

[Njáll]

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.

 

[Monroe]

"A blessing is always bett—"

But the movement of the blood red vixen caught her attention. It looked ravenous, and Monroe suddenly regretted her complacency for blessings. This was clearly an omen, just as she had spoken into manifestation. "Fuck."

In one fell swoop, blades were gripped in either hand and she was braced for impact. It came to a stop, as if keeping the hunters back from stepping any closer. She recognised the behaviour, and the Atlian Yaegir furrowed her brows. "Protecting something or do you think it will actually bite?"

And what a horrid thought that would be seeing the black bile.

 

[Gannis]

A forest blessed with flesh sounded like something Dog would enjoy, were it not for the magic involved.

The soft growl that followed was not from Dog's stomach but from Gannis' sword being drawn. It was an ugly, brutal thing. Single edged and heavy, it was made for cutting deep. It was efficient and it reflected its owner.

"Looks nice and fat, I'd say blessed if it wasn't dripping black shite from its mouth," Gannis grunted.

Fighting oversized and cursed animals was normally a good bit of work for spears. He hadn't brought one.

. "Protecting something or do you think it will actually bite?"

"Kill it and I might be able to find something out about," Gannis muttered. He kept his sword high and advanced slowly.

 

[Njáll]

"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.

 

[Monroe]

Monroe sprang into action as soon as movement came against them.

Twin blades were a gleam in the air, cutting through it before they came away like brushes pulled from their stroke against a bloodied canvas. A wolf yelped and cried, turning to Monroe. She rolled her wrists, resetting her stance before going in to strike the large beastly thing.

They were quick, but Monroe had been trained on matters such as that. She kept herself loose, but not sloppy. Honed, but not so sharp that she would have rigid movement.

In a moment, Monroe would have the upper hand, and the kill shot ready to be struck.

Gannis Njáll

 

[Gannis]

"Oh you can fuck right off," Gannis growled as the fox rushed forwards and then stopped again. It dipped its head low, stretching out it's front paws. It darted from side to side, looking for an opening.

Whilst he wanted to help the northman who had been dragged down, Gannis wouldn't turn his back on a threat.

In one smooth motion, he grabbed the knife from his belt and flicked it forwards. It wasn't a clean strike, catching the fox just below the ear. It's fur was almost immediately matted and bloodied.

"Dog!" Gannis called, pointing to Njáll

The hound bounded forwards, using pure mass to try and free him.

 

[Njáll]

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.

 

[Monroe]

One wolf down, but the beastly thing had costed some of Monroe's energy.

With huffing breaths, she took a moment to pause and turn to her colleagues, seeing if there was a place for her to slide in and help take the brunt of the attack.

One wolf left, and not long left for it in this world.

Pushing past exhaustion, she threw herself forward to engage with the last wolf that tried to go for Gannis now. Only once it was dead would Monroe frown and stare at the dead animals around them. "This feels like a sacrificial ritual in a place like this."

Gannis Njáll

 

[Gannis]

Gannis swung from low to high. He had expected the oncoming wolf to dart back from swinging steel.

It didn't. The blade caught it under the cheek and tore through its face. With half a mouth left of fangs it dove for him.

Gannis got his left hand to its mane. He could stop the wolf, but taking a grip meant he was carried to the ground without the beast taking a bite out if him.

He brought his knees to his chest and rolled, shoving the wolf away. Gannis had lost his sword, but Monroe quickly dispatched the creature.

Gannis picked himself up slowly and retrieved his sword.

"The fox got back to the woods," he grunted, pointing at the trail of blood across the grass.

 

[Njáll]

"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.