Episode 9: The Thing in the Woods
Written by: Auraboo
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There was bitter chill in the air that burrowed underneath every layer of clothing, no matter how thick, despite the air being unusually still after two weeks of rain and wind. The trees stood barren, the undergrowth blanketed by a cover of fallen leaves that filled the air with a scent of decay that was typical for autumns everywhere in the world. Luzem pulled up his collar and tried not to sneeze.
They were all soggy and miserable. Even now a light, misty rain was falling, which turned the landscape hazy and dream-like. Fog rolled over the woods and meadows; it would have all been very pretty, certainly, had there been shelter above their heads. No one had spoken much since breakfast, attempts at conversation dying when the realities of soggy boots and too little sleep settled in. Even Tariya had remained in her elven form for days on end, which was unusual. She had been uncharacteristically miserable the last time she had shifted back, smelling of wet dog. Not even a bath in the cold river had gotten rid of the scent entirely.
It was early in the afternoon when Tamrus called it quits and brought their already halting progress to a stop.
”Enough,” he said, thick brows drawn into a scowl. He looked harried; he always looked harried as of late, and the dark circles beneath his eyes were blacker than ever. ”We can’t see past our noses in this. Let’s get off the road and set up camp.”
”Already?” Kae asked, rubbing at his neck. The persistent headache that had been there since the day before showed no signs of relenting. ”We haven’t even made it out of the woods yet.”
”And we won’t, the way this is going,” Lily intervened, eyeing the thickening fog with the same concern as Tamrus.
Kae sighed, but did not bother protesting further. Whatever magic he normally used to minimise any wear and tear to his clothes was not enough to fend off weeks’ worth of mud and puddles. His thick, fur-trimmed cloak was soaked all the way up to his backside, his boots squealching with every step, and he did not look thrilled about it. He had not complained – he hardly ever did – but he looked just as ragged as the rest of them, and just as eager to be properly dry.
The world had turned ghostly by the time they had gotten their tents erected. Trees provided little shelter at this time of the year, and they had purposely sought out the thickest spruces they were able to find in preparation for another night of sudden showers.
The location was far from ideal. The landscape was too flat, with no boulders or cliffs for protection whatsoever, and the stream winding behind their camp was too narrow to be called a river. Thin ice had formed where the water flowed sluggishly, and the black, wet soil was almost pristine. Luzem crouched down to inspect it, sense of unease deepening.
”I don’t like this,” he muttered.
”You don’t like what?” Tariya asked.
He gestured at the riverbank, where the ground had clearly not been disturbed by anything in days. Tariya crouched next to him, her expression darkening when she saw what he saw. They exchanged a look. Silently, she placed a finger on her lips, and neither of them dared to breathe as she listened intently. There were still hours of daylight left, but the forest was silent around them.
Her eyes were creased with worry as she shook her head, tapped her temple, then pointed at the sword hanging from Luzem’s belt. He nodded, understanding the meaning at once.
Be alert. Do not let your guard down.
Tariya only let go of his hand once back at camp.
Despite the soggy wood Kae had no trouble keeping the fire going. Warlock magic was by nature disruptive; it manipulated the elements around you, forcing them to yield where they would rather not. The wood smoked for a time until accepting its fate, and by the time night descended they had heated up their leftovers over the fire and filled their bellies. A blackened kettle hung over the flames, a trail of steam rising from its spout.
Luzem’s head shot up as a crack like that of a breaking branch shattered the silence. It echoed like thunder, but nothing materialised from the dark, the woods settling back into the unnatural silence at once.
”What was that?” he asked, instinctively keeping his voice low.
Tamrus did not bother looking up from his mug, axe ready at his side. His beard had started curling from the moisture. ”Relax. There’s nothing more dangerous in these woods than us.”
The words had little effect. Luzem and Tariya stared bug-eyed into the darkness, so still that they could have been a pair of statues.
Lily did not put down the dagger she was sharpening as she leaned closer to Tamrus and whispered, ”great job, friend. So, how do we keep those two from staying up another night?”
Kae stretched lazily, cat-like, and got up. He had forgone the cloak in the glow of the fire.
”Allow me,” he said.
”Don’t set anything on fire, boy,” Tamrus replied.
”Figuratively or literally?”
The dwarf rolled his eyes and did not bother with a response.
Kae made a big show of rolling up his sleeves as though preparing for heavy lifting. He made past the two elves, behind the tents and to the lazy little brook, the silent border between them and the wilderness. He hopped over the stream and knelt, hands hovering over the wilted blueberry shrubs.
Tariya’s eyes had followed him unblinkingly. ”Not in the water,” she urged.
Kae nodded without looking at her. ”I know. Too impermanent to hold.”
The magic answered his summons immediately, the air in front of him suddenly aquiver with something the others could not see. He was glad he had his back towards the others, for pulling at his magic sent a spike of pain through his skull as the migraine worsened, nearly blurring his vision. The spell left in its wake an iridescent glow that dimmed, then died slowly. Somewhere in the woods a flock of crows took off, cawing restlessly.
”What’s he doing?” Luzem whispered to his sister, trying to speak so quietly that it did not disturb whatever the warlock was focusing on.
”Setting up his wards again, I think.”
Kae circled around their camp, repeating the spell several times until there were no gaps. There were raindrops glistening on his horns when he returned.
”There,” he said, sounding very pleased with himself.
Lily quirked an eyebrow. ”And that does what, exactly?”
”Hides our camp from any and all living creatures, beasts included. We cannot be seen or heard outside the wards.”
”There is nothing out there that we need to fear,” Tamrus said in the weary tones of someone who had been forced to repeat himself too often as of late, which was the case. It did not escape Lily’s notice that he was only playing with his food, though the others had already finished their meals; his face had grown more gaunt, the shadows beneath his eyes deeper.
”We are being watched,” Tariya insisted. ”Something has scared off the animals.”
”Well, whatever it is, it’s leaving empty-handed.” Tamrus set down his plate and reached for his mug instead. ”His wards have held so far, haven’t they?”
Even Kae could tell something was off with the dwarf, but he elected to not comment on it. The pressure in his head had increased twofold after using his magic, making it difficult to form coherent thoughts. There was an unpleasant sense of foreboding in his gut, and he knew at once that Tariya’s instincts were right.
”Caution never hurt anyone,” Kae managed, forcing his voice to sound casual. He looked decidedly away from the others to hide the fact that his eyes were starting to water.
Tamrus grunted something indistinct.
The elves were not the only ones who were restless. There was an unpleasant tingling at the base of Kae’s skull, almost an itch, somewhere between his vertebrae that made him want to dig his nails down to the bone and scratch until he bled. It had only grown worse throughout the day, manageable as long as he kept himself occupied, aggravated now that it had been given magic. That was a first. The headaches had come and gone in the past weeks, ever since the offering he had made at the shrine, but so far he had ignored them as firmly as the pull in the tether, telling him that he was being called.
He filled his cup and drank, grimacing when the tea tasted of ashes on his tongue.
Something had dug itself deep into his chest, a sharp, thorny, jagged something that felt like burning everytime his heart beat. It pulled at every sinewy part of his torso with every movement, but he could not stop himself pacing around.
”Sit down, son. You’re making me dizzy,” he heard Tamrus say. His voice sounded distant, as though someone speaking at the other end of a narrow tunnel.
And his head. Gods, his head was killing him.
Lily set down her cup, frowning up at him. ”You all right?”
He was burning from the inside out, his veins were filled with liquid fire. The cup fell from his hands with a clatter as he rubbed at his eyes, resisting the urge to gouge them out.
There was scrambling as both Tariya and Luzem stood up hastily, the former’s eyes going wide. The forest was restless around them, even Luzem could feel it, and realised what had scared off the wild life. Tariya inhaled sharply as something prodded at the wards, felt the disturbance in the air as something gave. It was no beast; no wards in the world could keep something of this magnitude out.
Within moments Lily, too, was on her feet, a look of dawning understanding on her face as she stared at Kae.
”Your eyes,” was all she said. It was enough for things to finally click in place.
It was like his spellcasting, just in slow motion and a hundredfold to its usual burn. Because that’s what his patron-god had put in him upon remaking him: fire. In place of a soul there were embers, the magic a bridge between him and the Beyond, and now they burned hot enough to consume him whole.
His eyes burned. Kae knew without asking that they had turned from golden brown to an iridescent purple, just like they did whenever he used his borrowed magic.
The eyes of his patron.
”Sorry, folks. We’re getting company,” he gasped.
The ground shook. There was a flash of fire, a tall, vertical gash in the centre of the camp as a doorway opened, and a heavy presence oozed out of it. The pressure in Kae’s head reached its peak; from the sudden gasps of pain he could tell the others had felt it, too. Something stepped out of the rift, sending out a wave of energy that nearly extinguished the campfire.
The air quivered, angry, with the same iridescent sheen that shrouded his eyes, except looking at it hurt. A great, fleshy mass had burst out of the rift, its tendrils pulling at the branches of overhanging trees, confined within the borders of his wards, and Kae wanted to kick himself for his lapse in judgment. The mass writhed, contracted, then formed a glowing, red hot shape, almost human, had it not been for the wings unfolding from it.
Steel rang as Luzem unsheathed his sword, but his hands were shaking too badly to hold it still.
In the middle of their camp stood a devil, taller even than either of the elves, rosebud skin glowing in the firelight. The leathery wings were large, the skin on them translucent in the light, and a long tail curled behind them. Their eyes glowed the same purple as Kae’s had seconds ago, the skin around them contorted with anger.
Kae straightened. The pressure in his head had at last relented, and he managed a smile. ”Kajo. Now this is a pleasant surprise. How long has it been?”
”’How long has it been?’” they spat the words back at him, lips pulled back to a sneer. Kajo’s voice was low and husky, and there was a rough bite to it that sent the hair at the listeners’ necks standing on end. ”Where have you been, worm? I have been calling you for weeks!”
Now Tamrus was on his feet, too. He took up the battleaxe, one hand resting on the covering wrapped around the head as if to unveil it at any given moment. Next to him Lily clutched at her dagger, eyes darting between Kae and the devil. Her expression wasn’t one of fear, however, but incredulity. When Kae glanced at her he saw her mouth a silent ’are you fucking kidding me’ at him.
”You know me, I’m a busy man.”
”You are busy when I say you are!” The devil’s voice shook the last leaves off a nearby tree. ”When I call, you answer. Those were the terms of our pact!”
”I just wanted a vacation, all right?”
Pain shot through his skull like an iron spike.
Kajo uttered his name like a curse, the sound of it like a thunderclap, and Kae’s head snapped back convulsively. His limbs responded to the command, as though forgetting they belonged to him, and he hit the ground some ten feet from where he had been standing. There was a ringing in his ears as he clambered back up, wiping off blood from the corner of his mouth.
He did not get much further as Kajo lifted their hand, fingers curled in the air. At once Kae felt an invisible hand wrapping around his neck and slamming him against a tree, nearly forcing all air out of his lungs. Long seconds ticked past as Kajo held him there, until at last letting him drop to the ground unceremoniously.
Kae breathed heavily, pushing himself up on all fours. There was a light, heady feeling in his head, making blood rush to his face.
Kajo was eyeing the others disdainfully, gaze hovering momentarily on Lily before moving on. Tariya had stepped in front of Luzem, his hand clutching at her forearm.
”So this is the company you keep these days,” Kajo hissed. They took a step towards Kae, bare feet not leaving a sound against the ground. ”Is this your excuse? Are you now degrading yourself by working for mortals?”
Kae stood. Around the camp his companions stared at the two of them, petrified, weighting their options. He saw Tariya twitch as though planning to rush to his aid, but Luzem pulled her back, golden eyes wide with terror.
”There is no excuse. Oh, come on, guys, put your weapons down,” Kae told the others. Kajo was glaring daggers at him; he just smiled, a soft, genuine smile that reached all the way to his eyes. ”They’re not my employers. This is what we call ’travelling companions’ in this corner of the world. Have I ever been anything but faithful?”
Kajo’s expression did not soften. ”A stupid, untrustworthy fucker, that’s what you are.”
”Untrustworthy, perhaps, but not unfaithful.”
Tamrus cleared his throat. He did not lower the axe for a second as he said, ”I would like some explanations now, or we’re going to have a bad time.”
Kajo finally turned, allowing the others to get a proper look at them. They were undoubtedly beautiful; an oval face with soft features and a prominent nose, heavy-lidded eyes, uneven hair falling over naked shoulders. The sheer, pearlescent material they wore clung to their curves, leaving their belly exposed. Their pants were of the same material, with wide gashes at the sides. Despite the raindrops clinging to their skin they did not seem to feel the cold.
”Excuse my manners. This, my friends, is Kajo, the patron-god whom I serve.” With a small, theatrical bow Kae strode over to Kajo, sinking to one knee in front of them. He grabbed one corner of the cloak hanging from their shoulders, brought it to his lips and kissed it. His tone was almost reverend when he spoke, ”Morning Star, Dawnbringer. This servant is humbled by your presence.”
”I didn’t tell you to get up,” Kajo said when he made to stand. Kae sank back down, smirking. Kajo reached out, placing a finger on the trail of blood running down his chin, and the blood vanished, along with the bruises around his neck. He offered no resistance whatsoever when the devil yanked him back to his feet by his collar. ”You’re coming with me. You and I have something to discuss.”
”Now?”
”Now.”
His expression faltered. He glanced towards his tent, at the backpack at its mouth. ”All of my things are here. I can’t just—”
Kajo rolled their eyes. With a flash of fire the two vanished, warlock and devil, before Kae could finish the sentence. The others stared in stupefied silence at the spot where they had stood seconds ago, finally putting down their weapons.
”What,” Tamrus said, ”the Hells was that?”
No one answered him.
Thin wisps of mist wafted across the river when Kae crept out of his tent in the early hours of the morning. It was not where he had fallen asleep; he had been severely disoriented after opening his eyes and finding himself back inside the tent. Trust a god to have a fucked up sense of humour.
He did not feel well-rested. The dim light of daybreak stung at his eyes, the mist turning the world white. He pulled on his boots, stealing a glance at the quiet campsite. The fire had died sometime during the night and the lonely kettle stood by the firepit with a pile of tin cups. The only sound was that of someone snoring. He tip-toed to the river, careful not to make a sound.
It was with some difficulty that he filled his cup with water and rinsed his toothbrush in the river. He winced with every movement, sore in places he had never known could be sore. Kajo had not bothered healing him again before sending him back.
He had just emptied the cup when a voice said, ”fancy seeing you back so soon.”
It was Lily. Kae almost started, cursing himself inwardly. He had not so much as sensed her approach until she was right beside him.
She looked almost painfully amused. ”Sooo.” She drew out the syllable on purpose, lips pulled into a smirk. ”Really, a devil? Of all possible things, you sold your soul to a devil?”
”A god,” Kae corrected. His voice sounded hoarse even to his own ears. ”They claim they were born a devil before ascending, but who knows? Both gods and devils are known to lie compulsively.”
”You stupid motherfucker,” she went on, as though she had not heard him. She was still smiling, despite the tone of exasperation. ”What were you thinking? Well, assuming you were thinking at all, I suppose.”
Kae rubbed at his temple. ”Keep it down, will you? I’m not feeling my best this morning.”
”No kidding.” She took in his dishevelled appearance; the scratches on his neck that the collar did not quite cover, the wrinkled clothes, the shadows under his eyes. She decided not to tell him that he was wearing his shirt inside-out. ”You have some explaining to do once the others wake up, you know. Gave them quite a scare.”
”The concern is most touching.” He tried to keep the discomfort from showing as he straightened, realising he would have to eat his breakfast standing. ”Now if you’ll excuse me, I’m positively starving.”
”I wonder why that would be,” Lily called after him.
Kae strode back to camp and pretended not to hear her.
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