The second layer unfolded before Marcus’ group, the twisted and darkened trees of the Nightwood bathed in the perpetual twilight. Overhead, the bloated and pale image of the moon hung ominously in the grim atmosphere.
Jess took the lead as they made their way amidst the gnarled trees, eyes constantly moving from one shadow to the next in search of danger.
What’s that sound? Marcus wondered as he thought he heard some movement ahead, the whole group coming to an apprehensive halt.
A mournful whistling carried on the air as the wind tugged at the branches, causing Marcus’ blood to run cold.
“See anything, Jess?” He asked. “All I can hear is the wind.”
“Huh?” Jess and Dave stopped, looking towards Marcus in confusion.
As the two turned to face him, a figure seemed to coalesce out of the darkness itself, its form composed of smoky shadows that twisted and coiled into tendrils of solid darkness in constant motion. It resembled a face that had been warped by endless torture, with darker voids resembling hollow eyes and a distended mouth.
As it flowed into their midst like vapour, the thing howled causing Marcus to feel as though there were millions of icy needles stabbing beneath his skin, chilling him to the core. Like a puppet with its strings cut, Marcus collapsed to the ground, unable to move as he watched the dark phantasm observe Dave and Jess who both seemed unable to see the creature.
It’s right there! Marcus thought in a panic, unable to produce a sound.
“Marcus, are you OK?” Dave knelt to check on Marcus while Jess kept her eyes on the surroundings.
As Dave opened his mouth to speak again, the shadowy figure flew into his mouth while Marcus watched, gripped by an unrelenting fear as he saw a dark shadow settle in behind Dave’s eyes.
Immediately, Dave’s demeanour changed. He smirked at Marcus before sealing the helmet of his Golem Armour and rising to his feet, dragging Marcus up by one hand.
“Not sure what happened… Maybe some kind of mental attack?” Dave said, turning towards Jess. “It doesn’t look like he can speak, but that might not be the end of it. We’d better keep an eye out.”
Marcus body was still gripped with that piercing chill and wouldn’t respond as he tried to move, seeming to move according to the will of whatever had attacked him and now resided within Dave.
“Marcus, you OK to keep going, or do you want to head back?” Dave asked, his voice doing a good job of sounding concerned.
The piercing chill that filled his body grew stronger, and he gave a gesture signifying he was alright, receiving nods from the rest of the group.
Alice! Marcus tried frantically to contact Alice, but found nothing. Shit! Alright, Marcus. Be calm. Think of a way out of this.
He watched as Not-Dave took up position following Jess, his own body falling in behind as they continued to make their way through the darkened forest.
~
Sarah made her way along with Ras and Mona through the depot, carefully clearing out the Capras they encountered, ensuring the group could safely enter after her while Eyr circled overhead.
It took some time, but thanks to Natural Predator, Ras was more than a match for the scaled beasts whose aggression was replaced by fear in his presence.
“We’ve killed the monsters we found,” Sarah said to the group as she returned to collect her things. “But it’s possible we missed one, so don’t wander. I’m going to track down some keys, and then we’re out of here.”
Her impromptu speech concluded, Alice took her pack and bicycle back into the depot, a cluster of people in somewhat low spirits following carefully behind. Before long, she’d located the keys and their corresponding vehicle. Without further ado, she and the people following her were loaded onto the bus and moving out of the city.
Moving down the highway, they passed damaged vehicles that had been pushed off the side of the road with shattered windows and sides raked with claw marks. The further they moved away from the city, the fewer damaged vehicles they encountered until eventually all they saw was the open road in front of them.
An older man named James was driving the bus while Sarah remained on alert with Eyr, watching out for the signs of monsters ahead. They’d been on the road for a little over an hour when much to her surprise, Ras seemed to have noticed something.
Forest-deep-hiding, high-cold-stone. Home-shelter-safe. Images an impressions flashed into her mind, conveying Ras’ thoughts to her as they drove. Up ahead, she saw the silhouette of Mount Lyre. I understand. She sent her thoughts back towards her companion.
“James, we’re heading up to Mount Lyre.”
~
Within the Dungeon, Marcus was struggling against the paralysis that gripped him while Jess led the group, followed by Not-Dave and himself, and Alice bringing up the rear in her combat puppet.
Even Alice hasn’t noticed something is wrong… Marcus thought to himself, his heart still racing in panic. What even was that thing? It looked like a ghost, but the Dungeon can’t spawn Undead.
The icy needles were unrelenting, working themselves in further as they attacked his nerves and disturbing his focus. Every time he tried to move or form words, his muscles would be overwhelmed by the pain, refusing to respond.
I can’t give up here. He thought to himself. It’s already gotten control of Dave… if I can get free, I can help Jess take him down.
Marcus mustered every ounce of his will to fight for control of his body, urging his limbs to obey him. Twitch.
With a monumental effort, he was able to force a limb to move, forcing him to reconsider his options.
The biggest problem is Jess and Alice don’t know something is wrong… if I attacked one of them, they should realise…
Marcus felt as if the darkness was pressing in all around him as he gathered his will once more for a last ditch effort.
Freezing agony coursed through his body as he forced himself to halt, only the creature’s control preventing him from screaming himself hoarse.
As Alice drew nearer, he pushed himself beyond his limits, tackling the combat puppet to the ground as he felt as though his body was pierced by dozens of icy knives.
I did it! He thought as he struggled to maintain consciousness in the face of the agony he was enduring, but just as he felt relief wash over him, he heard the mournful sound of wind blowing through the trees, watching in horror as more of the shadowy figures descended on the group.
As Jess and Dave approached, a shadowy figure pounced, wrapping itself around her before it flowed into her body as one had to Dave.
No, no, no! Marcus was frantic as another figure took its time, slowly approaching his prone form before plunging into his open mouth, drowning him in darkness.
~
The bus drove down the highway in the late afternoon light, having carried on nonstop after finding only ravaged buildings along the way.
In the time following Integration, many of the plants had begun to be affected by mana, leading to rapid growth and alterations in their forms. As a result, the land leading up towards Mount Lyre had become engulfed by a vast forest of towering trees whose canopy blanketed the road in a near-twilight even while the sun remained in the sky.
Ras and Mona perked up as they rounded a bend, their ears picking up activity within the forest ahead as they sent a warning to Sarah.
“Careful, James. There might be something there past the bend.” She called to the driver, her own eyes alert and searching for movement.
As the curving road straightened out, there, she caught her first sight of the creatures her bond had detected.
Small furry humanoids with vulpine features carrying crude weapons were riding on the backs of large feathered raptors as they appeared to patrol along the road in a group. Catching sight of the bus, the furry creatures released a savage shriek and urged their bipedal mounts towards the bus.
Shit. I count seven, and there may be more nearby… there’s too many for Ras and Mona to take. Sarah thought to herself as she saw the creatures charge towards them.
“James, you don’t stop no matter what. If we stop, we’re dead.” She said, her face grim.
As she was trying to figure out how to get through the impending crisis, Sarah was surprised to hear a beeping coming from her watch.
Incoming communication from Alice.
Sarah stared at the watch in shock for a moment before tapping the watch, hearing a cool feminine voice within her mind.
“Hello there. I assume you’re in the bus beset by the Gremlins on the road? Do you require assistance?” The voice asked.
“What? Who are you? Yes, I’m in the bus. Gremlins are those furry things riding the raptors?” Sarah asked, confused.
“Yes. They’re the spawn of a nearby Dungeon, patrolling its borders. If you’re in need, I can help you ward them off.” The voice replied. “As for myself, my name is Alice. I’m the administrator of Greywall fortress, located on Mount Lyre.”
“There’s too many for me to fight alone. If you’re able to help… we really need it. Greywall…?” Sarah’s voice trailed off as the Gremlins began their assault.
Small, crude spears were hurled towards the bus at shocking speed and with enough force to impale any of the occupants. Sarah felt despair grip her heart momentarily as a thin film of light enveloped the vehicle, blocking all of the impacts.
“Ensure your driver maintains speed. The barrier is sufficient to absorb their blows for a brief period, however it may take you some time to lose them.” Alice said.
“I recommend you make a stop here on the mountain before continuing on. Our walls are well defended, and there are many groups such as the one you encountered in the nearby region.”
Sarah was in such a daze after witnessing the shield block the monsters’ attacks that she could barely follow Alice’s words, let alone respond.
~
Cold.
Marcus’ consciousness returned, his entire being filled with biting, unforgiving cold. He tried to look around, but found he was unable to move. Am I dead, or is this something else? He wondered
Slowly, steadily his feeling, and he became more aware of his surroundings. Every inch of his body was suffering from a dull, aching pain.
Slowly but surely, and with great effort, he was able to open his eyes, spotting Jess and Dave seated next to where he lay within the Keep infirmary.
“Rise and shine, princess.” Dave said with a chuckle. “You really need to pay more attention to the plants you step on, bro. That’s two for two.”
Plants? Marcus wondered, but found it quite difficult to speak, his body suffering from a bone-deep cold.
“You came in contact with a parasitic fungus, Breath of Midnight.” Alice answered his question without him needing to speak. “I recommend you purchase a skill that enhances your senses and awareness when we return, Marcus. You’re far too careless.”
“Wait, but what about those… shadow things I saw?” Marcus asked confused. “A waking nightmare that the fungus induces in its victims.” Alice replied calmly. “Fortunately, the fungal bodies have a high moisture content and are particularly vulnerable to cold, and Jessica was able to purge it from your body with Rime.”
No wonder I’m so damn cold. Marcus thought.
“Alice is right, Marc,” Said Dave. “Who knows what happens next time, you know? That’s already two close calls, and it’s not like any of us has any kind of healing ability. I hate to say it bro, but I think you should hang back for now.”
Marcus released a sigh as he laid back, looking up at the ceiling. It’s going to be impossible to gain xp for the next while I guess.
“Actually, Marcus, we have visitors.” Alice replied to his bitter thoughts.
“What? Where are they?” He asked, shocked.
“They’ll be arriving within the next hour or so, if you’d like to meet them.” She replied.
