The second day in the Ironwood forest was worse than the first, though not because of predators.
The terrain itself seemed determined to kill them.
Nox moved through the ancient forest with Serian at his side, his shoulder still aching but functional enough after another healing session that morning. The Ironwood roots created a maze of obstacles that required constant climbing and careful navigation, each step demanding attention that exhausted them both.
"This section feels different," Serian observed as they navigated around a particularly massive tree trunk. "More hostile somehow."
She was right. The forest around them had changed gradually over the past few hours, the trees growing closer together, the root systems more tangled, the air itself feeling thicker and harder to breathe. Something in the ambient mana was wrong.
"Hostile how?" Nox asked, scanning the shadows for threats.
