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> "In the lands where sorrow takes root, even the trees listen. And some burdens grow to become hunters."
> — Whisperwood Lore, Spoken by the Few Who Escaped
>
The dense canopy of the Whisperwood cast a twilight gloom over Ash and his companions. The air remained cool and damp, thick with the scent of ancient leaves and the subtle, lingering pressure of emotional apathy from the Queen of Sorrow's pervasive influence. Ash clutched the Core of Binding, its faint pulse a constant reminder of Captain Valerius's relentless pursuit. He could feel Valerius's mind, a sharp, calculating will, trying to anticipate their path through the intricate Ley Line currents of the forest.
"He's trying to funnel us," Ash warned, his voice low. He sensed a growing pressure from the east and south—Valerius was moving his forces, trying to push them towards a pre-planned ambush point in the winding forest trails. "He's planning to trap us."
Kael, ever watchful, his Path of Frost holding him in its quiet, detached state, moved with unnerving efficiency through the undergrowth. "His kind thrives on order, even in the hunt. He'll predict the easiest path. We must take the hardest."
Selene nodded, her twilight eyes sweeping the dense trees. "The Queen's influence here is also a form of order. It pacifies, it dulls. We must be quick, before its insidious calm settles upon us completely."
They veered sharply north, deeper into the less traveled, wilder parts of the Whisperwood. The ground became uneven, choked with ancient roots, and the trees grew even thicker, their branches tangling overhead like a giant, gnarled cage. Pools of still, dark water shimmered among the roots, reflecting the muted light. Ash felt the Ley Lines here, sluggish and heavy, burdened by profound sadness—a clear sign of the Queen of Sorrow's chilling reach.
"These are Weeping Pools," Master Elara whispered, his voice hushed. "They are said to collect the grief of the Drowned East. Prolonged exposure can induce overwhelming sorrow, or even apathy."
Lyra, ever practical, pushed aside a curtain of tangled vines. "Looks like we're heading for the border. But something's blocking the path ahead. A dense tangle. Almost too thick to pass."
As they drew closer, a low, guttural groan rumbled from within the thicket. The surrounding trees seemed to writhe, and the very air grew heavy with a tangible, crushing despair. From the depths of the twisted foliage, a monstrous form began to emerge. It was a creature of the Whisperwood, but horribly twisted: its body was a mass of gnarled roots and thorny vines, but it pulsed with a faint, dark light, and its head was a featureless mask of weeping wood, from which streamed silent, glowing tears of raw sorrow. This was no ordinary forest beast. This was a Grief-Woven Beast, a guardian corrupted by the very essence of the Queen of Sorrow's power, fueled by the pervasive sorrow in the Ley Lines.
"A manifestation of the Queen's sorrow!" Elara cried, his face pale. "It draws power from the very grief it embodies! It will try to overwhelm us with despair!"
The Grief-Woven Beast moved slowly, deliberately, its massive root-limbs tearing at the ground, each step shaking the earth. Its presence alone radiated waves of profound, aching sadness, trying to crush their spirits, to turn them into weeping shells.
Ash felt the immense despair, similar to the Shard of Grief in the Black River Caverns, but colder, more insidious. His Shard of Harmony and Chaos pulsed, fighting the emotional onslaught. He clutched the Core of Binding, sensing the Beast's connection to the warped Ley Lines. He knew a direct attack might not work; it was a creature of emotion and energy, not just flesh.
"Disrupt its core!" Selene yelled, her Path of the Hollow already flaring, weaving a shadowy barrier around the group that seemed to absorb some of the Beast's radiating despair. "It's fueled by grief! Break its connection to the Ley Lines!"
Kael, his face grim, understood. His own battle with the Shard of Grief had given him a dark insight into such creatures. He moved with cold resolve, drawing his sword. "Ash! Focus your Harmony against its despair! Try to disrupt its connection to the Ley Lines! I'll buy us time!"
The Grief-Woven Beast let out a silent, internal shriek as Kael charged, its root-limbs lashing out. Ash closed his eyes, focusing. He pushed a wave of fierce, unyielding Harmony from his Path of Flame directly at the Beast, not to destroy it, but to disrupt the sorrow that fueled its connection to the Ley Lines. He would try to unravel its despair, to expose the chaos of its making. The Core of Binding hummed in his hand, channeling his will. The air around the Beast crackled with raw, conflicting emotions.
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