Light flickered through the broken canopy, hesitant like it fear the horrors lurking below. Every step the heirs took was measured, cautious as though the ground itself may betray them. Though in separate grounds, the heirs seems to have found their way out of the forest grip.
But the forest didn't just release them gently. It pat them out.
Branches snapped behind each heiras they stumbled forward, gasping for sky, they have almost forgotten. For days- or hours; time hadn't behaved normally through those cursed woods- they wandered through twisting paths that bent on them like serpents coiling tighter and tighter.
But at last, the forest thinned, and the heirs stepped into light...
Though separately, scattered and divided like shattered blade.
Ammon's body still burned from the poison, it took them hours to crawl out of the forest. When Ammon's boot finally touched open ground, he collapsed to his knees. The poison was coiling through his body like a cruel whisper, sinking it's hook deeper with every heartbeat. His lungs refused to obey him, his fingers numb to the hilt of his blade.
Beside him, Ayden's breath shuddered. He caught Ammon griping him in a hold that was equal parts brotherhood and desperation.
"Stay with me", Ayden's mummured, voice raw.
Ammon tried, he really did. But as he lifted his head, the world turned into a nightmare.
They stood in center of a dead battlefield. And everything they knew was gone.
Armoured corpses, the soldiers which were positioned to attack the beast hordes lay scattered like fallen constellation. Shields splintered, banners fell. Blood soaked the dirt in black, ugly patches. Smoke curled into the sky in crooked, accusing fingers.
Around them, beast emerged from the ruin, massive, predatory silhouettes padding closer with patient hunger. Their eyes gleamed as they circled drawn to the scent of blood and poison.
Far from the battlefield, close to the mouth of a shallow cave, came staggering heirs. The world outside was dim, muted by silence and smoke. They came with hope of regrouping with the armies and possibly General Lucian. But the silence they got was worsed than any beast they had faced.
No soldiers greeted them.
No banners.
No familiar footsteps.
Simon, bruised and exhausted, kicked a stone across the cave. According to the plan, "we were supposed to regroup here, where are they?, why isn't anyone here?"
Adler looked around for a sign of armies but couldn't find any. Two messenger dying gasp sourced from a close stone echoed through his mind. "Our armies... they've fallen... all of them."
The words clawed at him, cutting him like a knife, cold and sharp.
Adler couldn't move. His breath itched causing something inside his chest to twist violently that he nearly doubled over.
The pain again.
Worse than before.
A pull- deep, ancient and unyielding.
"Adler?" Anya voice trembled. What's wrong.
He barely heard her.
The pain in his chest pulsed again- hot, searing.
Not natural.
Not human.
Realizing, what could be happening. Adler clutched his shirt, fingers trembling. Not yet. Please... not here...