Chapter Twenty-Six Why’d it have to be a Soul Snatcher?

“Elder what?”

For a moment he didn’t get any answer as they sat there at the edge of the clearing looking in at an army of naked women with lifeless eyes arranged around a strange tree. A young girl was screaming on an altar before the trunk, strange vines with odd barbs hovering over her. Her piercing cries were filled with pain, just as glowing light rippled around her form only to be absorbed by the barbs, just moments before something was pulled out of her.

Suddenly the screaming stopped, and the little girl stood up, vacating the stone altar, her eyes now looking lifeless, vacant, just like the other girls.

Finally, Polca said, “Soul Snatcher, why’d it have to be one of those? Why couldn’t it have been Trolls?”

Hikaru took another look, as another girl was being placed on the altar, “Soul Snatcher? Wait, do you mean that tree is stealing souls?”

“Unfortunately, yes. That tree is a kind of monster, just a very foul breed of monster.”

“I see, um, how do we deal with it?”

“We don’t, we don’t have the firepower, certainly not for an Elder.”

“Alright, why?”

“Soul Snatchers grow stronger with age and number of souls... eaten. This one is an elder, its bark has long since hardened into natural armor, denser and tougher than any tree has a right to be, and resistant to magic. None of our weapons will be able to scratch it,” she sighed. “Other than that unworldly protection, they aren’t that dangerous. I’d be more worried about the Husks.”

‘Husks?”

She pointed at the girls, “Them, what’s left after it takes a soul. The bodies left behind serve the tree, and are controlled by it.”

“Alright, so we need to get out of here and not get caught, or it will steal our souls?”

“Pretty much,” said Polca as she gestured, “Now let's get moving, while it’s distracted with its meal.”

“Can’t we save them?”

“If it’s not too late, we need the firepower first.” said Polca. 

Eren hopped by a path hidden in the tree’s “This way!”

Hikaru let out a breath and joined her on the path. Kuon was close behind, while Polca rushed out ahead. No one spoke, but Hikaru couldn’t help thinking about the Soul Snatcher and the army of victims they were leaving behind. He couldn’t help wondering what Polca had meant about not too late.

It wasn’t long before they had other worries, when a large lizard burst onto the trail. Lifeless, blank eyes staring at them. It roared before spitting. The liquid blob splattered harmlessly off Kuon’s shield, the armored giant moving to block it with dazzling speed.

Hikaru drew his blade, his mind racing as he recalled all he knew about Drava. They were fast, strong and armed with a potent natural weapon. A paralytic acid that could melt through armor yet leave your skin untouched. Thankfully Kuon’s shield seemed to be holding up. An odd glow on it after the strike, perhaps an enchantment, but these things were pack hunters. Worse, he was pretty sure the one in front of them was a Husk.

Sure enough two more materialized from the trees jumping from the rear, only his quick actions and Eren’s shout gave him a warning. His blade sliced through the air as he turned, catching one in the neck. The sharp blade cut deep into the tough hide, as the lizard recoiled. Despite the fatal wound it stood, and roared. Idly he caught sight of Eren as she drove her knives into the second several times.

Polca cursed, “Damn it! The Snatcher was watching! It must have let us come near.”

“Plan!?” He inquired while watching the circling lizards, four more slipping from the trees.”

Eren pointed to the left, “Run!”

He couldn’t agree more, and the group darted to the left. Narrowly avoiding two more that moved to block their escape. One taking a vine across the chest, the plant sprouting from nowhere, while the other was skewered on Kuon’s blade.  The wound was deep but didn’t put the thing down. Both moved to chase as part of the pack. 

Hikaru kept an eye on the trees as they ran. Polca shot powerful bolts of ice and manipulated the plants to ease their run. All the while more of the damn things chased after them, and they were fast.

All too suddenly they ran out of land, as they came upon the top of a cliff, water thundering down to the land below. They were trapped with a forest behind them and a waterfall in front of them. Panting, he caught another Drava husk in the chest with his blade as more poured out of the trees. “Damn it! There are too many of them!” cursed Hikaru.

Kuon commented, “Um? Where do we go from here?”

Polca shouted, “Into the water, hurry!”

Hikaru glanced at the rushing waterfall and the drop. That had to be at least fifty meters, but he didn’t think fighting a few hundred Drava had better odds. He took a step back, as another charged them with two of its buddies spitting. He sidestepped a bolt of acid, just as Eren screamed. Without missing a beat, he took a step and slashed. A flash and his blade caught the Drava across the torso, blood spurting as the thing fell.

With a moment to spare, he saw Eren with a blob of acid splashed across her face. Polca dragged her into the water. Hikaru rushed in after, eyes on the circling Drava. Kuon was last before jumping into the water. The current was fast and they were swept over the edge into the river below.

_______________

Arlie stepped out of her tent, clutching a cloak to her small form. Horon spotted her leave, “Still a bit early for your shift.”

She yawned, “I’d rather sleep but my body has other ideas.”

“Ah!” he said before moving away.

She took the path to the latrine they had prepared when they made camp, leaving Horon to keep an eye out for monsters but so far it was pretty quiet. She honestly wondered where all the Drava and the usual monsters had gone. There was something unsettling about how unusually calm the forest in these parts were.

Pausing for a moment just outside the latrine she looked around. She’d thought she had heard a noise, but there wasn’t a thing. Letting out a breath, she cast a spell, one every mage worth her salt knew; Mana sensing. The moment the spell activated her senses expanded as they sought out nearby souls, yet aside from her friends and a few birds asleep in their nests she found nothing. No monsters, no people, no predators, it was perfectly peaceful. 

Maybe it had been her mind playing tricks on her or something. Letting the cloak she was wearing fall open, she took the final steps into the latrine, and set her cloak aside before taking care of business. Feeling oddly vulnerable while she did so, like something could go wrong at a moment's notice. Yet nothing happened and moments later she was out of there, securing her cloak around her again as she hurried back to her tent.

Three steps from her tent a voice reached her ears and a shudder went down her spine. “Arlie, good! You’re up! I have something for you.”

Arlie didn’t move as the words echoed in her mind. Not at first, then slowly she turned, hoping against hope that she hadn’t heard the dragon’s voice. That it was her mind playing tricks on her, after walking around at night in this spooky forest. Yet there she was, in all her naked glory with a look on her face that made Arlie feel small. Another shudder went down her spine, “You, um... do?” she winced, “More training?”

“Something like that, wake the twins, it’s time to strike camp.”

Arlie groaned, “Its the fucking middle of the night! We won’t see the sun for at least four hand spans!”

“Perfect time for a little march.”

This sounded like the worst time for a march. It was dark out, with no sunlight to illuminate their way. Fortunately, they had a rare double full moon to light their way, but that didn’t mean she wanted to be marching at this hour. She’d rather sleep. A yawn escaped her, proof that she was tired.

“Oh don’t be like that, it will be fun!”

“I doubt that,” she replied. Her mind flashing to the hellish day and night she’d experienced right after leaving the temple. Along with the several sessions they’d had since that day. Now when she finally thought they’d have a few days without the dragon, she shows up in the middle of the night. Less than a week after they had finally set out for the Blue Temple with extra funds she’d withdrawn from home to help book the trip. Her plan to hire a boat was going to cost a little, but it would also save her a lot of time getting to the capital. From there it would be a simple matter to hire a ship and sail to Blue Rock Isle, the famous island upon which the Blue Temple was situated.

Only here Aurora was, with some kind of detour in the middle of the night. She didn’t know what to make of this situation.

The dragon walked past her and entered her tent. Coming out later with the twins, neither of which had been given a moment to dress, their armor still in their hands.

Arlie sighed, “So where are we going?” By this point she was pretty sure they weren’t going back to bed. Damn dragons and their plans.

Aurora smiled, “Some friends of yours need some help. I’m just making sure you will be in the right place, at the right time. The rest will be up to you.”

She frowned, “What could possibly be going on that we have to wake up and march in the middle of the fucking night!?”

Aurora didn’t say, only directed them to strike camp. It was all Arlie could do to find time to get properly dressed. The twins had a hard time getting dressed as well, with that dragon rushing them along for reasons she scarcely understood.

All too soon, the tents were packed, the cart was ready and Dusk was hooked up and ready to go. Arlie settled in her usual spot near the cart and let out another breath. She didn’t even know where they were heading.

Aurora merely directed them onto the road and the group started marching. Where they were going she had no idea, and Arlie didn’t think she’d know till she got there. Nothing about this sat right with her, but she had no idea how she’d change things.