Shadows Reborn (2nd Book)

Chapter 12: United Once More

Seyl-to-ren.

Okay, bai. =3

They were walking for about an hour now, with no signs of them ever being closer to the orc campsite. They were rather disappointed to know that the village itself had no horses to sell, in fact, they hardly had any livestock to feed them all, which made the others feel pity for the poor villagers, and it pained Fendrel to know that they can't help them. Their supplies are meager enough as it is.

Well, everyone felt pity except for the Nightwalker himself....

They were walking on a field that could've reached miles around, and it was a weirdly devoid of life for a field full of such lush plant life. But they really didn't care. More things went on inside their thoughts.

The memory of that woman, that saeltoren, and then that ligvus, that tree abomination, it was still running amok in their minds, and everytime they heard her screams echo again, they shivered at this visage. She was a forest guardian, Fendrel had described, and up until now, the old man was explaining their existence to his companions.

"Why are they so vicious?" Katelyn asked, raising an eyebrow. They were all still tired from that saeltoren, and their travels only worsened it. Already, sweat coated their bodies, and their breaths were becoming labored as they struggled so much. Alianor was asleep, and Fendrel had taken the liberty of carrying her, which to the old man, was a daunting task, considering her weight.

"They normally aren't," Fendrel replied, heaving Alianor up. "In fact, they are, in very rare occasions, known to help lost travellers, but once you wound their trees, you would have to contend with an enraged woman that controls the forest to her will.

"Is there only one sa..sel..sael..?" Justin stuttered out, unable to pronounce the words correctly, which elicited a short chuckle from both Katelyn and Fendrel.

"Saeltoren? And no, many more dominate just one cluster of trees." Came Fendrel's answer. He sighed, and if he hadn'y remembered the weight on his arms, he might have stretched it outwards. "Let's camp here, I don't care if it's out in the open. I'm so tired, and I'm not doubting even for one second that all of you feel the same."

The Nightwalker that was Seere opened his mouth, as if to say something, and the old man anticipated the words about to come out. "Except for Seere, that is."

Seere closed his mouth, and Fendrel chuckled again.

He gently sat on the soft earth, laying Alianor's head on his lap, stroking her growing hair. He sighed.

Finally, my legs can have a well-deserved rest.

"I'm not complaining," Katelyn remarked, sitting down on the ground, stretching her legs and arms out as she sighed.

"Me too," Justin commented, setting down their supplies on the grass. He sat, pulling his knees closer to him. He dared to ask again, his pronunciation still flawed,"Why didn't you just kill the saeltoren?"

"I've--we've--been wondering the same thing, old man. She was but one woman, and that thing was alone, we could've killed them."

Fendrel shook his head. "The things, the ligvus, are faster than you account them for, and the saeltoren herself is very dangerous."

Before Katelyn had the chance to offer a rebuttal, Fendrel continued, striking all of their attention in one swoop. "And they probably have the best defense mechanism on this plane."

"And that is?" The Nightwalker Seere asked, raising an ebony eyebrow. "Even if such entities are skillful in matters of battle, one could not hope to stand against a demon, a disciple of Merec, and two assassins."