Reaver

Chapter Four

 "What is the price?" I asked Shanyula suddenly suspicious of his goodwill.

"That is for the forest to decide," Shanyula said, drifting toward the trees around us, "they have already set your path, so you are easy to find. Now approach this tree and we shall see the price they demand of you."

I walked toward the indicated tree through the parting fog and felt my jaw drop as I approach. It was massive, far big, and more ancient than all the others.

It felt different, wiser, more scarred in its age. This was a very ancient tree, perhaps one of the oldest of all. You could see strands of what once was colored ribbons that had once been brilliantly tied to it branches.

This was not just a tree, I realized. It was an altar of some kind from long along.

As I approached, its branches creaked, groaning as if it were trying to talk with me.

"He says to worry not, you will live," Shanyula said with a small smile. But he was not looking at me.

I hesitated looking to the drifting ball of light, "What?"

"Oh, sorry," Shanyula pulsed blue then gold, "I was talking to the fallen god."

Wham!

On that note, faster than I could see, a branch whipped by my face narrowly missing by a centimeter. I heard a sharp impact, but felt nothing.

Looking back, I watched in horror as Hiedel looked down at the branch that had pierced through his chest.

Eyes widened in surprise he shakily reached up to grab it. Looking back at me, I could see the shock in his eyes. He had not seen this coming.

Within seconds, Hiedel was lifted off my back and thrown deep into the forest by the elder tree, only to disappear without a trace.

"Hiedel!" I roared, making a move to go after him. I felt my legs catch something that twisted up around my ankles before I could take a step. I looked down to see thick roots had grabbed my feet and were holding me to the ground. I was locked in place.

"Let me go!" I roared at the tree, suddenly overwhelmed by panicked.

The creaking and groaning of the tree continued from the elder tree.

"He says that your quest does not need the god for this part," Shanyula continued, still listening to the tree, "and that they have other plans for him."

"What plans?" I shouted, pulling at the root to try to break free. But their grip was like the cold iron chains I had worn in the Black Bloods prison.

Feeling trapped again set me mind in fight or flight mode, pure panic buzzing around in my mind.

"He will not say," Shanyula said, "Anyways, let us continue."

"Wait," I pleaded, still bound to the ground, "you said that he will live?"

"Yes," Shanyula said, "and if you are willing, they will let you go so we can continue."

I gave a deep sigh, trying to calm my inner self. Becoming a crazed beast right now would not help me on my quest and would amount to nothing.

The trees could keep me captive forever and I would become their food after I died a slow death.

"Very well," I looked at the trees taking a deep breath, "but if he does not live, I will see you all burned to ash. Not as myself, but as the Queen of dragon kind. I swear it on my bones and blood."

There was a deep, earth shaking groan throughout the trees, and I could see a few of them shudder as their roots pulled gently away from my feet as quickly as possible.