The Constellation

1.7 The Dark Mane

Part I

Panthera POV

We were standing in front of the forest. For the first time in a long journey, some part of me think that we shouldn't have to enter the forest. Chill ran through my whole body, when gust of wind made an impact.

When we headed to the forest, their horses too sense the change I have once felt.

We marched in toward the forest.
Slowly but heavy mist surrounds all around. I can feel the compulsion merely to a mist, that doesn't sound good at all.

I asked them to hold back for sometime, and returned from there, wanted to reach the edge, but it's keeping distant away.

It feels like the forest blocks the way out.

It was already told by The Elders that the forest itself choose how to entangled it's pray.

That's exactly what happened with us.

When we move further into the forest I caught very familiar scent, a dangerous one I assume.

There, suddenly the pleasant smell filled everywhere.

Suddenly all of them stopped at once. It feels like they have forgotten the real aim, their head are blank out completely.

I asked promptly in frustration, "There is something wrong here." I felt someone's eyes on us.

Louis took a deep breath and relaxed, "Stop complaining. Praise the smell Panthera, take a deep breath."

I overlooked the surrounding and retorts, "Take a deep breath?" then I suddenly realized that there was strange flowers all around. There numbers are not normal for growth, they are over grown. I sniff the flower again.

Suddenly I recalled it, "These things eating your will. Stop breathing."

I roared at the horses to make them move forward, but in vain.

Suddenly, I fall to the ground with a loud thud and my head flinched with a sharp pain. I snarled and looked at my claws which have been lashed by large vines, with another moment it starting wrapping around my body. I yelp in pain as it felt like these vines are devouring my life energy out.

I vigorously started untangled myself.
On the process I accidentally scratched the vines around my claws.

Then I observe that void appears on the mist too. Seeing that, I started ripping off vines one by one with my sharp teeth and claws.

After some moments and tries, I managed to cleared enough mist that will help my friend to come back into reality. I was exhausted.

Everyone looked at me. I was scratching the surrounding one last time to make sure they didn't bother for sometime.

Cyrus asked, "What are you doing Era?"

I looked at all of them with my drained strength and spat at them, "I'm playing with the soil. Aren't you looking? Idiots you are all are in tricky illusion. And you are acting like a stupid. All of you." I said in fray.

Louis questioned me, "So, why you are not entangled in the illusion?"

I snap at him, "Because I'm a Mythical Creature. I can't be hypnotised."

Marcus sarcastically asked, "Oh! Well. What exactly we were doing at the time we hypnotised?"

I recalled and small laugh scaped me, "You are dancing and playing all around at this barren land." I couldn't hold any long and started laughing at their face.