They arrived in The Forest without any issue. The journey from Bel Dharim to the gateway had been uneventful, save for a few monsters that descended on them and threatened violence. The serenity of the forest was a welcome sight, and the two of them had stood there for quite some time, simply soaking in the peaceful sounds and the lush greenery. Every level had been beautiful in its own way so far, but the sight of a forest filled with trees that hurt one’s neck to sight their branches, and trunks so thick that a two lane tunnel could easily fit within was a majestic sight unlike any seen on Earth. The varying shades of green were absolutely gorgeous.

They didn’t hesitate long at the gateway. They set off along the trail that led from the gateway into the woods together, their pace hurried but still comfortable. The two of them had been travelling together ever since they’d entered the Dungeon, but their companionship went back far further than their entry into the strange land.

As the trail led them into the darker woods, the woman gave her male companion a reassuring smile. The trees were so large that they weren’t clustered close together, yet between the ferns and the debris things seemed to be cluttered together. They walked together in a comfortable silence for several minutes, until they came across a small clearing where the trail simply faded into nothing. What’s this all about? The woman thought. The man looked up to her, his eyes asking a silent question.

Her sword dropped into her hands. He nodded and brought his hands up, the arcane energy that surrounded them bright enough to illuminate the woods surrounding them. “What’s this, then?” He asked softly.

She shrugged. There was no telling. It was quiet. Too quiet. An arrow flew from the darkness, plinking harmlessly to the side as it deflected off of her armor. “Look out!” She called as she saw several more arrows flying towards them. She moved to stand in front of him, an odd light glowing in front of her as she activated a special ability, ‘Bulwark.’ The arrows seemed drawn to her. She swung her massive sword in a way that cut many of the arrows from the sky, while the rest were drawn to her armor where they bounced off.

Noise erupted from the woods around them as several dark shapes charged at them. They were heavily cloaked and wearing cowls that made it impossible to make out any real details. Three of the figures closed to melee range quickly. The woman shifted, her left leg going out in front of her body as she held one hand out in a guard while the other lifted her sword to hold it near her head, the tip of her blade angled downward.

As the first figure approached, her fist flashed out and caught them in the cowl. A cry of pain was all the response she got, but she didn’t dwell on it as she brought her blade upon one of the others, the sharp point rushing toward her enemy like an avalanche moving down the mountain. The weapon took them in the stomach, blood erupting from their back as it skewered them. She yanked backwards on the blade to pull it free, but she wasn’t able to bring it up in time before one of them managed to catch her in the side with a powerful blow that dented her armor.

Behind her, her companion’s energy flashed out. Bolts of raw energy took the assailant who closed into melee range out. Several more of the bolts flew off into the treeline, screams of pain indicating that they had found targets. He heard noise behind him and spun with his energy flared, lashing out at another cowled figure who dropped to the ground. He could hear several other figures approaching. They’re going to overwhelm us. “Back here! There are more approaching from behind!” He called.

The massive woman turned with a grimace, the dent in her armor reducing her ability to move effectively. She moved to meet the enemies where they stood, her broadsword flashing out as several more figures surrounded her. She managed to score hits on several of them, but she found herself surrounded even as bolts of arcane energy slammed into their opponents. Suddenly, she heard a cry behind her. She spared a glance behind her and saw two cowled figures grabbing her companion beneath his arms. “HEY!” She cried. She activated her most powerful skill, orange light enveloping her blade as she whirled around and cut through several of the figures, but more took their places.

He was being dragged away. He fought against them, kicking and yelling curses. Arcane energy flew from his hands, but held as he was he couldn’t properly aim. A heavy blow fell across his head, he felt wind fluttering across his face, then he knew no more.

The figures threatened to overwhelm her. She felt the bitter sting of tears in her eyes as she continued to fight them viciously, like a cornered animal. She struck out in a way that allowed her to turn back and see what had become of her companion, but he and his assailants had already vanished into the trees. Her health was dwindling. She was helpless to save him. Yelling in frustration, she activated one last skill and a large blast of energy emanated from her body, knocking the assailants back. She swore revenge and staggered away as quickly as she could.

She wasn’t sure how long she ran for, but eventually she realized that she had gotten away. Her body was so tired. Her legs heavy. I just need to rest... Then I'll save him. She took a seat against a massive tree trunk, her vision swiming as she leaned back against the sturdy trunk. I'll just rest here for a while... She didn't notice her health bar dwindling. Ticking down further and further. Darkness consumed her.

As he laid eyes upon that familiar cowl, Saul frowned and crouched down to insect the fabric. His fingers felt moisture there in the crimson fabric, and when he pulled them away from the fabric he found their tips stained red. A smell of the liquid revealed the coppery scent of blood. Holding those fingers up to Ishan for the man to see, he brought his other up to his lips in a shushing gesture. “Could be trouble.” He whispered as quietly as he could manage. Basi crept up beside him and sniffed the garment, then began to sniff around the clearing.

He turned his head, his eyes searching through the small clearing for signs of a struggle. Nothing leapt out at him. He closed his eyes and drew on his dantian, letting the energy within flow freely in his body. As the energy settled in his eyes, he opened them once more. It was as if he had been blind before. On the ground leading away from the cowl were small drops of red.

Those drops were spattered intermittently between two soft lines that spoke to him of someone being dragged away. Every so often, there were divets that broke up those lines. They indicated that the person had been struggling, likely kicking their feet to try and break free. In the far edge of the clearing, he could see branches that looked to be missing leaves compared to others, some of the ferns on the ground there bent or twisted unnaturally in one direction.

Moving throughout the rest of the clearing, he developed a picture for what had happened. He could see the faint hints of two human looking footprints, one bigger and deeper than the other. The two of them appeared to have stopped somewhere near the cowl, before an explosion of motion occurred. Footsteps blended together in a way that indicated battle. In several spots, he could see splashes of red liquid, intermingled with the undergrowth. Tracing those steps, he could the heavier ones headed in another direction, separate from the trail that indicated dragging, haphazardly placed as if their source was staggering.

He felt for his bond to Basi and sent a message to the lizard, “Follow that trail. If you see any enemies, come back and get me.” His companion moved off into the woods. Saul turned and waved a hand to grab Ishan’s attention. He mimed a walking motion with his fingers, then pointed to the alternate trail. He crouched low and moved off, his steps as silent as a ghost as he stole through the forest. The footprints were irregular, as if the source had been staggering, and eventually they seemed to round one of those massive trees.

He summoned his spear from his inventory, the weight falling comfortably into his hands as he rounded the tree, spear at the ready. A massive armored form filled his eyes, a woman with blonde hair. Her eyes were closed, head slumped to the side. Beneath her armor, he couldn’t see if she was breathing. He could see a massive dent in the breastplate. “Liza?”

She didn’t stir. He crept forward, dismissing his spear and reaching out to place a hand beneath her nose. Her breath played across his knuckles, hot, short, shallow. He withdrew a medium healing pill from his inventory and pressed it against her lips. With his free hand, he pulled her jaw open and he inserted the pill. He stepped back and waited.

Ishan came to stand beside him while he watched Liza for any signs of improvement. “Who is she?” The man whispered quietly.

“Someone I did a quest with, back in The Mountains before we met. Her… partner… wore the red cowl that we found in that clearing. She may have some information for us, and if nothing else… She’ll have a desire for vengeance.” Her skin, which had been pale, was starting to grow flush before his eyes. Seems like a good sign. Eventually her eyelids fluttered open. “Liza? Are you doing okay?”

Her eyes were cloudy as she looked around, before her gaze settled on Saul. She placed a hand against the dented portion of her breastplate and winced, a pained hiss escaping from her lips. The pain seemed to bring clarity to her eyes, “Saul? Where’s Edwin?”

Saul just shook his head, “I was hoping you could tell me. It looks like you guys had a run in with something nasty. I’m here investigating reports of disappearances along the trail.” Her eyebrows furrowed, then her eyes opened wide. She leaned forward as if to get up.

“We were walking on the path… I remember coming through the gate…” She paused for a moment, looking around as if to help get her bearings. A frown crossed her lips. Her gaze seemed to grow more focused as she continued, “That’s right, we had just come through the gate when we came under attack. They… I couldn’t really see what they were. They were wearing cloaks. Edwin… He…” She drew in a breath, her eyes showing moisture at the edges as she closed them. “I managed to kill some of them, but when he saw we couldn’t win, he tried to distract them… I got away, but…” She bit back a sob.

He placed a hand on her armored shoulder, the metal cold beneath his hand. “How are you feeling now? This is Ishan.” He gestured to his partner who waved. “We’re going to find whoever did this, and we could use some help.” She looked at him then, and for a moment her eyes were unfocused. Must be reviewing her status. She gave him a nod and rose to her feet, her lips drawn thin in a grimace as she steadied herself.

“I can help.” A small pill appeared in her hand. She popped it into her mouth and chewed vigorously on it. Her posture seemed to straighten as she chewed as if the medicine gave her strength. She extended a hand to Ishan, “Liza. Nice to meet you.” Her words were short and clipped. Her focus, absolute.

Ishan took her hand into his own, “Ishan. I will be happy to help you.”

Saul cleared his throat and spoke clearly, “Party invite: Liza!” As she accepted, her status bar appeared in the bottom right corner of his vision. He could see her health was below half, but it was creeping up at a quick place. She should be fine. Basi appeared before them just at that moment. An impression of a clear trail flashed in Saul’s mind. An impression of a man cloaked in red, bound and battered, but not dead yet. “I think Basi saw him. He knows where they’re holding him. Let’s go get him back!”

Liza nodded, her eyes smouldering with resolve. “These people will have hell to pay. Let’s go rescue my man.”