Chapter 6 - Stormclouds On the Horizon

It was sunrise, that peaceful moment of the day before the birds start chirping, and the rest of life awakens. Complete silence.

The silence was broken. Broken by the swift arrival of several ships, each adorned differently. Their wooden hulls bumped down onto the dewy grass. Still slick from a light rain the night before that had wet the hill, and the ancient stone shrine that lay atop it.

Solemnly, several men disembarked from each ship. Dressed in ceremonial apparel, and equipped with marks of their status. The three most impressive met at the center of the shrine, leaving their companions to stand at the bottom of the small hill.

"I hereby call this meeting of the Avasuid, Saudau, and Kappalar kingdoms together to discuss the resigning of the Treaty of Daphis. Once used to unite our kingdoms against a great evil, it is again needed for our continued survival."

The King of the Avasiud Kingdom, who had brought them all together for this purpose, brought out a crystal globe and placed it into a divet in the stone altar.

A resounding crack traveled out from the globe, now attached to the stone. Slivers of golden light wormed their way through the globe, replacing the dim morning light surrounding the monarchs with a soft yellow glow.

The monarchs expressions didn't waver, simply waiting for the effects to fade.

Moments later, the glow receded back into the globe, signaling the start of the meeting.

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Clouds of thick black smoke drifted up from the burning forest, taking with it the countless lives of those who lived inside. Men draped with crashing armor worked beside loosely garbed foot soldiers and foresters with thick and sturdy clothes. All with the purpose of cutting back the forest to gain insight into its mysteries.

Nearly half a mile away, the rest of the group waited, some were busy building opulent tents for their masters, others made food or brought water. Near the center of the growing camp was Vexxa, surrounded by several wizards and nobles she had brought.

Currently, they were discussing their plan of attack, with ships flying along the edge of the forest outside the reach of the territorial birds, they were able to gain an idea of the current situation.

Several minutes passed and one of the wizards stepped away from the group and shot balls of glowing light up into the air. Several hundred resting men stood and began to march towards the forest, coming to rest on its outskirts.

Four wizards in blue robes stood near the front, still protected by ranks of armored soldiers. As one they chanted and cast a spell. Waves of blue light pulsed from their raised wands, pushing away any smoke from the burning fires, and warding off insects and small animals.

The group appeared to be entering the maw of a giant beast, enclosed by piles of dark smoke, accentuated by bright flames. Briefly, the other men working to combat the forest turned and looked, before returning to their work. attempting to contain the spread of the forest from directly reaching the center of their kingdom.

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Lazily turning, brought back and forth by the breeze, swooping and soaring, aware of every inch of air. Clouds of burning and heat, pushing up and singeing the edges of already black feathers. Loud sounds, primal roars, Danger. Slicing talons, sharp beaks, flee. Far, far, far, away from green and food and high rocks and cold. Over bright colors, glancing metal, to empty skies. Gold, specks of brown, dirt with no worms, moving wood, far, far. blue, shimmering, crashing, Fish. More Danger, escape, far, tired, rest. Alone, brittle bark, waving in wind, Food. Eating, eating, full, leave. Gone, sun up, sun down, sun up, sun down, eating, flying. More gold rows, moving specks, dirt with no worms, moving wood. Stone, high, large, many smells, many moving specks, straight and twisted stones with many breaks, no place to nest. Leave, turn towards sun, last warmth, fly. Fewer specks, more tall stones, rows, long. Hole, big hole, large structure, crumbling, specks, noise, light, danger, run. sun up, sun down, sun up, sun down, sun up, sun down, sun up, mountain, birds, danger, pain, falling, pain, danger, screech, falling, pain, falling, impact, pain, darkness, darkness, pain.

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The nervous men in armor trudged forward, tripping and avoiding the forest's undergrowth. Their efforts were hampered as everything outside of the barrier was obscured from their sight. The men peering nervously forward began to hear the sounds of the camp be drowned out by silence and indistinct shrieks and roars.

The smoke outside slowly cleared out to reveal the thriving forest. The stench of sweat and fear permeated throughout the enclosed space that protected and enclosed the soldiers within.

Apparently deciding they were far enough away from the smoke, the Wizards cut the threads of mana connecting them to the shield. Startled the soldiers grasped their weapons, and steeled their nerves. One soldier looked up at a rustling in the branches, catching sight of a small bird being attacked by several other larger birds. A leopard dropped from above, slaying several men before magic and spears pushed it away bleeding.

The arrival of the beast only heralded the start of dozens of other attacks that slowly depleted the troop's men until they were forced to fall back lest they were wiped out.