Shards of Felwyn

Reathogg

When the shoreline of the Wornmoss Peninsula came into view, Cosmo was reminded of just how dreary and desolate the Hinterland Wastes truly were. The only thing to contrast the murky grey waters and drab clay shores was the silhouette of a jade green forest, which stretched from the coast into the horizon. That must be it. Cosmo thought, looking at the dense woods with wide eyes. It was larger than he could have imagined, and darker than any part of the forests on Coeden.

"We should light a fire." Molniya shivered. "The longer the night goes on, the colder it will get."

"I can gather firewood from the treeline." Cosmo offered, carefully disembarking from the boat as Lileth pulled it farther ashore.

"I'll help you out." Lysander said, stepping out behind him.

"Lileth, help us set up camp." Elias ordered, straining to remove his armored food from the muddy shore. "If we have an encounter with Varren, it would be helpful to be disguised. I don't think a battle with the Prince would go well if we lack the presence of both Cosmo and Lysander."

"In that case," Lileth turned her attention to the two boys, who had already begun to leave for the treeline. "Be attentive to dry wood. Such a thing is not common in the Wastes." The two simply nodded, before turning their backs on the other three, walking towards the looming shadow of Reathogg in front of them. After several moments of silence, Lysander cleared his throat and spoke.

"Do you really think it's in there?" He muttered, his eyes fixed on the shadows just behind the first layer of willows. Cosmo looked over at him with a curious look, before he understood.

"I'm not entirely sure, being perfectly honest." He sighed, looking up at the stars above. His eyelids were heavy and his legs were sore. "But it has to be, right?"

"What do you mean?" His cousin responded.

"If it's not, then it's with Galdernad." Cosmo explained, swallowing the lump in his throat. "And if that's true, then we've already lost."

"What do you think we'll do? If you reach out and search for something with your mind, but come up empty handed?" Lysander asked. Cosmo paused, looking at his cousin and then towards Reathogg. I don't believe he's stopped asking questions since I met him. He thought, and chuckled to himself.

"That's something I'll worry about after I see what exactly is in there." He responded as the two approached the treeline. "You go look for firewood. I'll take a look at the forest." Lysander nodded and began searching the treeline as Cosmo pulled himself onto a nearby tree branch, leaning his back against the trunk and closing his eyes.

Listening closely, he could hear every noise surrounding him, as though he was the forest himself. Squirrels skittered below the underbrush, insects buzzed on tree bark, a bird was roosting in a tree hollow, and Lysander's quiet footsteps echoed over the leaves and bushes, resounding infinitely into the wild. Cosmo then searched for the same light he had seen from Molniya upon first meeting her. What he saw instead caused his hair to stand on end.

Reathogg was alive, in the most horrific definition of the word. In the place of the glowing bright light that Cosmo had expected was a river of indigo and slate energy, flowing from the outside of the forest to an unknown middle, where something extremely powerful laid. Cosmo had no clue what exactly waited in the center of Reathogg, only that it pulled in mana like an overambitious spellcaster and that he could feel this gravitation, as though the mana was being pulled from his very being. It was unlike anything he had ever seen before.

Cosmo screamed, as he lost his balance and fell from the branch, colliding with the ground. The wind had been knocked out of him and he rolled on the ground, moaning in pain. He could hear Lysander's frantic footsteps in the distance.