The Astralaceaes

Chapter 18: Battle in the Hilum

"A what?" Haledon cried out. His eyes darted in horror toward the ghouls that stalked from across the room.

With pinpoint precision, two obsidian daggers sunk into the core of one of the wendigos. It stumbled back against the first level of terraced seating and released a guttural yowl.

Spark raced with silent steps from across the rock platform. Rebounding off stone and stump, she landed against the beast's chest, where she freed the daggers with a vicious slash. Flipping back onto the stage, she readied herself in a defensive posture.

"It's a fight," Spark said excitedly, looking at Witch-Hazel. "I've got this one; can you get the other?"

Haledon looked back to the wendigo that stood ahead of the guild. The creature's stance had changed as it sprung forward on all fours in a terrifying gallop. The front limbs launched as the hind pushed forward, splashing its sickly sap across the platform with each step.

Tripping over his feet, Haledon stumbled to the stone. He held up his arms defensively as the bodies of Gazeas and Witch-Hazel tumbled over him. In an instant, his world was consumed by darkness. He felt his stomach lift into his chest as the sensation of falling through a canopy of trees rushed over his body. It flooded his senses, and as quickly as it had started, it stopped, and he emerged back into the light of the Hilum.

"You two stay here. Can't have you dying." Witch-Hazel ordered the Druids before decomposing back into the floor.

Haledon quickly stood to find that he and Gazeas had been relocated to the Hilum's top terrace. Down below, Witch-Hazel emerged from a pile of humus where the three had previously stood. Beyond their bramble frame, the charging wendigo stopped and looked around confusedly. Its antlered head twitched and twisted as it sniffed at the air.

Haledon remembered the pale tree's erratic movements from his waking dreams and instinctively grabbed his stomach. He shook his head and focused on the fight below.

He watched as, with a flourish of Witch-Hazel's hand, vines reached out and gripped the leg of the wendigo. They ripped the cord taut, sending the beast stumbling forward.

Pulling it to the ground, Witch-Hazel tapped their staff to the stone with a thunderous clap. Thorny vines reached from between the shattered rock, up and over the monster, restraining it.

"We should help them," Gazeas remarked.

Haledon looked over to see her huddled beside him as she stared at the scene in terror.

"Witch-Hazel said to stay here, so we should do that." He replied quickly.

"They're in danger!"

"They're Earth Druids. They're going to be fine."

Haledon turned his head back to witness Spark limply flying through the air into Witch-Hazel. As the two tumbled to the ground, the vines around the second wendigo went slack, and with a thick ripping sound, the creature broke free.

He looked to Gazeas with an anxious expression. Her face had contorted into worry as she stared at the platform.

"Gaz—" Haledon pleaded and reached out, but she began to run before he could grab her.

"Gazeas!" He yelled as he chased after her. A furious scream from below caused him to stop and look back to the fight.

Spark had jumped to her feet and rushed back to engage the wendigo. She met the creature directly, stabbing towards its chest but coming up short. The tar-soaked claws swiped at her in riposte, cutting the air around her but never making contact.

After one failed counterstrike, Spark took advantage of her momentum and rolled behind the creature. She drove her daggers high into its back, causing it to cry out in pain. With wild swipes of the wendigo's long arms around, Spark evaded swiftly.