ULTRAMagic Prelude

Chapter 24

Calling the collection of basaltic rock formations the group had arrived at a forest was being poetic. The Basalt Monolith Forest was a vast area of stone columns as far as the eye could see. They came in all sizes, creating a rather unique terrain to maneuver. Some rock groups formed mountains while others opened up into deep caves. The location created a feeling of both awe and dread (the latter more than the former). Few explorers dared to venture out this far in the past, causing rumors to be rampant.

Dragoslava was aware of these rumors, but some had been dispelled as time went on. One of the few other Descendants to explore the forest was her friend, Brenna. While the notion of curses and monstrosities were most likely untrue, there were still many other mysteries. Brenna had even caught sight of a humanoid amongst the stones, but she was not able to find the rest after it had fled. Whoever resided there were most likely isolated and cautious of outsiders (a reasonable stance to take).

Navigating the hexagonal formations was not easy, and Leif felt the brunt of this. "Blast! I figured this would happen..." he complained as he failed to find a spot to land.

"It's the columns, isn't it?" Blood-Wraith observed. He had gone back to his normal form once he had the chance.

"Indeed, Blood. Argh, I hate to do this to you all, but I need to take a shortcut. Keep going without me. Make your way to the Crimson Abyss and continue past that. I'll meet you in the darkness beyond." Leif roared, opening up a portal.

Desislav exhaled. "More primordial shennanigans?"

"Unfortunately. You have my apologies. Don't worry, someone unexpected should be along to help you."

As Leif entered the portal, Tusk vocalized his thoughts. "I've always wondered what the life of a primordial would be like. Now I can safely say that I do not envy them in the slightest. And if I was a primordial in my past life, I'll eat my hat."

The group pressed onwards, deeper into the rock formations. The forest was turning into a labyrinth that became more alien the further they went. The caverns that the basalt formed had strange carvings everywhere that looked disjointed due to the nature of the stone it was carved into. Even the rocks were starting to look off. They appeared to spiral inwards, most evident in slabs that had broken off from the columns. Things quickly grew pitch black, so Blood-Wraith led the way. His light illuminated the inky darkness, but it was quite scary for him. Fortunately Dragoslava had his back every step of the way.

After about an hour of walking, Blood-Wraith thought he had heard footsteps. They were not from the group, but were slightly ahead. He took a deep breath... then came the rustling of stones and shards. Panic was beginning to creep in. Was something following them? Dragoslava caught it too, but kept the group moving. Deimos would then feel something drip on his head. Looking up revealed nothing but a black, tar-like substance. It smelt faintly of blood. This put the whole group on edge. Something was definitely following them.

Blood-Wraith had it the worst. He was afraid, but not like when he fought the Lich. He had no idea what he was dealing with, nor how to defend himself from it. This was true fear and the tension was unbelievable. It felt like at any moment something could just reach out and grab him. More rustling caused him to quietly whine, so Dragoslava stopped the group for a break. With some deep breaths and encouragement, Blood-Wraith relaxed a bit. While everyone else rested, he took up Voidborne and looked around. The terrified soul brandished his staff around with the intent of catching whatever was following them. He heard the rustling once more and moved towards it...

Nothing. Blood-Wraith exhaled a sigh of relief. "Okay..." What he did not expect was a skinless, smiling face...

"HI THERE!"