Stone Sacrifice ✔️Chronicles of Grey BOOK ONE [COMPLETED]

Chapter Five

As mentioned before, the Eastwood was a long line across the map all the way from the North Mountains all the way down to the South Boarder. It was a dangerous forest, filled with unexplainable fogs, angry beasts, and ghosts cursed to be trapped within the trees forevermore.

In the south, the forest was hunted in even, and though it was still dangerous, odd homes of mages and witches confined themselves within. The further north you went along that angry slash of ink on the map, however, the deadlier it became. Some say this was due to the dragons in the North Mountains, using it as a deadly barrier around the enterance of their caves. Whether this is true or not, I don't know, but it seemed to be working in their favour as more feared traveling to the cave entrance then they did the black dragons themselves.

All the kings of the land had attempted in some way to destroy this forest, for every terrible thing that still lived inside Nahdiera was an extension of this forest or something that escaped it, but no matter how many trees were cut, they always grew back within the year. Roads were overgrown in weeks, armies sent to clear it of all beasts return confused on where they had been, magical barriers created by the strongest mages descinegrated as if the powerful magic were nothing more then a shield of ice in a hot, summer day.

Walking through Eastwood was not a death sentence - people walked through it every day - but those who passed through were guarded heavily and those who weren't became one of the several dozen a winter that walked into the forest and was never seen again.

Walking through with four Shadows made approaching the heavy trees a bit less frightening, but when we were suddenly surrounded by darkness as the trees abruptly closed out the light behind us, I was suddenly very grateful for Arion at my side.

"What-"

"Shh." He put his fingers to his lips, then reached out and took my arm, moving me closer. "They're watching."

I didn't know who or what was watching but I didn't want to find out - just because Jovian taught me how to kill every creature inside the boarders of Nahdiera, didn't mean that I wanted to test my skills.

As we walked deeper and deeper, the forest became darker and darker until I wasn't sure how Rian and Aitch (who led the group) were not walking into trees. I myself kept feeling branches brush against me and catch my hood even though I was sure I was ducking far enough down to avoid them. Were they moving? Reaching out to me? I shivered.

When we stopped, I was not pleased. I'd known we would need to spend the night in the forest, but had somehow forgotten it as we'd walked. There was no clearing, we simply stopped where we were all of a sudden and Arion handed me over to Rian while he bent to the ground. He rubbed a twig between his hands and dropped it, but nothing happened.

He cursed. "The trees are blocking me."

My eyes widened at that. Shadows had their own kind of magic, ones to build fire, see better, become stronger and even hide better. For him to not be able to build a fire meant something stronger then even a mage was stopping him. The trees, he'd said. But how could that be?

"I'll try." Jaz said, crouching, "it may be the ghosts." But she too was incapable. They frowned at the trees then looked to Aitch.

Aitch sighed and snapped his fingers, a puff of fire flickered on his thumb and he jammed it down into the ground. Immediately, a fired built out, but then it died just as quickly.

Everyone was still a moment, then Arion sighed. "Aitch, Jaz, you take first watch."

And so it was.

I wrapped the cloak tightly around myself and lay on the frozen ground, huddled up to Rian while Arion guarded my back. I listened to the moaning sounds of wind and groaning of trees when there was not a drop of movement in the air. I listened to the lack of sounds that indicated storms coming when there wasn't a drop of rain or snow. I felt the cool chill brushing through my bones on random occasions when the air was not getting colder. I heard branches snap as beasts I could not see moved outside our circle in the blackness.