Bloodline

Together - part 9

Moving through the forest like never before, Zircon weaved through each obstacle like nothing, though making sure Damian didnt straggle behind. As the voice directed him through each tree, he and Damian hear more voices as they go, eventually finding their other friends except Tesath, Zircon leading ahead to the center of the forest. "Why was she drawn to the center of the forest? What could possibly be there that's wanting to drain her of her magic?" Maralyne said as she dodges branches extending in front of her, Osred and Damain making sure to keep close to Zircon as he moves ahead. "I dont know, but whatever it is, it's not just going to drain her of her magic, but of her life as well. I'm sure you know why we cant let that happen." Lutol moves his big frame through each of the moving trees while also pulling his axe when it gets snagged by each little branch. "If only we were together again so we could simply get out already, I hate my axe grabbing onto every damn branch in existence here!" As they move closer to the center of the forest, the trees seem more and more gloomy, almost dead, a thick fog covering their trail and their view. Damian is the first to spot the swing of a branch in their direction, yelling to everyone else to duck. Zircon jumps over the swinging branch as Osred and Maralyne get caught by the branch, stopping just as it smack into Lutol, his big body somehow stopping the branch. "Zircon, wait up! We need to get them out of this!"

Zircon merely pushes on ahead, the branches all of a sudden moving out of his way, leaves appearing on the ground in a sort of path. He slows, but jogs up the path, the trees beginning to have a more lively appearance with autumn leaves falling, until he reaches a ring of trees, with a much larger one in the middle. Kneeling in front of the tree, Tesath looks up at the large tree's branches, a strange light emitting from somewhere in the leaves. Zircon looks around, walking to Tesath slowly, "Tess! We need to get out of here now! I know where we need to go from here!" She doesn't respond, a slight groan giving the slight sign of life. Walking closer, Zircon notices the light from the leaves, "Tesath! Snap out of it and let's meet with the others! Tesath!"

He puts a hand on her shoulder, only for her to turn to him, her eyes empty, lashing at him as he barely manages to dodge. Damian and the others appear from the trees, but they block their way to them. "Zircon! What's up with her!?" Zircon turns to him, confused, "I dont know! She's almost in a sort of frenzy I would guess!" He says as he moves away from another attack. He looks up at the light in the leaves, thinking. "Maralyne! Try shooting an arrow at that light in the leaves, can you see it!?" Maralyne looks up, "I can barely see it! But maybe I can hit it, I just need to climb one of these trees, at least if it doesnt throw me off!" Tesath screams at Zircon, running at him and clawing at his face. He barely dodges Tesaths frenzy, running up the bark of the large tree until jumping off its large bark, landing behind Tesath, holding a dagger. "Tess! Please, snap out of it! I dont want to fight you!" She only responds with more attacks, her eyes though empty showing a murderous intent.

Maralyne struggles as she climbs, nearly falling down on multiple occasions, but continuing the accent as the tree begins twisting wildly to remove her. She climbs a decent height, and pulls out her bow, trying to aim as the tree starts shaking her. Zircon sweeps Tesath in a blind attack, causing her to fall, which he quickly takes as an opportunity to pin her down, to no avail as her strength is almost like nothing he has ever seen, almost throwing him off of her. She gets up even more furious than before, and grabs her spear, a spark in her eye showing that his chances of reasoning have ended. "Anytime now Maralyne! Its not like our friend is going to use her power to fucking destroy me or anything!" "I'm going as fast as I can! This tree is-" she says before nearly getting whipped off the tree, barely managing to hold on by her fingertips. "-Doing exactly what its doing right now! I might not get a good enough shot but I can bring down that shiny thing up there!" Zircon parries an attack made with the spear. "Anything! Just do anything to bring it down!"

A red glow eminates from the spear, Tesath's eyes almost turning red as well as she charges at Zircon, him having enough time to dodge, the spear removing his cloak hood. She suddenly stops for a moment, but then begins attacking again, swinging her spear at Zircon wildly each time. As he dodges her latest attack, when seeing her flinch for the moment, he stops and puts his dagger away. "Tess! I know you can hear me, I know you have control over yourself! It's me, Zircon!" She screams at him again, straining over the sound of his name, continuing to attack, each swing appearing more desperate each time. "Please Tess! Take back control, whatever this is, its killing you the more its controlling you! We need to get out now!"

Just as this is said, Maralyne tries to line her shot, the tree still trying to shake her off. A yellow glow eminates from her eyes, and suddenly, a perfect shot goes straight into the air, the arrow slowing in the sky and beginning to drop. Zircon sees the glow of the arrow reflecting the sun, and moves out of the way before the arrow snags the glowing object, the arrow landing before Zircon's feet as Tesath thrusts the tip of the spear to his heart, Zircon barely seeing it, knowing full well his hesitation made it unable to be dodged. Time almost slows as he tries to dodge the thrust, it still on its path to his heart, he looks desperately for anything, looking to the arrow for anything.