The Fiasco at Scala

The Forsaken, part eight

8. Ennio and Ilaria had no choice but to traverse the unforgiving darkness of the inner forest. The queen was being stalked by a creature known as the Beast, a black doglike being with red eyes and large fangs that pattered over the dry leaves of the forest floor. The growing noises of the undergrowth compelled Ilaria to run for the nearest tree like a squirrel, safely out of reach of whatever was following her. When the Beast finally came into view, Ilaria jumped out of the canopy with her sword and fought the monster, ultimately killing it before it killed her. She then returned to the treetop, where she could see a close trail of woodsmoke floating up from the forest.

 Ilaria went across the trees to investigate, all the while hearing a growing chorus of wails and moans, only to find Ennio standing in the darkness holding a torch. Ennio gladly followed Ilaria out of the gloom back to the lighter parts of the wood, explaining to her that he had been tormented repeatedly by the spirits of the forest. He had lit a torch from flint and a piece of wood before entering the darker areas to help him find his way, only for the revenant spirits to poke and prod at him, avoiding his light before Ilaria found him. Ennio gave Ilaria his half of the map, surprisingly still intact for the queen to mend using thread from her clothing and a piece of small bird bone. With the map restored to readability, Ilaria and Ennio trekked across the island of Scala to the manor of the Marquis on the northeast coast. 

The whitewashed pillars and overhanging tile roof of the sprawling main house watched over ageing elm trees bridging across the trail leading in. Knocking on the door, the Marquis gladly welcomed Ilaria and Ennio both inside as per his articulate nature. He was a short pudgy man of middle age, who wore yellow pants and a white wig. His home was filled with self-portraits and well-lit furniture in every room, but not all was as it seemed.