Vescrutia: Legacy

After being ambushed by an elite division of B'halian soldiers, Okoye managed to escape their clutches by using her Anthem. Her voice triggered a terrifying blister of destruction that blanketed the Maalukian Woods in a nuclear blaze. She'd been hesitant to do so, despite her harrowing situation. Okoye never took the opportunity to gauge the extent of her anthem. She'd only used it one other time and she sank an entire subaquatic security facility, thought to be impenetrable before she arrived. She screamed as loud as she could that day and the death toll neared the higher thousands. Since then, Okoye subconsciously hindered herself and would down right refuse to use it if she could help it..

But today was different. There was no other way.. Not even with Ellios’ help. She tried her best not to overdo it, but the aftermath of her primordial roar was anything but modest. It looked as if a meteor had hit the area and terraformed the woodard biome into a wasteland. However, as devastating as it was, Okoye refused to believe she killed her target. But she didn't plan to wait for the dust to settle and find out. Instead, she used the confusion to escape deeper into the forest. Sadly, her mobility was severely stunted. The battle with the Ice Fae left her covered in lacerations blackened from extremely cold temperatures. The only hand she had left was frost bitten so badly, she wagered she'd never use it again. But she was too stubborn to just lay down and die.Not after Eliios’ sacrifice.

The Forest of Resonance was incredibly vast, deeper than any Amazon she'd crossed before and filled with more wildlife than entire countries. The night had darkened the trees and flora into a pit of darkness. Okoye couldnt travel much further in her condition, so she settled somewhere she deemed safe. She knew within the coils of exotic foliage, skittering beats, and towering arbor, deadly predators lurked for easy prey so she couldnt fall asleep. She just needed to rest long enough to mend her wounds before she continued to the Astral. There she would find him, this wizard Eliios spoke of who could teach her to master spiritual energy. But aside from the large Voudani scroll on her back, she didnt have much else to go on.

..c'mon girl.. stay awake.. stay..awake.

She repeated to herself, but she could feel her self succumbing to her injuries

The setting suns had long since dipped below the horizon, giving way to Vescrutia's numerous moons to shine within the night sky. the black expanse of the heavens were peppered with distanced stars but the ethereal allure under the bouquet of Vescrutia's Lunar activity gave way to silvery, green, blue and pinkish streams to sudden raced across the skyline- mostly caused by the tidal strength of the warring satellites. Yet despite the raging heavens above, a gentle breeze whispered through the ancient trees, carrying with it the bustle of the forest life. The air was cool and crisp, tinged with a hint of enchantment that seemed to dance with the soft chime of rustling leaves overhead.

Suddenly, without any warning a mysterious figure materialized amidst the ancient trees of the ethereal forest, neither sound, nor scent gave way to his arrival; but, his presence couldnt be mistaken for a hallucination. His fist were clenched tight and his eyes surveyed the area as if he were upset and searching for something. The air shifted from a gentle and floral breeze and became more aggressive , carrying with an aura of frustration. The enigmatic man, clad in a white furred cloak that seemed to move against the passing breeze, suddenly summoned a small lizard to his shoulder- from what seemed like a pulse of light. "Is this forest always so popular?" The lizards presence was accompanied by an eerie yet captivating melody in his voice. Zeik ignored the lizards quip and began walking around the forest, checking each tree he passed with a bright flash of blue light. The foliage seemed to sway in harmony with his every step, avoiding being trampled as if acknowledging a connection to this spectral visitor. The frustration in his eyes slowly dissipated and gave way to his soft amber brown pupils. They held the wisdom of ages, and the air around him pulsated with a sense of ancient magic. The Forest of Resonance, already a realm steeped in mystery, had welcomed an unexpected guest who carried with him an aura of mastery and a melody that echoed through the enchanted groves, leaving an indelible mark on the very essence of the woods.

Zeik:The forest has been more popular as of late, yess...but, I don't believe our guest has the same motives as our last visitors.

Lizard:What gives you that impression?

Zeik:...They are hiding. Our last guest

Lizard: Almost took your head as a souvenir?

Zeik:....

Lizard:If you're still so banged up that using Origin vision goes against the doctors orders, why are you here instead of a search party?

Zeik:I believe our visitor is being pursued, they may take this is a treat and unleash a show of force. I've observed the damage from the maalukian woods. Many of the Court Aces are away on personal matters, its too risky to ask the students too investigate and unknown threat.

Lizard:Oooooh. You're a show off?!

Zeik continued moving through the area searching for signs of the mysterious visitor of the forest.

Okoye left a trail of blood throughout the Forest that would eventually lead Zeik toward a trench within the soil where she managed to conceal herself beneath a blanket of foliage and leaves. She was trying to stop the bleeding, but passed out before she could finish fashioning her clothes into bandages.

She laid there motionless, her raspy breathing growing slower and slower until she was full on snoring. But that immediately stopped as Zeik grew closer. The sound of his feet crunching through twigs and dry leaves set off alarms in her head that caused her eyes to flair open.

”..no..”

Okoye cried to herself.. They found her already? Instinctively, her body moved to escape. She tried forcing herself from her dugout in the soil, but the piercing pain of her injuries stung her into submission. She was so cold.. Practically frozen from the inside out.. It felt like she wouldn't live long enough to heal from her wounds, still she tried. Her ambition numbed her body and she crawled as far away as she could from the encroaching presence. She managed to find a hollowed out tree to hide within, but she couldn't do much after that. Fighting was out of the question, hiding was the best option she had.

He continued his trek through the forest, searching the trees for signs of human damage. His search eventually led him to a pool of blood and based off the spillage, the wounded was in dire need of assistances. The lizard on his shoulder that had been rambling since it was summoned, suddenly fell quiet. Zeik halted his movement and surveyed the cold dark forest.

"Desperation?! Perhaps one of the easiest emotions to perceive."

The lizard slowly tilted his head at its summoner and glanced in confusion.

Lizard:Do....you realize how suspicious that sounded?

Zeik:...I dont make the rules, serpent.

Unknowing Zeik stood just inches away from the hollowed out tree that the wounded had chose as their hiding spot. His senses told him he was near, but without his coveted Origin vision he still had to rely on more tradition measures. He placed his in the air, an action that caused the serpent on his shoulder to fall to the forest floor.

"I know you're hiding here. Though i'm unsure who you are or why you're being pursued; but, based off the blood I've seen while searching for you....you wont survive the night in this forest. Sooner or later the predators of these woods will become privy to your injuries , they wont come with open arms as I have; but, will descend upon you as silently as death's whisper."

The talkative lizard that had fallen to his shoulder noticed the hollowed tree that wounded was hiding inside, in their haste and fragile health, a piece of torn cloth rested just outside the trees trunk.

"....I wont force you to reveal yourself;but, i speak with honesty when I say this. I am your only hope at surviving this night."

He scooped up his lizard and moved and turned his back to the hollowed out tree that the wounded was using for safety.

"Make your chose."

He said softly as he began walking away from the wounded.

Okoye chose to wait until Zeik was gone before she continued onward through the Forest of Resonance. She didn't know enough about the mysterious man offering her solace to trust him, and her injuries were far too raw for her to defend herself if he turned out to be malicious. So she hid quietly within the hollowed tree, glancing at Zeik from the darkness. He wore no affilate armor and bore no traditional weaponry, yet and still Okoye felt an otherworldly strength pulsating from him. It was Intense enough to shift the winds in his presence. She was rightfully intimidated until she heard him speak, and the compassion in his voice helped soothe her anxieties.

Still, she didnt move. For all she knew this man could have been another agent of B'halia sent to capture her, simply more cunning than the others. Deep in her heart she knew well enough to trust his words.. despite how sweet they may have sound. She was no longer concerned with searching for the wizard Eliios spoke of, all she cared about was surviving the night. Unfortunately, Zeik was right abour her circumstances.. The Forest of Resonance was known to become an entirely different realm upon nightfall. But the malignant dangers that stalk these normally verdant woodlands were far more feared than they were documented for her likings.

There were hundreds of predators skulking about the primal blackness, licking their chops at the opportunity to assert their dominance over their territory. It was so incredibly dark now. If not for the persistent glow of Kyrin and Bako, Okoye would be surrounded by nothing but rustling darkness and the leering eyes of its hungry inhabitants. The gentle critters that normally amass here had long since scurried away as the shadows of the forest grew taller; they, too, knew better than to forage out here beyond a certain hour. Those who didn't, soon became food for the nocturnal beasts privy to this darkened sea of leaves and arbor.

Okoye could barely see three feet in front of her as she tipped toed through the skittering shadows of prodding foliage; she'd tripped a few times, stumbled and fallen on her face. But her vision hardly mattered at this point. The young lady was on the verge of blacking out. Her poorly fashioned bandages were coming loose from the profuse blood loss, but she couldn't afford to stop and fix them. Slowing down could have gotten her killed, she thought.. She could feel the carnal desire of the forest; dozens of primal carnivores ready to tear her limb from her limb. She couldn’t see them in her condition, but the smell of their intent thickened the dewy musk of the forest like a smoldering heat. She knew she couldn't stop moving, so she applied her frostbitten hand to her wounds and struggled onward. She didn't know where she was going, she just didn't want to die

The Astral Chaos was not a realm for the weak.. Within the Forest of Resonance, all sorts of dangers and devils roamed free outside the protection of the Astral City. Here, monsters, goblins, beasts, and a plethora of other mystical oddities were frequently drawn to the rich deposits of naten located throughout the environment. This was also where the professional hunters of those detestable fiends made their coin, such as the band of warriors encroaching upon Okoye's location.

“Someone is here.. I can sense them, just beyond these trees.”

Came the voice of a younger man, whose glowing green eyes and floral accented attire conveyed his intimate connection with the environment. His name was Artier, a plant bore fae who'd been known to value the wellbeing of living things over most things. Aside from of course, the wellbeing of the natural order. He was a pacifist by choice; an irregularity among a guild of monster hunters, but that didn't keep him from being an invaluable member to any group of hunters he chose to ride with. Artier's intrinsic ability to communicate with nature made him an powerful ally when tasked with reconnaissance or gathering intelligence, and his power to manipulate plant life also gifted him with unique healing capabilities as well.

“How many someones? Can the trees tell you whether or not we've found the bloody thing we've been looking for all this time?”

Treading closely behind Artier was a man who stood far taller in both height and stature than his green hair comrade. Cyrus was his name, and while he respected Artier more than he did other members of the Golden Fang Guild, Cyrus couldn't help that he was an exceptionally impatient and ill-tempered individual.

“They are not moving.. we should proceed with caution, my friends.”

“Caution?! When I accepted this mission, I was told the Maalukian Woods held a monster beyond my comprehension! And yet, all we've encountered are overgrown insects, tiny mammals too afraid to defend themselves, or something too weak to show me a good time! I'm beginning to think this was a waste afterall..”

He wailed into the darkness, throwing caution to the wind despite Artier's advice. Cyrus belonged to a race of polymorph druids capable of transforming their bodies into anything they've ingested. This meant he could make his skin hard as diamond or he could become a walking inferno. Needless to say, these abilities made him a formidable warrior on his own and was a key reason as why he was asked on this mission.

“..caution would be wise, Cyrus.”

Came the final voice of the party, the largest of the three.

“When we locate the creature, I promise you the fight you seek. The Novik has already killed two of my comrades.. and it did so in the blink of an eye because they too, did not exercise caution."

A'isha's voice was as strong as she looked. She was a eight foot tall tiger warg, adorned in enchanted garments and ivory striped fur unique to her tribe. This was not A'isha's first time hunting the aforementioned beast, and this was apparent from her rather disturbed demeanor in comparison to her peers. She was nervous, despite her stone-like resolve to avenge her fallen comrades Dawli and Opa. The trauma of the experience was still fresh on her mind and kept the seasoned hunter from leaving her dwellings for sometime. But that time of weakness was behind her. A'isha's training had magnified her every strength and ironed out her glaring flaws. She was stronger than ever and was ready to bring back the head of this shadow demon.

“Please, come on now!You know as well as I that Dawli was full of himself. He'd been flirting with death since he was ols enough to hold a sword. And Opa, rest his soul, was far too old to be on such a dangerous mission. I appreciate your advicd, but I won't make their mistakes..”

"..let us hope."

The three of them traveled under the blanket of darkness as a means to not attract any unwanted attention. But it wouldn't be long before Artier led them to Okoye's unconscious body.

“..by the gods..”

They originally thought she was dead given the amount of blood pooled around her, but Artier could sense her life force was still there.. albeit incredibly low.

“No.”

Cyrus objected, slowly turning his attention from the lifeless woman to Artier.

“We did not come here on a rescue mission.”

Artier however had already moved to assist her.

“You gotta be kiddin’..”

He lamented. Aisha snarled with similar disapproval and opened her palm to generate a tiny blue flame to illuminate the immediate area.

“Leave her, Artier. We are on a job..”

Was all A'isha said. Which normally would have been enough for her to persuade the passive tree fae, but not when it came to someone in need. Artier ignored them both and applied his glowing hands to Okoye's body, immediately causing her injuries to mend in record time.

“You know I cannot.”

He said softly, but his call demeanor didn't convey weakness. He was adamant.

“Unlike most of you all, my culture values the power it takes to save a life. The gods will shine their light on my mercy, and this will strengthen our resolve. I'm sure of it!”

“Dammit, we don't have time for the humanitarian, paladin, whatever bullshit, Artier!”

"...”

Cyrus was beside himself, but Artier's demeanor remained unbothered. Aisha's angry grimace began to fade as she collected her thoughts. Her head remained on a swivel, ever vigilant of a lurking enemy. She knew this was no place for them to debate or fight amongst one another.. and despite how much she disagreed with him, Aisha knew she didn't have the time to convince Artier to abandon his spiritual beliefs.

“How long will it take you to heal her?”

“I cannot be certain. Her injuries are severe.. She's got multiple lacerations, stabs wounds and she's been sundered by powerful ice magic, but she's a tough one. There's no quit in her.. as long as she stays this strong, I can heal her within a few hours.”

“..then we have no choice. We shall return to the guild. We cannot risk being flanked, and we will not endanger ourselves trying to save the life of this stranger.”

“..I will not leave this girl, A'isha.”

Aisha knelt down and fashioned Okoye gently over her shoulder, careful not to damage her body.

“Come. When she awakens she can tell us what happened to her.. If we're lucky, maybe she can tell us whether or not she's seen the creature we seek.”

[End]