Darragh hated himself for burning the forest he grew up in, but law is the law. Adam, in his sublime wisdom, declared these woods unholy; and it was the sacred charge of all Good Brothers to impose the Will of Adam. A privilege, really, an honor. No other native Safoan had ever risen so far in the Church. Darragh’s father was beaming with pride the day Darragh earned his Keeper’s robes. Silently, Darragh thanked Godking his father wasn’t alive to see him now.
Darragh stumbled over the charred remains of a deer foal.
“Look where you’re stepping!” Janus griped as he shouldered the extra weight of the canoe.
Darragh and four other Brothers were carrying a canoe across an ashen wasteland. Heavy smoke darkened the noon sun. Today, their task would be to cross the Shawnee River and burn all the trees that escaped the fire last night. All around them, black tree stumps dotted the land like headstones.
Yesterday, they found ruins of a cabin with the smoldering remains of two people embracing. Darragh figured they must have been old pagans, otherwise they would have attended Church and known to move to Waterbreak.
It wasn’t Darragh’s fault those people died.
Godking, the smell of their bodies. Like a sweet roast pork.
It wasn’t his fault. They knew the law. To deny Adam is to invite destruction.
Why didn’t they move to Waterbreak?
He didn’t mean to kill anybody.
Why did they make him do it?
It’s not his fault.
“We’ll rest here a moment,” said Good Brother Esbern with a winded sigh. Esbern was the eldest member of their party. A black wide-rim hat covered his bald head; his wispy grey beard barely concealed a soft chin. The ugliest snake Darragh had ever seen coiled around Esbern’s shoulders like a scarf. It looked like a large blue earthworm.
Esbern was too old and frail to carry the canoe so Darragh, Janus, Marty, and Calvin shouldered the load. But the journey and the weight of their task had exhausted Esbern, and his usual calm equanimity was turning dark and mournful.
Janus groaned loudly as they set the canoe down. “These constant stops are killing my back. I wasn’t bred for physical labor.”
Marty teased, “You must have been the runt of your litter to be sent here.”
“Shove it up your ass, Marty,” Janus said.
“I’ll shove my jokes up mine the day you shove your bitchin’ up yours,” Marty answered.
“Let’s show a little respect, Good Brothers,” chastened Esbern as he leaned against a burnt tree stump. “Marty, please send Silver to scout ahead. We’re almost at the Shawnee River. I’d like a good, clear pass before we arrive.”
“Sure,” Marty nodded agreeably and gave the orders to his grey parrot familiar. Marty gave Silver a toss, launching him high in the air.
Calvin and Darragh each began rolling a smoke. Calvin’s heightened senses left him miserable out in this wasteland. Smoking gave him a singular focus to distract from the barrage of death and gloom surrounding them.
Janus made a disgusted face. Smoking was unpopular back in Garden. He preferred to drink wine from a flask he stored in his breast pocket.
Marty grabbed a granola bar and went for a walk. Darragh was still smoking when Marty ran back down the hill, waving excitedly for everyone to gather close.
“Silver says he saw someone at the forest line across the river,” he whispered. “Someone talking to a fae.”
Marty paused for dramatic effect.
“We should throw fire across the river and run in the opposite direction,” Calvin said.
“We need that fae,” Janus said. “If we bring proof back to Waterbreak the woods were sheltering unholy creatures, the yokels will have to cease their bleating.”
“Those locals mourn the loss of life our task necessitates,” Esbern reminded them. “That our task is necessary makes it no less tragic. Safoans will mourn this event for generations.”
Darragh quietly agreed with both Janus and Esbern. They needed the fae, dead or alive, to prove their tragic task had merit. But Darragh had no illusions about local gratitude or acceptance. He would never be forgiven for his part in Safo’s burning.
“But we do need the fae,” Darragh repeated. “The challenge will be in crossing the river without being seen. Janus, you can hide us with an illusion, yes?”
Janus bristled at some perceived offense. He scoffed, “Of course.”
“And Marty, you can make us silent,” Darragh continued.
“That’s not how my powers work, but yeah, so long as no one makes unnecessary sounds, I can redirect the noise we make away and behind us,” said Marty.
“I’ll take out the fae with my sling. Calvin remains our lookout, and Esbern takes the rear. Sound good?” said Darragh.
“Hold up,” Janus sneered. “We’re all just following the lead of a Keeper? Marty, are you so lazy you let your Keeper-”
“That’s enough!” Esbern was old and frail but still had mettle in him. “You dishonor yourself, Janus. Darragh’s plan is sound. We will all follow it to the letter.” Esbern took one last, weary sigh. Then he said, “Grab the canoe and move out. We can’t waste any time. Silver, lead the way.”
Janus looked furious but remained silent. Darragh smirked to see Janus embarrassed but was too pragmatic to give that preening brat a second thought.
The approach went as planned. Janus erected a flat illusory wall, so anyone on the other side of the river would see a simple, floating log. Marty mumbled in a focused trance, ensuring no one would hear their paddles or footsteps. Once they’d crossed the river and secured the canoe, Darragh only needed a clear line of sight.
It was jarring how vibrant and full of life the forest was on this side of the river. Birds chirped and little critters scurried in the underbrush. They followed Silver’s lead until they finally caught sight of their target in a bright mossy clearing. She was a little green person with a red petal dress on, gliding in the air on gossamer wings. And she was talking to a human. Darragh thought the human looked unusually pretty for a male, tall, young, and athletic, with wavy black hair.
Darragh picked up a small round stone and loaded the sling. Again, Janus erected a flat illusory wall, so the targets wouldn’t see Darragh winding up a stone. Marty redirected the whistling sounds of the sling so they wouldn’t hear them.
As he spun the sling in the air, Darragh’s perception of time slowed to a crawl. To an outside perspective, it might look like heightened speed or reflexes or even time dilation, but Darragh had none of those abilities. Darragh could perceive time’s passing more slowly, giving him more time to be responsive and precise.
It was that precision that made Darragh such an excellent sling thrower. As he spun the sling around and snapped his wrist exactly, the stone dislodged and flew through the air.
The little green person was dead before she knew what hit her. The stone passed through her upper chest, dislodging her head, which bounced on the ground next to her dead, twitching body.
The screams of horror and grief the human made was gut-wrenching and would haunt Darragh’s nightmares for the rest of his life. But as with most uncomfortable feelings, Darragh bottled them away and concentrated on the task in front of him.
Darragh, Calvin, Marty, and Janus rushed forward to subdue the human. He made little resistance, only screams and sobs. He was swiftly tied up.
Calvin was distressed, fidgeting nervously. “We should burn this place before anyone else knows we were here.” People from Exile were known to be superstitious. It would seem that stereotype held true in Calvin’s case.
Janus rolled his eyes. “Tail set firmly between your legs, already. We need to interrogate our prisoner!”
“This isn’t a prison, and we don’t have a cage,” Marty corrected.
“Hostage, then,” Janus shrugged.
“Mm. We’re not demanding a ransom. I’d say he’s more of a captive,” Marty said.
“Shove it up your ass, Marty!” said Janus.
“Enough,” barked Esbern. “Secure the perimeter, all of you. Darragh, tie our guest to that tree. I’d like to ask him some questions.”
Everyone followed Esbern’s orders. Darragh felt a pang of guilt as he dragged the sobbing young man to the nearest tree. But Darragh hardened his resolve. His role was clear. He ensured the binds weren’t cruel, but tight enough the captive wouldn’t escape.
Esbern stood over the crying captive. “What’s your name, son?”
He looked around frantically. “I’m… I’m Easy,” he said between hiccups.
“We’ll see about that,” chimed Marty.
“Ignore him,” Esbern said kindly. “He thinks he’s funny.”
Easy sniffled and wiped his nose on his shoulder.
Esbern continued, “What were you doing out here with an unholy creature?”
“I- I didn’t know she was unholy. I just… I was just trying to…”
“Trying to what? What business do you have with the fae?” Esbern demanded.
Easy’s face twisted in despair. “It’s my mom. She’s… she’s sick. I thought maybe Queen Titia could help.”
“Queen Titia!? This one was a queen? How many subjects did she have?” asked Esbern intently.
“I don’t know! Dozens maybe?”
“Are there others? Other creatures besides this queen and her subjects?”
Easy stammered. “I- I don’t know. I didn’t see anyone else.”
“Does anyone else know you’re here?”
Easy glanced around. He shook his head. “I came alone.”
Esbern nodded seriously. He stepped away from their captive and waved the Brothers in for a quiet discussion.
“What does everyone think?” asked Esbern.
“He’s lying,” confirmed Calvin.
“Of course, he’s lying,” Janus condescended. “We should just kill him and be done with the loose end. We already have proof with the fae’s body.”
“He knows more than he’s letting on,” Darragh offered. “I’d like to bring him back to the Church for further interrogation. The Elder Brothers will want to know what he knows.”
“Killing him seems the easier choice,” said Marty. “I’m all for killing him and burning the evidence.”
“We should burn this place and leave before the fae’s subjects come seeking revenge!” Calvin sounded on the verge of panicking.
“Will you stop being hysterical?” said Janus.
“I’ve made a decision,” said Esbern. “We will carry on our mission. This forest needs to burn. Easy will remain bound and be dragged behind us until we return to Waterbreak. Darragh and Calvin will guard the prisoner.”
“Captive,” corrected Marty.
Esbern continued as if he hadn’t been interrupted. “Marty, you can carry the fae’s remains to the canoe. Janus, help an old man prepare lunch, would you?”
“We need to leave,” repeated Calvin.
“And we will leave, just as soon as we’ve had a proper meal and a moment’s rest,” Esbern said firmly. “You all have your orders. Hop to.”
Everyone seemed personally offended, but no one talked back. Esbern was feared and respected. He wasn’t assigned a Keeper. Even at his advanced age, Esbern didn’t need a Keeper. He could control the temperature of his body, which didn’t seem like a particularly useful power to Darragh at first, but then he witnessed Esbern’s mastery over his body temperature.
The old man carefully knelt down to pick up a handful of dry sticks. He squeezed the sticks with his fist and smoke rose from it. Esbern’s hand glowed red hot and the sticks caught fire. He threw the burning branches down and picked up more. Soon a roaring blaze began to spread.
Janus grumbled that such menial duties were beneath him, but he fetched provisions all the same. After food was skewered and cooked, Esbern turned a sad eye to their captive.
“I know your name’s not Easy, but there is an easy way to do this. The easy way gets you untied and one of these lamb skewers. The not-so-easy way gets you burnt. You understand what I’m saying?”
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Silent tears fell from Easy’s face. He understood.
“I’m going to ask some more questions. And my friend here will know if you’re lying,” Esbern gestured toward Calvin, who was fidgeting nervously. Janus rolled his eyes.
Easy looked back and forth and all around for any sort of reprieve, but nothing came. He didn’t scream or sob or plead. He shook like a puppy as tears fell down his face.
Darragh felt miserable. He wanted to look away or stop this, but he held firm.
Esbern asked gravely, “Why are you in these woods?”
Trembling, Easy said, “My mom… she’s… she needs help.”
Esbern looked over at Calvin.
Calvin nodded. That part was true.
Esbern continued, “And the fae said she’d help you save your mother, is that it?”
Easy nodded.
Calvin nodded.
“Why didn’t you come to the Church for help?” Esbern asked.
Easy looked around like a cornered animal. “My parents never took me to Church.”
“Hm. You said your mother was sick. What about your father?”
Easy seemed to shrink lower. “He’s dead.”
“I’m sorry to hear that. So you’re all alone, is that right?”
Easy nodded.
“Wait,” Calvin interrupted. “He’s lying.”
Esbern sighed sadly. “Son, who else is in the woods with you?”
Easy’s trembling increased. He shook his head. “There’s nobody.”
Esbern looked over at Calvin. Calvin shook his head. Easy was lying.
Again, Esbern sighed. He put a gentle hand on Easy’s throat. “I’m going to ask one more time. Who else entered the woods with you?”
Easy sobbed but said nothing.
Esbern lowered his head. Then his hand started to glow, and Easy started to scream.
Darragh felt sick. Calvin stared at the ground and wrung his hands. Marty was eating a lamb skewer, looking bored and disinterested. Janus watched Esbern with hungry fascination.
Suddenly, a reprieve. A dark blur flashed by, followed by loud squawks and a lot of scared shouting. It all happened in an instant. Silver the grey parrot familiar was dead and gone, carried off by a large bird of prey.
“I was almost killed!” Marty screamed at Darragh. “You’re supposed to be my Keeper! Now my familiar is dead! Do you have any idea how expensive those things are to replace!? Of course, you don’t, you pleb! The waitlist alone takes years!”
“Now who’s whining?” taunted Janus.
“Shove it up your ass, you smug little prick!” Marty screamed back.
“I told you we need to get out of here!” Calvin shouted. “The forest spirits want revenge. We have to go!”
“That wasn’t a spirit, you rube. That was just a bird in the woods,” Janus spat.
Esbern, meanwhile, had ceased his interrogation. He was leaning against a tree, looking pale and frailer than Darragh had ever seen him.
Easy cried softly. A hand-shaped burn mark blistered his throat.
“Pack up,” Esbern ordered, his voice lacking some of that earlier steel. “Throw some logs onto that fire and be sure it spreads. Then, everybody back to the canoe. We’ll set up camp on the other side of the river.”
Crossing the river with a captive took some time and planning. The sun was low in the sky by the time they all crossed and made camp. But the roaring blaze across the river shined like a beacon on a dark, smokey night.
No one spoke much. Silver’s death hung over them like an ill omen. Calvin spent most of the day muttering an Exiled prayer to ward off evil spirits. Marty was still angry over losing his familiar. Janus showed uncommon consideration; he didn’t insult Calvin or Marty. Esbern went to bed early.
Darragh was restless. Plumes of smoke darkened the sky, hiding the moon and stars. Safe on the blackened banks of the Shawnee River, Darragh watched as a crown fire burned his homeland. On the other side, the fire had already spread far and wide up the hillside.
Darragh’s mind was a mess of ideas and emotions. He kept thinking about the smell of those two smoldering bodies from earlier. It made him hungry and sick to his stomach.
If he and his Brothers hadn’t captured Easy, the young man would surely have burned to death by now. Would that be the third death Darragh was involved in? Were there more bodies out there they haven’t found yet? How many people would suffer in the coming years because of their actions today?
Was it Darragh’s fault? Was there anything he could have done to stop this?
No. He was chosen for this mission because Church Elders thought it would look better if a Safoan helped burn Safo, but it didn’t really matter. Godfather Adam wanted the woods to burn; that’s what mattered. If Darragh had protested, he would have been punished and marginalized within the Church, and the woods would still burn. At least this way, Darragh would likely be rewarded.
He hoped to finally get a familiar. Almost all Good Brothers and Keepers were assigned one. But when Darragh asked when he would be assigned a familiar, Elder Brother Aldean said that he hadn’t earned one yet. It wasn’t because Darragh was Safoan. Godfather Adam didn’t show preferential treatment among His children, no matter what Darragh’s cousin said. What does she know about Church affairs, anyway? Ungrateful wench ought to mind a woman’s business.
Besides, Darragh didn’t become a Brother’s Keeper so he could have a familiar. He didn’t do it for the elegant robes or to make his father proud. Darragh became a Brother’s Keeper because he wanted to be on the safely blackened side of the river.
Darragh was just a boy when Crescent vanished. He grew up on ghost stories of the heretics and unholy who dared insult Godfather Adam, wiped from existence like dust under a broom. What sense was there in resisting such power? Better to worship and live than to fight and be erased.
Of course, it wasn’t only about survival. Darragh was attracted to power. He used to dream of worshipping Godfather Adam’s feet with his mouth. Now, he was afraid to sleep for fear of nightmares of screaming young captives, vengeful spirits, and the smell of sweet roast pork.
So lost in thought, Darragh didn’t notice a large dark fox moving stealthily toward camp. It wasn’t until after the screaming began that Darragh noticed the tents were engulfed in blue flames. Instinctively, Darragh activated his ability, dialating his perception of time so everything seemed to happen in slow motion.
Marty and Janus were screaming and struggling to escape their tents and burning clothes. Janus dropped to the ground and rolled until the flames were put out. Marty panicked and ran, dooming himself.
Esbern was uninjured. His abilities protected him from heat or cold, but he looked frail, struggling to shake off his burning tatters. His ugly snake familiar writhed in flames.
Calvin wasn’t on fire but he was perhaps in the worst shape. He woke from tormented nightmares to a living nightmare. Unable to separate dream from reality, consumed by horror, despair, regret, and insanity, he ran screaming into the blackened woods. His beagle familiar Constance ran after him, barking loyally, disappearing in the darkness.
Darragh heard a yelp, a cry, and then silence. He ran toward camp and threw dirt on their burning supplies, trying to put out the fire.
At some point in the chaos, Easy had vanished without a trace.
Janus was crying on the ground, too in shock to do anything but rock himself in the fetal position.
Esbern was wheezing, naked, and looking very pale. He covered himself in a singed towel and tried to get a grip on the situation.
“Janus, if you would have Leo communicate our situation to Safoan Church Elders?” Esbern softly asked.
“Leo is dead!” Janus sobbed. “I crushed him when I dropped to the ground!” He threw his head in his hands and shook miserably.
Esbern took the news like a punch to the gut. “Then we have no familiars among us,” breathlessly stating the obvious. “We have no way of contacting Church from here. We’ve lost two of our Brothers, our captive, and our evidence. Darragh preserved some supplies, so we have food enough for perhaps three days.”
“Church will send a rescue party, right?” Darragh asked. “Wasn’t anyone following your familiars’ memories? Surely someone saw what happened!”
Esbern shook his head sadly. “Our mission was not for public eyes. Our familiars were forbidden to upload memories before we left Waterbreak. No one knows where we are or what’s happened. No one is coming.”
“How did this happen!?” Evidently, Janus had collected his wits enough to assign blame. He was looking daggers at Darragh. “Which one of you was on watch? Where is your Brother, Keeper?”
“Enough,” Esbern pleaded. “We have an impossible decision to make and fighting amongst ourselves will only make a difficult situation harder.”
“What do you mean?” asked Darragh.
Esbern said, “Whether to turn back now and report our losses, or to stay and finish the task we were assigned.”
The dilemma hung in the air for a heavy moment.
“We have to finish,” declared Janus. “My family already thinks I’m a loser. I’m the worst illusionist my line has seen in a generation. That’s why I was sent to this insignificant speck of rock. They’re embarrassed by me. I need to prove myself here and earn reassignment. If I go back now, a failure, I will never leave this wretched place.”
Esbern nodded. He turned to Darragh.
Quietly, Darragh wanted to go home. But this mission was supposed to be his big break, too. Returning now would make him both a traitor to his people and a failure to his Brothers. He was in too deep to turn back now.
“I agree with Janus,” Darragh said. “We finish this.”
At first light, they went searching for Calvin and Marty. They found Marty face-down on the muddy banks. It looked like he threw himself into the river and drowned from the shock.
They found Calvin unconscious with a bloody gash on his forehead. He seemed to have run into a tree branch and blacked out. Constance was nowhere to be seen, but from the puddle of blood on the ground, a wolf may have eaten her.
Janus shook Calvin until his eyes blinked open and he sat up.
Janus was visibly relieved. “It’s good you’re alive so I can kill you myself!” He back-handed Calvin. “What were you thinking?! You’re supposed to be my Keeper! You panicked! Now we’re stranded without any familiars, and it’s entirely your fault!”
Esbern put a hand on Janus’ shoulder. “Peace, young brother. Let the man collect his bearings.”
Disgusted, Janus stormed a short way off.
Calvin stood up slowly, cradling his head.
“What happened last night, Calvin?” Esbern asked wearily.
Calvin made a confused expression. He spoke slowly. His voice sounded strange and unfamiliar. “I dreamed I was on fire. I kept waking up and the flames overtook me, again and again. Then I woke up, at last for the first time, and I wasn’t burning yet. I heard a voice whisper, ‘Run.’ So I ran.”
Calvin’s eyes were wide in abject horror. “But then I woke up again. And the forest spirit said it was going to kill us all. And then I woke up. Again and again. Am I… is this a dream? Is any of this real?” Calvin was shaking.
Esbern and Darragh exchanged worried glances. Even Janus looked unsettled.
“Get your shit together,” ordered Janus. “We have work to do and little food left, no thanks to you.”
“You’re still going to burn the forest?” Calvin asked, sounding surprised.
“No, we are going to burn the forest,” Janus corrected. “Now, let’s go.”
They piled stones over Marty’s body and said a prayer to Godmother Eve to take her son home to live forever in Adam’s Crown.
Then they continued their mission in the canoe. They paddled along for hours with the sun beating overhead. The fire from yesterday still burned wildly on one side. No one spoke. Eventually, they reached a fork in the stream and an untouched patch of green forest.
They paddled to shore. The forest was unnaturally quiet as if all the birds and beasts had already fled. Even the leaves were still, as if in mourning.
Esbern asked everyone to gather kindling for him to ignite.
Darragh ignored his feelings of dread and guilt as he gathered branches for the pyre. He had no choice. Once the pile was high and ready, Janus gave Esbern the final branch to ignite. Esbern looked pale and weary as he tossed the flame on the pile.
The flames spread, and the Brothers returned to the canoe and the safely blackened side of the river. They set up camp and ate provisions of picked roots over bread. All the tents were burned, so they slept on the ashy forest floor under a smoky sky.
Calvin took first watch while Darragh, Janus, and Esbern slept.
-8-
Darragh dreamed of angry vines and red eyes in the darkness. He dreamed he was tied to the same tree he tied Easy to, except the tree was on fire. He was on fire. He dreamed he was in a burning cabin, except there was no one to embrace him as he died.
Darragh woke up screaming. Janus and Esbern woke up screaming, too.
Esbern looked around in a blind panic. “Am I still dreaming?” he asked the darkness.
Calvin was sitting nearby, calm and collected. “You had the nightmares, didn’t you? The same nightmares that tormented me last night. We’re being hunted.”
Janus looked like he wanted to insult Calvin, but he stayed quiet.
Darragh grew up hearing fairy tales about magical creatures in the woods. He never minded those stories, but that was before he killed a fae queen and before their camp spontaneously ignited in blue flames. A vengeful spirit didn’t seem so improbable anymore.
Calvin continued, “You didn’t believe me at first. In Garden, all the forest spirits were killed long ago. But in Exile, a few spirits survived. They keep to themselves mostly, hiding from humans, but when I was little, every now and again, I used to hear stories of wayward travelers who angered a forest spirit. According to the stories, the only way to free ourselves is to slay the forest spirit.”
“That is superstitious nonsense,” Janus said. “But say we indulge this fantasy of yours; how does one slay a forest spirit?”
“In the stories, the hero pulls out the spirit’s heart and crushes it.”
“Gruesome,” Darragh observed.
“And how would we find this spirit?” Janus asked intensely.
Calvin didn’t answer at first. The forest fire still roared, and Esbern was wheezing, but the relative silence lingered into a pregnant pause. Finally, Calvin looked out into the darkness and whispered, “It’s near. It’s watching us, waiting for us to tire.”
“You sound crazy and paranoid,” Janus said unconvincingly.
No one slept the rest of the night. In the morning, everyone was slow, irritable, and exhausted, but no less determined to finish their mission. There was only one place left on their map that needed to burn. Then they could return to Waterbreak Church triumphant heroes, having conquered unholy forest monsters.
But before that could happen, they paddled for hours in the blistering heat. Esbern passed out in the canoe. Janus was too tired to complain. Calvin was unnerving and serene. Darragh’s shoulders were sore from the constant rowing. He used to be able to row for days comfortably, but about a month ago, Darragh got sick after a drunken encounter. He still hadn’t fully recovered.
They reached the mossy banks of their destination by midday.
Esbern groaned in agony as he got out of the canoe and stretched his stiff back.
“Let’s get this over with,” said Janus.
“Wait,” Calvin said. “This is it. If you go into those woods, the spirit will attack.”
“I am sick of your shit!” Janus yelled. “Just shut up!”
Esbern could barely stand, much less reprimand Janus for his outburst. He just leaned on a branch and wheezed.
Janus turned away from Calvin and Esbern to look at Darragh. “You’re with me?”
Darragh nodded grimly. “Let’s get this over with,” he echoed.
“Alright, Brother. You and me. Let’s go.” Janus put his hand on Darragh’s shoulder, and for the first time in his life, Darragh felt accepted by a Gardener.
Darragh wanted to bask in the moment. He activated his power, slowing his perception of time. He wanted to remember every detail of Janus’ proud, handsome face. The gentle squeeze of Janus’ hand on Darragh’s shoulder. The beauty of nature before them. The desolate wasteland behind them.
The forest spirit lumbered out from behind a tree. It was massive, like a walking oak, covered in moss and vines, and moved with unnatural speed. Even in slow motion, the monster knocked Calvin high into the air and grabbed Esbern by the throat before anyone could react.
Calvin’s body rag-dolled and slammed onto the ground with a lifeless crunch. Esbern was gasping and clawing at the vines and bark squeezing his neck. The monster roared at Esbern and began to slowly crush his bones like a boa constrictor crushing a mouse.
Darragh and Janus shared an understanding glance. They knew what to do.
Janus summoned an illusory wall to hide them from the monster. They ran toward it. As they got close, Darragh jumped out from behind the illusion and reached into the monster’s chest. Blood was dripping down from Esbern’s shaking feet. He was moaning in agony. Darragh’s hand pushed aside vines and moss and found something circular. He pulled hard and yanked out what looked like a large seed.
The monster roared and dropped Esbern to the ground, making a series of cracking sounds as his broken bones collided with one another. Esbern released a final groaning sigh and then was silent.
The monster wrapped its vines around Darragh, and he knew this was the end. The last thing, the only thing he could do, was throw the monster’s heart.
As Darragh felt the squeezing crush of death upon him, he wondered if he hadn’t chosen the wrong side. He felt a slow, dreadful certainty that his entire life had been wasted, chasing the approval of men he despised. Darragh had betrayed his people and burned his homeland, all so he could live, and now he was about to die. There was a poetic irony to it. He closed his eyes and welcomed the end. When he heard a crunch, he wondered if it was his bones, but suddenly, the vines released him. He fell to the ground, alive and unbroken.
Janus dropped his illusion, and Darragh saw him with a large stone in his hands. He had crushed the forest spirit’s heart and saved Darragh’s life.
Darragh and Janus embraced as Brothers and survivors.
They set fire to the last patch of forest, then returned to camp at the same spot they had camped the night before. Tomorrow, they would return to Waterbreak Church as triumphant heroes, having slayed the monster and freed Safo from unholy influence.