The crisp morning air resonated with the sounds of the breeze blowing through the canopy above, the leaves blowing and rattling in the canopy above with each small gust. Dew clung to the green grass around the firepit, still smoldering in places where the fire had thrown hot coals the night before. The rickety fence along the perimeter of the camp contrasting with the natural beauty of the forest, its man-made look clashing with the serenity of its background.
The barrier had successfully done its job though. Its construction along with the fire had dissuaded any attacks during the night. The night had been relatively peaceful despite the constant howling of far off monsters. Each person had taken a shift watching for any type of attack that might assail us while we were asleep. Fortunately, no such attack came and we were all able to get a good night’s rest.
In the early morning hours our party packed up our essentials and headed into the forest. The metal of our weapons and armor sheened in the morning sun as its warmth evaporated the dew off the grass. Not long after departing we dispatched another tardog which we’d caught off guard, feeding on a small woodland mammal. As we continued to walk we filled the time with conversation.
Shiza was busy mapping out the area on the map we’d been provided and was asking Orion questions regarding the layout of the land. Orion was doing his best to answer her as accurately as possible whilst stressing that he didn’t know the exact location of everything in the forest. Argu was balanced on Shiza’s shoulders napping as the two walked and chatted.
I had to smile, the time that I’d spent in this forest hadn’t been peaceful or fun up to this point. Now however with friends, it wasn’t all too bad. Sure we had to be vigilant of any tardogs that might attack us, but with a healer and two people combat ready, we weren’t at too big of a risk. The only creatures that we had to fear were alpha’s and the tarspewer we’d seen in the village. From the looks of the map we’d been given the silver team was busy trying to contain the tarspewer and it hadn’t left the area surrounding the remains of Fenroot.
Good, I wouldn’t want to come face to face with that monster anytime soon. My thoughts drifted to the memory of the beast and how strong it had been, it was a truly terrifying monster. Ahead I could hear birds chirping, their melodies echoing through the forest as we approached a brighter opening. Upon stepping out of the undergrowth I came face to face with a sight that I hadn’t seen in a while.
A huge white cliff face sprouted from the ground, filling the upper half of my view. Bubbing from it, a stream of black viscous tar flowed down its face, emptying into a reservoir below. This was where I had been born into this world, except it was different from that day. The pool of tar had grown in size, its radius stretching far beyond where its shores used to occupy. The ground that had once been barren or covered in short grass had been engulfed in the tar. From the lake’s shores had sprung massive complexes of foliage and the trees that sat at its edge branched out over the tar, eagerly soaking up the extra sunlight.
I looked on in awe as I noticed the birds perched on the cliff face, their pure white feathers blending in with the rock formation behind them but standing out brilliantly as they flew over the obsidian lake. How could a place that spawned so much death look like this?
The party had caught up to me and was staring in both horror and wonderment at the sights before them. Their conversations had halted as their view of the scene before them grew more clear. For a while we stood in silence, letting their minds process the turn of events.
Before long Shiza spoke up, “It's a tarpool... We found the tarpool…”
I nodded in confirmation. Beside me Orion stepped forward, “This is where the tardogs have been spawning from then…”
I looked at him, his face filled with a mixture of hate and wonder. It had been a tough time for him over the past few days. Losing everything to the monsters that spawned from this place was bad enough but having to then confront those feelings head on by coming here was even worse. “This is how we’re going to get stronger… We are going to defeat the monsters that spawn here so that we can level up.”
After I’d spoken both Shiza and Orion looked at me with shock. Orion was the first to speak up, “You knew this was here!? How long did you know it was here!?”
I’d known this conversation was coming, if we were going to continue on as a group we needed total honesty from this point forward, “Do you remember when we first met? You told me you’d never seen a Ferrin as big as me.” Orion nodded weirily, “I also asked you for your level which you gave to me on the pretext of saving your life. When I first told you my race I was not lying.”
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A long pause filled the area where we stood. Orion looked at me, his eyes shifting from my feet to my head, scouring my body language for an indication that I was joking, “It’s not possible for you to be a Wrorine, they’ve been extinct for a long time.”
I frowned, showing my arms to him by spreading them out, “When’s the last time you’ve seen any Ferrin with an arm span of this length, one able to wear this sized armor, or one that stands this much taller than you? I am a level three Wrorine as it says when I check my stats.” I pointed to the lake of tar, “I was born from this the day before we met.”
Orion was visibly angry now and took a step forward, his finger pointing at my chest, “You did this!? If you were born from the tar then you’re a monster! You’re the reason my village got destroyed!” His spear was now pointed at me and his shield was up. Shiza had taken a step away from me and Argu was visibly agitated.
I put my hands up, “I’m not a monster! You think I asked to spawn here? You think I wanted your village to get destroyed?! I didn’t even know what this tar was when I crawled out of the pool. I had no clue it spawned monsters until one attacked me!” I was shaking now, “If I’m such a monster then why would I save you? When you said that my species had been extinct for hundreds of years what was I supposed to do? Argue with you? Expose myself to potentially the same treatment and execution my species got in the past?”
I took a step towards Orion and his spear came up further, “Back off! How can I be sure that I can trust you!”
I took another step forward within thrusting distance from his speartip, “Put your spear down. If I’d really wanted you dead, I would have left you to die on that beach, I wouldn’t have shared the healing moss with you, and I definitely wouldn’t be putting myself in a position where you could end my life.”
He looked at the speartip as I took another step forward, a small pool of blood soaked through the fur on my chest as his speartip pressed into my skin. His spear fell to the ground as his knees gave out from underneath him. His sobbs echoed over the tar lake, overpowering the songs of the birds that had filled it prior. I knelt down beside him and put my hand on his shoulder, “You’ve lost so much. I know it’s hard to bear when things like this seemingly happen for no reason. It’s easier to assign blame, to hate someone for your struggles. If you decide to hate me for being born into this world then so be it, but know that I did not wish this upon you. What I do wish is for you to grow stronger so that nothing like this happens to you again.”
Orion’s sobbs had slowed. Slowly and without saying anything, he got up and started walking in the direction of the camp. His silhouette slowly disappearing as he walked further into the woods.
I stayed kneeling, touching a finger to the small spot of blood that had soaked through my fur. I heard a shifting behind me and without turning addressed Shiza, “I suppose you’d like to hear my story huh?”
“If possible yes.” I heard the small voice behind me respond.
I sighed and turned around, starting from the beginning. My prior life on earth, my death, my time in Here, and my time spent in this world were all laid out for her. I told Shiza about the shock and pain I’d felt while dying, about the aimless drifting through the void, and the absolute whiteness of Here. I informed her of how each soul starts their new life and how much I’d gambled on this one. I made her understand the isolation and fear I’d felt learning about the race I was born into. Through it all she sat and listened patiently.
“You can’t tell anyone what I just told you.” I said at last, “If you do, I’ll be hunted down like an animal, possibly imprisoned, and torchered for the rest of my life.”
She nodded, “I won't, I promise…” She trailed off slightly as she looked to the ground, “It’s a lot to take in. Does Orion know everything?”
I shook my head, “No, and I doubt he wants to hear anything from me right now. Do you think that he’s going to hate me?”
Shiza considered my question for a moment, “I don’t. He lost everything and he has no one to blame for it. Had you not saved him that day nothing might have changed. From the story you just told me, there’s nothing to suggest that this rift wasn’t here before you were born from it. I think that he’ll realize that fact sooner or later. He just needs time to get there.”
I sighed again. Looking back over the lake the birds were flying around again. I stood back up at the edge of the tar. The white cliff face still glowed in the midday sun, it’s radiance concealing the ominous dangers hidden beneath its unnatural beauty.
We should be able to learn it’s secrets, use the lake itself to become stronger. If we could do that then we might be able to spare the world from its horrors. I looked back towards Shiza and the small blue drake still sitting across her shoulders, “Maybe when we’re stronger, someday sights like this might actually be beautiful.”
I started walking back into the woods and heard Shiza’s footsteps behind me. The hope that I hadn’t just lost my only friends fresh in my mind.
Alyx
Wrorine (Level 3)
68/300 Experience
60/60 Health ----
60/60 Stamina ------
20/20 Mana --
30/30 Spirit ---
‘0’ Stat Points Available
Racial Ability - Locked
Skills: (Rapid Experience) (Dagger G) (Botany G) (Healing G) (Activation Detect) (Sword G) (Shield G) (Corrupt Rage)