Byrn sulked through the dense woods. His two subordinates followed with a pack of wolf hounds. Their bare clawed feet ruffled the terrain with heavy steps. They had few supplies—only tools for catching prey.

Their wolf-like snouts guided them through the bizarreness of the Hedge’s illogical growth. With heavy stone axes and shaped earthen blades, they carved open new paths with brute force. New growth sprouted moments after it was cut.

”I don’t gits why Grif is so par…para…scared of some’fin half his size.” One of the subordinates gripped to the other, who just shrugged. The hounds, one by one, stopped along the path. Ears perked and twitched as they looked in different directions. “Was wit em?” The subordinate asked.

”We’s here.” Byrn exclaimed, shoving past the heavy brambles of thorns, leaves and foliage. The hounds all stared in unison in several directions. The two subordinates squinted their eyes at the dight before them.

An ancient structure of carved stone standing in a partly open field. The Hedge’s influence scarcely infiltrating the environment. What plant life did connect was strangely tamed and docile. A thick fog caressed the foundation, rising up almost with a sense of sentience.

Blackened glassless windows. stared down upon them. Their fur of each hound and the gnolls stood up. Byrn, inspected the tower at a distance, he gripped tightened on his weapon. He was stupefied at the sight.

”Is different…” He muttered. talking small steps forward. “Eh supplies is gone! No’fin!”

”Did the F’ief steal it all?” the subordinate asked. Bryn steeled himself to check the inside.

”We locks’ed it in side is cell!” Byrn stated, opening the small cage. He stared inside with mixed emotions. “…Is not ‘ere! Is gone!”

”Aint no way!” the subordinate growled. “You said it was small! maybe it snuck out! Let the hound have sniff! They find it!” He yanked on the leaches on the hounds, who sank their hide legs down to resists. “Oh, ya wants to be stubborn does ya!” He pulled out a small carved bone from his pocket. The hounds flinched and yelped before he had even done anything with it. “Git on!” he roared

The hounds search and sniffed the inside and out. Around the base and the open floor cell. The subordinate brashly Stuck his head inside to look, before stabbing around with a spiked axe head. he sniffed the air himself turning the a drain built into the side. “It went out ish way!” He barked.

”Wut?” Byrn asked

”It slipped out of the drain, it did! Told you it was small enough you escape!” He lifted himself back up. “Check the back!” He said pulling the hounds, who gasped as choked with their collars being tightened. “Ere it is!” He pointed to the opening behind the tower. The hounds sniffed and scratched the soil. Their ears peaked again with interest. They tugged hard on their leashes. Howling and hopping up on their hind legs.

”' ‘Eys got the scent!!” The gnoll snarled.

===================

Aes panted dryly, the air’s bitter chill. She fell to her knees, clasping her free hand against her chest. Sweat left trails of washed dirt over her skin. The droplets slowed with the cold air.

Her heart slowed, yet the fear in her eyes remained—the glimpse of the thing that had chased her up the cliff.

“There!” Golam announced to his companion. Aes gulped hard as she looked up at the moonlit sky. Her blue eyes widened as she murmured at what she was looking at.

High over the tallest of the Hedge’s mighty trees. Beyond the dark forest and white waters. A black tower speared into the very clouds. The air rusted around chaotically. As if the natural forces were offended at the very presence.

The young human whispered to the spirit “Is…that my way home?” She asked, still struggling with a dry throat.

” It is a mile sto…” he began.

” Thank God!” Aes sobbed. A faint smile on her face as she moved towards the destination.

” Be wary Childe! Danger is still afoot!” Aes shuffled a bit, before moving faster. “Pace ya self de’ah, it may take ya by next two auspice to arrive.” Aes glanced at the titanic moon that drifted through the sky.

Before her, large, twisted rock formations wrestled against the vicious grasp of the hedge. Rushing moonlit waters, fed from multiple falls and streams, flowed steadily in the direction of her destination.

Aes continued on, through the woods, over wet soil, and over hard rock. Her legs became heavy as exhaustion caught up with her. She stumbled lazily through the brush. Her breath drying from the coolness.

”HOLD!” Gloam hissed. Aes froze in a stumble, one that nearly cost her life. She stared as small rocks tumbled to decent into a deep chasm. Her pupils dilated at the vision of the darkened pit. She fell back, gasping.

”How did you know..?” Aes began

”I am listening to our surroundin's…” Gloam replied. Aes lifted the lantern, inspecting it more curiously.

"Okay, so, where do I go from here?”

”Ya gonna half to climb down.” He informed her.

”For real?” She inquired with a confused, skeptical sneer. Peering down again “How?!”

”Grab the vines, De’ah, Oth’ah wise, turn about.”

Aes huffed heavily. Inspecting the area. The thick, barbed vines appeared strong enough. They leeched deep into the ground and other plants and trees. Like parasitic vegetation, bearing it’s vampiric thorns into every form of natural life.

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”Hold on.” she told the spirit while looking herself over. Attempting to figure out how to hold the lantern as she climbed down. “I need a belt…” She tied the lantern’s handle to the seam of her tunic. “I guess that will work.”

Aes lowered herself down to grab a vine. Both her hand and foot slipped from the dampness. Aes, her body mostly on solid ground, clung hard to the side. “Dammit! Okay,” She took one last look down, adjusting her sleeves to cover her hands for a better grip. She began to work her way down.

“Hang on.”

”To what, De’ah?” Gloam asked with a squint of skepticism.

” To…uh, I…nevermind.” Aes shimmed her hips up and down. Crawling slowly over the edge. Her bare feet pushed reached down for anything to rest on. Her forearms swelled with tension. She pursed her lips and exhaled with a stream of steady force as she descended into the growling darkness.

Her bare legs and thighs were scratched, stabbed and poked by the dagger-sized thorns. She winced in pain, with flared nostrils and subtle growls. Lowering herself deeper into the depths of this hole. The Lantern swung to-and-fro, Gloam made a face of dizziness as his prison swayed about.

” Gloam…” She grunted “Can’t you see anything?”

” Indeed De’ah…” He replied.

” Yeah, okay…what?”

” I may request, to hold still a might. I could tell ya with clarity.” Aes exhaled with exasperation as she held still.

“Lemme see now. Hmm, yes-yes. Thorns…more thorns and a quite a few stretch marks on your…”

” Okay! thanks Gloam! You can shut up now!!” Aes snapped and continued on in her decent. Her fists began stiffen, from cramping. They grew pale and nearly bloodless in color. Her strength was waning. Arms shaking as she struggled to keep her grip. Unaware of a sharp thorn just beside her calf.

Aes shrieked in pain. She slipped down several feet, brambles and thorns clawing at her exposed flesh. A painful jab to her rips halted her fall. She attempted to examine her injury from the impact. Her light source, however, slipped from the seams of her tunic. A loud metallic echo filled the cave as Gloam fell upon something far below.

”Gloam?” Aes called out, looking down into the darkness.

”Yes, De’ah?” He responded

”Are you okay?” she asked, squinting her eyes to search from him.

”Well as can be.” His voice sounded as if it was right next to her, or all around. She looked back and forth confused.

”How are you doing that?” She asked, struggling to make her way down in the dark. “You sound like your up here.”

”I have done so before our initial rendezvous. If you recall.”

”I thought I had to have the lantern in my hand…”

”Not for this, tis different.”

”Yeah, that doesn’t confuse things..” She huffed.

Aes shivered, placing a bloody foot on something damp, cold, and hard. She felt around nearly blind, making her way to Gloam’s location. Her broken nails scratched something loudly, like a chalk board. Her small feet rested on cold groves, small holes and sharp edges. Occasionally shrieking sounds and painful grinding noises with dusty feeling on her palms and feet.

Aes closed in on Gloam, she reached out to snatch the lantern. A stinging pain ran across her palm. She rose the light to inspect it. A sharp thorn had sliced a long cut over her hand. She grit her teeth as the burning sting. Gripping the tunic sleeve tightly. The pounding in her palm burned her wound more.

” Are we at the bottom… Please say ‘yes’. “ She asked.

“Presumably so…”

Aes lifted the light overhead. The Illumination did only so much, the heaviness of the vines and debris blocked her view.

” Tis…different.” Gloam murmured.

” What do you mean?” Aes responded

”Architecture, tis…by Mara!” Gloam gasped, His spiritual flame glowing brighter.

”What??”

”Tis impossible!”

”What is?”

”Inconceivable!”

”GLOAM!!”

” Tis…Tis a knight!” Gloam stared at something behind Aes. She turned about, the lantern high up to see. Its radiance beamed through the binding thorns. Aes leaned forward; her bloody handprint pressed upon the metallic surface.

A creature, or the remains of one. sat slumped over within the cave. Charcoal polish Armor reflected the Light. A heavy forward visor, with dented and dashed face plate that extended over a foot or two forward. Like some type of bird beak or bill. Worn and decayed linen puffing from its arms. Interlinked plates on metal gauntlets protected each hand, that had two claw like fingers and a thumb.

Looking down, she stood over a tarnish pot belly breast plate. Its lower half looked like two massive chicken legs. the talons curled in from death. Nothing but bone remained.

” This thing is huge!” Aes gasped.

” Move me closer to the breast plate! I wish to inspect the insignia!” Aes knelt down carefully, bringing Gloam near as discolored engraving. “Tis true! Tis…T’was… a Knight! A knight of the Autumn Crown!”

Aes and Gloam both stared, mesmerized at the sight of the fallen armored warrior. A soft beam of moon light shined down within the cave, showering the grave head with celestial luminescence.