"It is said that spiritual beings do not have the same moral values as humans. No concept of good or evil. Death is but another doorway, torture but a fleeting experience that can teach profound wisdom.

To place our views and values on spirits is to be eternally disappointed."

Except from: The Book Of Tears

Written by: Atticus The Bold

Aaron Black

I walk into the Red Forest as power wcomes off me in waves. Broadcasting myself to every creature perceptive enough within 20km. 'I am here,' I broadcast to the forest and its inhabitants walking deeper and looking around.

The Red Forest is amply named as the glow beneath the trees is a deep gloomy scarlet, the light of the sun not touching the soggy ground I walk on. I leave a clear trail on previously undisturbed ground, leaves crunch under my feet; snakes, scorpions, baths, killer bees and tigers stalk me as I travel deeper. None daring to get too close but all unleashing their aura's to threaten and intimidate.

Awakened and magical beasts all. The big cats particularly have their hackles bristling at my intrusion irked by my presence yet wise enough to know I'm a problem for their betters. Awakened Beasts protecting their vast territory in the middle of a rainforest the local people call Woodland Province. The Red Forest is a wide territory within the province permeated by a permanent red miasma that has changed the local inhabitants and attracted many creatures that have low affinity for the sun.

I travel deep looking at the beautiful exotic flora, from man eating trees to flowers that trap flies and small insects this forest is an alchemist's dream but it is very hostile to humanoid creatures by the looks of it. Most humanoid creatures anyways, I sense a woman coming to greet me with a great white mist tiger at her side that stands at least 3 meters at the shoulder.

Too large to be able to move comfortably in this dense forest yet it moves with ease as the fauna and flora seem to make a path for the huge creature though not really shifting from their places. Its eyes are considering me intelligently from the distance.

"Why have you come," comes a message in my head. Not as a voice like telepathic communication but as a sense of the question that transcends language and ambiguity. Just meaning.

I look to the large beautiful beast. It's white coat looking bloody from the disembodied glow coming from everything within the forest. The Ancient beast isn't the true power in this forest but it is also a force of nature, one whose power and wisdom cannot be underestimated.

"I have come to treaty with the forest and its inhabitants. I am new yo this land and wondering whether or not I could make a home outside the Red but within it's shadow." I say without preamble out loud.

Though the beast may not have a tongue capable of making human sounds it is likely more than capable of understanding them. My escort of dangerous creatures retreats as the huge beast moves slowly closer. The woman by its side naked except for a loin cloth and tattoos.

"We do not welcome humans here, you take more often than you give and not enough creatures consider you good to eat. You disturb the balance." The creature conveys into my mind moving so close that it towers of me.

It really is a majestic creature, too bad it has to die.

"pression" I say unleashing my mana as pressure suddenly affects everything within 30 meters. The woman falls on her knees unable to breathe but a roar from the tiger brakes my spell.

"les racines" I say as it swipe at me. Roots of mighty trees thousands of years old stop the powerful paw with a concussive force and immediately wrestle themselves out of my control. It seems I underestimated this forest.

"Feu." I say using my arms to direct my mana manipulation. Increasing the speed with which the fire travels as it roars into existence and pushes towards the tiger. Burning everything in its path except my target who brushes if off with aura.

My nose bleeds as my mind frays at the edges. Getting foggy and losing focus as I mentally prepare to utter my next word.

"enfer." I say and an inferno of raging blue flames rise up all around me. I hear the druidess scream as she dies and a few other forest creatures. The fire as high as 300 degrees Celsius in temperature and covering an area of 30 meters all around me.

I stop the flow of mana and the fire disappears as though it where an illusion. The ashes the only sure sign that is really happened. The tattered tiger the only living thing within the domain of ash.

"You should be proud of yourself beast. That was one of my strongest spells and still, you stand barely charred."

I take out my handkerchief and wipe the blood from my nose. Then drink a mana potion which will quickly help replenish my energy.

The Ancient tiger looks at me with hate in its eyes as it sends a mental attack that takes me almost completely by surprise. I scream as I find myself trapped in my own mind for what feels like hours but I break out knowing it's been only a moment as my metal protection talisman breaks into pieces on the ground spent.

It took me 12 years to get the ingredients for that. Hot vapour suddenly scotches my skin as I the beast uses it's elemental affinity. This I've been waiting for though.

"supporter", "bouclier" I say and endure the brunt of it as I enact a shield and use all my mana except a small portion to maintain it.

Though my mana reserves can take it, my mind cannot and may break at any moment leaving me a babbling idiot for the rest of my short life.

But the beast eases up as it rushes me and I release the thing I've been carrying ever since I found out what my youngest son had gotten himself into.

"Libération" I say, releasing the spirit at the Ancient tiger before me and let them struggle for control. I've weakened the creature as much as I am able. Ancient beasts are not easy foes to defeat, even for a 500 year old wizard.

The struggle between the beast and the spirit is long and hard. Protracted to the point that I worry more of these mighty creatures will reveal themselves. And they do, but surprisingly do nothing but watch as the tiger struggles for control of its own body.

Standing stork still but it's body quivering and waves of force blowing the air and cracking the ground under its paws. The struggle is epic on a spiritual level I'm uncomfortable dealing in. I usually don't deal with spirits but my boy and his stupid 'Circle' have made a deal with a force so old that Gaia wasn't even an idea as a world when it was conceived.

Thinking they can outsmart such a creature and make a deal that enables them to come out on top. The arrogance alone deserves the boy a beating.

The only protection from such a spirit, especially at this desperate a time for them is to have another spirit deal with it.

Making a deal with the indifferent spirit I hear better things about as opposed to the malevolent spirit I know will kill my son and take his soul when it's done. Vritra, how could Damian make deal with a spirit with such a reputation even amongst other spirits?

Spirits are the offspring of the seven creater gods which are themselves are the children of the Trinity. They are all powerful and endless within their domains in the spirit realms and live lives that are fufilled in ways we can't even imagine in the physical realm.

But because of the war raging in the spiritual realm the past few millennia several hundred spirits have already taken on physical form and manifested into the physical realm.

Diminished though they may be and limited by flesh. The spirits that manage to get themselves worshiped as gods retain more of themselves and more power with the numbers and devotions of their followers.

Thus, the cults started popping up a few hundred years ago. An unintended consequence of being worshiped was being shaped by the idea the worshipers had of each dirty. And the more they remained true to a particular law of the Universe the stronger they became.

Vritra though is being worshiped in secret by those that prefer darker arts and spoken of in whispers. His/It's name spread wide and spoken of with trepidation and paranoia.

Though most people may not be worshipers, It's name is known so far and wide that I gets power from the large number of believers alone. Regardless of whether or not they worship it.

A god that grants power to those that sacrifice their fellow men, do unclean acts and commit their souls to its cause. A cause yet unknown by my sources.

The titanic struggle of wills suddenly stops and I wait for the outcome with batted breath. If the spirit I made a deal with is unable to possess this Ancient beast its banished from whence it came and will never be able to possess this particular host again. And I'll be left in deep shit, having to deal with a pissed off Ancient beast.

"We have come to an agreement *#" $5&$#%& and I. " the beast broadcasts mentally to all around.

"We will eventually become fully one being and share this body from this day onwards. From now on I will be known as Bái Hǔ, The White Tiger of The West.

"And you wizard. You can come to me for help once, only once. After that we will be enemies and the next time we meet one of us shall die."

I bow to acknowledge my new enemy. There is absolutely no point in arguing, though I have done a great service for the spirit, I have attacked the beast. Whatever happened between the two forces must still be taking place.

"I will sleep the next seven years. Let none wake me before then." The great tiger then shimmers as it moves away. Dispersing as though made of smoke. Leaving behind the unharmed druid I thought I had killed in my inferno.

"You were lucky, not many who venture into the Red Woods leave with their lives." She says as the other three Ancient tigers sneak me a moment and silently disappear.

"I know, its why I chose this place. It's infamous for its number of Ancient beasts living in a single territory. Sorry about the trying to kill you bit, nothing personal." I say with a shrug.

"It was personal to me wizard, but your kind are known for their disregard for life. Leave this place, you are not welcome."

I bow to the druid, then start walking away with a relieved sigh. I'm glad the Ancestral beast didn't choose to deign me with it's presence.

*

Talia

I sigh as the wizard walks away as cool as can be. Had Byakko not shielded me instead of himself I'd be a goner. It has been many years since I came so close to death and the feeling hasn't gotten any easier to stomach.

I feel the stranger through the forest walk away until he reaches the boundary of the Red and enters the Asleep part of the forest. What's with Byakko wanting to be called by another name now anyways?

Whatever the wizard did, it will have profound ripple effects on the forest, and maybe the world as a whole that much I can feel with certainty.

Maybe it's time I got back to training, maybe its time I showed these wizards and mages that occasionally trespass here not to underestimate a druid.