A chilling gust of wind blew through the grove, carrying with it the distant echoes of the corrupted creatures' guttural roars. Ebonheim readied her bow, her eyes scanning the darkened forest for the source of the disturbance. Beside her, Ivera fluttered anxiously, the sprite's usual glow dimmed in the face of the impending threat.
The forest spirit that was with them faded out of the material realm, its body disappearing in a swirl of leaves and branches.
[Enchanted Essence Bolt (Rank II) activated]
[Essence: 170 -> 150]
[6 charges remaining]
Six leaf-shaped ethereal lights manifested behind her shoulder as she channeled her Enchanted Essence Bolt. "Stay close, Ivera," she whispered.
The sprite nodded, her tiny wings fluttering nervously. She took refuge in the goddess's hair, her body a cold pinprick against Ebonheim's scalp.
The first creature to emerge from the darkness was an abomination, once perhaps a bear, now a hulking machine of flesh and twisted metal. Its eyes glowed an unnatural red, and steam hissed from the contraption on its back. It roared, a sound that was more mechanical than animal, and lunged for Ebonheim.
Ebonheim moved fluidly, sidestepping the attack and letting her Essence Bolt fly.
The bolt struck the creature's chest and exploded in a brilliant burst of light and energy. The creature roared in pain, its flesh melted, and the metal on its back warped and cracked. Despite her weakened state from being outside her domain, the divine energy still proved effective against corrupted creatures.
Out of the mangled underbrush, more corrupted animals emerged, their forms twisted and grotesque. Metal protruded from their flesh, their eyes glowed with a sickly green light, and a chilling mechanical hum accompanied their movements.
A pack of corrupted wolves, their bodies misshapen and covered in thick, chitinous plates, slunk out of the undergrowth, growling and snapping at her. Ebonheim loosed a bolt into the pack's midst, its ethereal light exploding across the creatures' bodies, but the beasts only redoubled their efforts.
Ebonheim readied her bow again, her face grim as she took aim and let fly. The Essence Bolt struck a wolf in mid-leap, its head exploding in a shower of blood and gore.
From her vantage point, Ivera called out, "Ebonheim, don't you have more powers?"
Ebonheim didn't hesitate. Raising her free hand, she invoked her Forest's Call, her voice a melodic chant that carried over the growls and roars.
[Divine Ability: Forest's Call cannot be activated in this domain]
Her eyes widened. That wasn't good. Was it because she was within the corrupted grove or was it because this was outside her domain? Her Enchanted Essence Bolt was working, so did that mean she was only barred from using powers that affected the forest?
"I can't use some of my powers right now," she stated. This complicated things a bit, but she could still fight.
The corrupted bear, recovering from Ebonheim's attack, lunged at her again. Ebonheim rolled away, narrowly avoiding its claws, and quickly loosed another Essence Bolt. It struck true, exploding on the creature's face, and with a bellowing roar, it fell.
Suddenly, a corrupted stag, its eyes gleaming with a strange, unnatural light, charged towards her. Ebonheim turned, but it was too late—the impact knocked her off her feet, sending her sprawling onto the ground.
[You've taken 17 kinetic damage]
[Health] 170 -> 153]
Gritting her teeth against the pain that flared in her side, Ebonheim rolled, narrowly avoiding the stag's antlers as it lunged at her. She scrambled to her feet, her hand closing around the shaft of her bow. She fired another Essence Bolt, the divine projectile cutting through the air to sear through the stag's side. It collapsed, the light in its eyes fading away.
Ebonheim took a moment to catch her breath.
The wolves, however, continued their assault. They were agile, circling around her, snapping at her legs and back as she maneuvered through the forest. A wolf leapt at her from behind, its jaws wide and ready to snap, and Ebonheim spun around and swung her bow, hitting the wolf on its head, the impact staggering it. Another wolf lunged at her.
"Ivera!" she shouted as she deflected its bite with her bow. "A little help here?"
The sprite bobbed her head. "I probably should," she responded, fluttering out of Ebonheim's hair and into the air.
Ebonheim watched as the sprite danced around a pair of corrupted wolves, her tiny form a blur of motion. She danced between their snapping jaws, leading them on a merry chase while her tiny hands glowed with a soft light.
Along Ivera's path, images of fluffy rabbits flickered into existence around the wolves that chased her. She laughed as one by one they started chasing after their phantom prey.
"Did that help?" Ivera asked.
"Yeah, that's...a big help!" Ebonheim strained as she kept the wolf's mouth wedged with her bow as it continued to reach for her. "I can't hold this thing off forever. Can you help me out with this one too?"
"Of course, Ebonheim," the sprite said, floating closer to the creature. She extended her hands towards the beast and let loose a bolt of light, its ethereal tendrils wrapping themselves around the wolf's torso.
The wolf thrashed and growled, but its strength flagged as Ivera's power held the creature in place.
Ebonheim quickly dispatched the wolf with a final bolt to the head. The last of the glowing leaves floating behind her shoulder faded out, signifying that her Enchanted Essence Bolt had no more charges.
"That's four," Ivera said. "Are you going to be okay to take care of the rest?"
Ebonheim nodded, activating her Enchanted Essence Bolt once more. Six new leaves of ethereal light sprouted behind her.
[Enchanted Essence Bolt (Rank II) activated]
[Essence: 150 -> 130]
[6 charges remaining]
Power flowed from the bow, seeping into her veins, and she rose, her golden eyes ablaze. She pulled back her bowstring and her divine energy coalesced into the form of a radiant arrow.
Time seemed to slow as she took aim, the snarling wolves a mere backdrop to the singular point of her focus. She released the Essence Bolt, the world exploding back into motion as it streaked towards its target. The arrow hit true, striking a wolf in the neck and exploding into a flash of blinding golden light.
She loosed another Essence Bolt, and then another, each one finding its mark. The corrupted wolves fell one by one, their bodies crumpling to the ground.
Finally, the last of the corrupted creatures fell, the forest once again silent but for the creaking of the trees and the soft murmur of the wind. Ebonheim sagged, the adrenaline leaving her in a rush.
"Are you okay?" Ivera asked, hovering beside her.
Ebonheim nodded. "I'm fine. Thanks for the help."
Ivera sighed. "If you're already struggling here, then I'm not sure how well you'll fare with saving Aelindra."
Ebonheim shrugged. "She's been corrupted by a Magitech device. But if she's not mindless and hostile like these animals, then I'll find a way to return her to normal."
Ivera nodded, but her face still showed concern.
The author's narrative has been misappropriated; report any instances of this story on Amazon.
Ebonheim reached out and took the sprite's hand. "I'll figure something out. You'll see."
"Alright, I'll trust you on this. We should get moving then. Aelindra awaits."
----------------------------------------
Into the heart of the tainted grove they trekked, the usual songs of the forest replaced by an eerie silence.
As they broke through a thicket of brambles, they reached a clearing, the center dominated by a large, twisted tree that stood taller and more grotesque than the others. It was around this tree that the corruption seemed most potent, the ground beneath it blackened and lifeless.
At the base of the tree, hunched over and shrouded in a miasma of corruption, was a figure. Ebonheim's heart clenched at the sight, a pit forming in her stomach. It was Aelindra.
The dryad’s skin had taken on a sickly hue, patches of it replaced with gleaming metal. Her hair was a tangle of vines and leaves, her eyes a haunting, vacant green. A filigree of wires tethered her to the tree.
Ebonheim took a step forward, her hand reaching out to the dryad, but Ivera's tiny hand on her arm stopped her.
"Ebonheim, wait," the sprite said, her voice filled with fear. "It's too dangerous. If you get close, you could get corrupted too."
"It's alright," Ebonheim replied. "I'll be fine. Just stay back."
Ebonheim's gaze fell on the dryad once more and saw a faint glow emanating from Aelindra's chest, a pulsating light that beat in time with the dryad's shallow breaths. The Magitech device.
“Hang on, Aelindra. We're here to help,” Ebonheim called out, her voice firm yet gentle.
The dryad didn’t respond, her vacant eyes staring blankly ahead. But as Ebonheim drew closer, a low growl rumbled through the grove, the ground beneath them shaking. The dryad’s form shifted, her body twisting and contorting as she turned to face Ebonheim. The magitech device in her chest glowed brighter, and with a chilling scream, Aelindra lunged at her.
Ebonheim was ready. She sidestepped the attack, her hand reaching to draw her bow but she hesitated. She couldn’t kill Aelindra; she was here to save her. She needed another way.
“Ebonheim, look out!” Ivera’s warning came just in time. Ebonheim ducked, a gnarled branch swiping over her head. She rolled away, putting some distance between her and the corrupted dryad.
“Ivera,” she called out, her eyes never leaving the dryad. “The device. I need to get to it.”
Ivera’s eyes widened in understanding. “I’ll distract her, you go!”
With a nod, Ebonheim readied herself. This was their only chance. As Ivera darted forward, her magic sparking to life, Ebonheim charged. Aelindra’s attention was on the sprite, her attacks wild and unfocused.
Ebonheim closed the distance. She reached out, her hand closing around the magitech device. And then, everything went black.
[You've taken 40 arcane damage]
[Health] 153 -> 113]
Ebonheim's fingers barely brushed the device when a force like a lightning bolt coursed through her, hurtling her backward. She crashed into the underbrush some distance away, her head spinning and her hand stinging from the contact.
"Hey, you okay?" Ivera fluttered over, her tiny face etched with concern.
Ebonheim sat up gingerly, rubbing the back of her head. She looked at her palm, the flesh seared as if she had just grasped a lump of hot coal. "I've been better," she muttered. "That thing's got some serious protection on it."
She looked over and saw that Aelindra had returned to her vacant state. It looked like she only became hostile if they got too close. Even the animals around the grove looked dazed, meandering around aimlessly and ignoring their presence.
Turning to Ivera, Ebonheim said, “We need to remove that device.”
“But how?” Ivera fluttered anxiously. “Look what it did to you.”
Her mind raced, bits and pieces of information jumbling together. The Magitech device was causing the corruption, but how? Was it releasing some sort of energy? Was it manipulating the natural magic of the grove? And if so, how could they stop it?
Ebonheim’s gaze flitted back to the device, her brow furrowing. “I'm not sure, but I think...” her voice trailed off as she activated her Divine Sight.
[Divine Sight (Rank II) activated]
[Essence: 130 -> 125]
The world around her transformed. She could see the rivers of energy flowing through the grove, converging on Aelindra. Intricate webs of arcane energy swirled and pulsed around the magitech device. But she could also see something else, a pattern, a rhythm to the pulse.
Ebonheim's gaze was drawn to the flow of energy, watching as it twisted and contorted, bending to the will of the Magitech device. Something about it seemed... systematic. Like it was following some kind of pattern, a set of rules.
"Ebonheim?" Ivera's voice broke through her thoughts. "What do you see?"
"It's... It's like a dance," she said, her brow furrowing in confusion. "The energy around Aelindra, it's moving in a pattern."
"A pattern?" Ivera fluttered closer, her light reflecting in Ebonheim's wide eyes. "What kind of pattern?"
"I... I'm not sure. It's not natural. It's..." Ebonheim paused, struggling to find the words. "It's mechanical."
"Mechanical?" Ivera's wings fluttered nervously. "Like the device?"
"Yes," Ebonheim nodded, her gaze still locked on the flow of energy. "I think...I think the device is controlling it."
"But how do we stop it?" Ivera asked, her voice barely above a whisper.
"I don't know," Ebonheim admitted.
Ebonheim turned to face the dryad again, her eyes fixed on the device. "Maybe if I can break the pattern, I might be able to free her from the device." Easier said than done. She had no clue where to start. Maybe if she was more familiar with Aelindra and the grove, she'd have a better idea of how to start.
"Ivera, I need your help. I need you to tell me everything you know about this grove, about Aelindra. Everything."
Ivera hesitated, a flicker of fear passing over her face. But then she nodded, her tiny shoulders lifting in a shaky breath. "Okay."
Ivera began to share her knowledge of the grove, of Aelindra, of the rhythm of life that had once flowed harmoniously here. Ebonheim listened, her eyes still locked onto the pulsating device lodged in the dryad's chest. The sprite’s words wove a tapestry of the grove's life, the symbiosis between its flora and fauna, and the part Aelindra played in it.
The sprite spoke of seasons, of cycles, of life and death and rebirth. She spoke of the way Aelindra would hum lullabies to the seedlings in the spring, her voice coaxing them from their slumber. She spoke of the birds that would nest in Aelindra's branches, the squirrels that would scamper along her limbs, the deer that would seek shelter under her leaves.
"The grove used to thrive," Ivera said, her voice wavering. "Aelindra was its heartbeat, its soul. But now..."
Ebonheim nodded, a grim understanding in her eyes. "This device... it's taken over. I think it's controlling the rhythm, the cycle."
"What does that mean? How can that device control the rhythms of nature?"
"I don't understand either," Ebonheim confessed as the pieces began to fall into place. "But I think that device is creating a new rhythm, a new pattern, one that's unnatural, unbalanced."
Ebonheim looked over at Aelindra once more and peered at the Magitech device lodged in her chest. Her eyes widened as she saw something that she hadn't noticed at first glance since she was focused only on the arcane energies flowing around the dryad. There were symbols etched into the air in front of the device.
She squinted, trying to make out the details. Each symbol pulsed and twisted in time with Aelindra's heartbeat, a rhythm that seemed to echo through the entire grove.
"Wait, there are also symbols in front of the device," Ebonheim said.
"What do they mean?" Ivera asked, her light dancing across Ebonheim's eyes. "Do you recognize them?"
"They're...numbers," Ebonheim replied as she stared at them intently, the numbers glowing in an eerie sequence. "And they're not just glowing, they're changing. Almost as if...like it's counting."
"Counting?" Ivera gave a puzzled look.
Ebonheim nodded. "Yeah...like it's following a set of rules. An equation, maybe?"
"What's an equation?" Ivera asked.
Ebonheim was hard-pressed to answer since she had only learned about the concept from having listened to Roderick's brief explanation of how magitech devices like his mechanical spider wagon worked. After he had left, Engin started teaching her about mathematics, stating that it would be useful in the future when she would take a more active role in managing the village. It was all a lot to take in and she barely understood half of his lessons. Though it all, she'd been skeptical of its value, but maybe it could prove its use here.
"It's a bit hard to explain," she answered. "But I learned from a friend of mine that the enchantments inside magitech devices rely on complex equations to work properly. If I can figure out how that device is working, I might be able to disable it."
"Great! Come on then, figure it out already!"
"I'm thinking, I'm thinking." From what she's observed so far, webs of arcane energy flowed throughout the grove and converged to Aelindra. The device emitted a pulse that had some sort of pattern to it, but the symbols pulsed in tandem with Aelindra's heartbeat. There was something there.
Ebonheim frowned, taking a step back to take in the whole scene. She focused her attention and traced the flow of energy that branched off of the dryad. It flowed to the trees, but not to all of them. It flowed to different types of animals, but only those within a certain distance of the dryad. When an animal wandered too far away, the energy connected to it switched to a different animal nearby.
The corrupted trees, the corrupted animals, Aelindra... Suddenly, a realization dawned on her. "The equation isn't just on the device," she said slowly. "It's the grove."
"What do you mean?" Ivera asked, floating closer.
Ebonheim took a deep breath, piecing together her thoughts. "Look around. The number of corrupted trees, the variety of corrupted animals. Since the grove is a part of Aelindra, they're all parts of the equation. And her heartbeat...I think it's a constant in this equation."
Ivera blinked at her, then looked around the grove. "So how do we change the 'equation'?"
Ebonheim’s gaze hardened as she looked back at Aelindra, an idea taking root in her mind. "We change the grove. If this... equation is based on the grove, we change the factors it's counting and maybe that will give us a way to reverse the corruption."