1.15

“Are we just back in the same forest?” Bodwyn asked.

“Give me a sec.” Fenrick fetched his compass. “Luckily, they didn’t send us to the other side of the world. It’s the same forest. With no fairy shenanigans, we should get back to Cobbleson fairly quickly.” Fenrick started the trek back.

“Maybe I should kill a few more of them when we get back,” growled Bodwyn.

“That’s not nice, they were only defending themselves,” said Sharampf.

“Don’t always be so quick to kill,” said Fenrick.

“You don’t like killing, do you?” asked Bodwyn, a hush tone flowed through his voice.

“Only as a last resort.” Fenrick pressed on; he didn’t look at them.

“But you were in the war, wouldn’t that sort of thing be something you’re used to?” Bodwyn probed, unaware of the weight of his question.

“I witnessed unfathomable carnage.” Fenrick stopped and breathed a deep sigh, but still didn’t look at them. “Thousands were slaughtered. I killed many to keep myself and others alive. I cannot escape the constant weight that tries to drag me under.” Fenrick looked up to the sky as he spoke, strain scratched at his every word. He pressed on after another sigh.

“I…I’m sorry Fenrick.” Bodwyn made to go after him, but Sharampf put her hand on his shoulder.

“Give him a moment.”

After almost three hours of walking, it was clear that they were caught up in some fairy magic. They should have been out of the forest by now, but according to the compass, they weren’t any closer to Cobbleson. They set up camp and Fenrick handed out rations.

After almost three hours of trudging through the forest, it became clear the group was caught up in some kind of fairy magic trickery. They set up camp and ate in awkward silence.

“What’s with the map?” Fenrick asked. Bodwyn almost choked on his rations from the sudden break in silence. “You freaked when it went missing, and pulled your weapon on a kid to get it back.”

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“Firstly. I didn’t know she was a kid. I wouldn’t have done that if I knew. As for the map, you know what a warlock is yeah?”

Fenrick nodded.

“That map is a direct link to my pact, the source of my magic. I need it to keep my pact relevant. I need it to keep my magic, to do the things I can do.”

“Who, or what, gave you your magic?” Fenrick’s eyes narrowed as he asked the question.

“An ancient entity,” Bodwyn replied.

“What’s the terms of the pact?”

“I set it free.” Bodwyn’s words felt heavy as he spoke.

“What will it do once its free?” Fenrick raised an eyebrow as he spoke. “Will we be safe?”

“I don’t know, and I hope so.” Bodwyn matched Fenrick’s glare.

“What happens if you don’t follow through with your promise?”

“I lose my powers. Probably die.”

“What if it wants to destroy all of Merrin?” Fenrick looked as though he were about to stand.

“I don’t know. But I will do everything I can to stop anyone else from being able to free it. Its either me, or nobody.” Bodwyn shot to his feet. Feeling judged, Bodwyn resorted to intimidation.

“If you plan to walk that narrow line, I’ll help.” Fenrick stood and offered to shake Bodwyn’s hand. Neither noticed Sharampf’s mechanical arm hovered above them.

“That’s not exactly where I thought this was going,” chuckled Sharampf. She retracted the mechanical arm.

“Neither did I,” admitted Bodwyn. Bodwyn shook Fenrick’s hand.

“We’re an adventuring party now. We’re allies,” said Fenrick.

“And friends.” A sheepish grin crept along Sharampf’s face.

“Yes, and friends.” Fenrick walked back over to Tad and gave her a light scratch on the chin. He failed to notice his animal companion had grown stiff in the rising tension.

Fenrick pulled out the compass and watched as it went haywire. The green arrow spun rapidly in circles and the compass spun in the opposite direction.

“What’s up?” Sharampf noticed the puzzled look on Fenrick’s face.

“The compass is going all over the place.”

“What does that mean?” asked Sharampf. Bodwyn readied his crossbow.

“It means we’re on a different plane,” said Fenrick.

“Are we in Sylvanus?” asked Sharampf.

“No, it feels different.”

They took a proper look at their surroundings. The trees looked brighter. The air around them shimmered as if it were a reflection. Taking a deep breath, they all felt refreshed. It was like everything around them had a faint, glowing, golden sheen about it. It felt as light as a dream and smelled as sweet as honey.

“I’ve read about these,” said Sharampf. “I think we’re in a Glade.”

“A what? But we’ve been sitting at the same campsite for hours, why are we only here now?” Bodwyn looked to where their camp was, and it could be seen. He kicked at his blanket, and the sound and weight were muted.

“We’ve been allowed in,” said Sharampf.

“By what?” asked Bodwyn.

“You mean by whom,” a honeyed voice echoed with a mute sweetness through the air. They all turned and Bodwyn’s jaw dropped by what he saw.