Colin's posts

"...." Adym was silent for a moment.

"Now that you mention it... yeah." he said.

"It almost feels like we're... kind of safe here?" he commented.

"A little?" he mumbled further.

"This is strange..." he continued.

"Like... we're being shielded, but also suffocated."

"Darn it." Adym muttered.

"She should be able to take care of herself, but I'm worried." he said.

"This darkness isn't natural." he said further.

"And yes, I'm surprised we found each other, too." he agreed.

"It seems like the corruption is actively trying to make us lost and separated."

"Callie!" he said.

"Oh good, I've found you." he told her.

"I was getting worried." he said further.

"...is Chalra with you?" he then asked, before pausing.

"Oh. You were never properly introduced." he realised.

"The one that helped us escape the Creos in the cabin." he clarified, though he figured she could've guessed who he was referring to.

"Huh!?" he exclaimed.

"Who's there!?" he yelled, as he started to walk towards the voice, arms outstretched forward.

"Hello!? Callie!?" he asked.

"Where are you!?" he called out further.

'Damn it, what's going on!?' he thought.

'All I can do is follow my ears now.'

"All right." Adym responded.

"Then let's get moving, quick." he told them.

"We don't want anything else to happen." he muttered further.

With that, the three of them continued their journey, with a bit more of a quickened pace, when the darkness surrounding them suddenly became... extremely thick. Almost palpable.

"...what in the...?" Adym growled.

"I can't even see my hand in front of my face now." he said.

"Are you two nearby?" he asked his female traveling companions.

"Can you hear me?"

Adym just sighed heavily, in relief.

"Ohhhh thank goodness." he said.

"That... was some really quick thinking." he told her.

"You're quick to react." he commented further, before hanging his head slightly.

"That very well could have killed you." he went on, looking back at the female elf that had joined them.

"..." he was silent, thinking about something, and then looked back at Callie.

"Are you seriously hurt anywhere?" he asked.

"...." they were both silent for a moment.

"Wait..." Adym muttered.

"Soft soil... and ice?" he asked.

"The soft soil part I can understand. I mean, it offers less resistance and you can sink in it and such." he told her.

"But... how did the ice help?" he asked her.

"I... my brain's just not piecing this together, admittedly."

"Callie!" he exclaimed.

He then looked around, before placing his hands on the muddy ground. As soon as he did, thick vines emerged from the soil, and started to push up on the tree that had fallen down.

It was hard for him to do, as the corruption was actively fighting his efforts, but he was managing.

And he managed to get the tree lifted up an inch or so, and shift it slightly towards him.

He wondered how hurt Callie was.

'Please be okay, please be okay...' he pleaded internally.

Adym didn't even have time to react properly, as it all happened in the span of a few seconds.

By the time he'd realised what had happened, it was too late.

And he looked towards the downed tree... where Callie had been standing... horrified.

"CALLIE!" he yelled.

"NO!" he screamed, racing over.

"Callie, say something!" he pleaded in a panicked tone.

"And it shows no signs of letting up." Adym said.

"...also, neither Callie nor I have heard ANYTHING akin to a normal or average forest sound here." he then muttered. "No chittering, no rustling, just... eerie silence." he sighed.

That's when they heard another crash, saw another flash, and then heard a loud cracking sound.

"Woah!" Adym exclaimed.

"That sounded like a tree." he said.

And sure enough, it seemed the lightning had decimated a nearby tree, which had split open, and half was falling right towards them.

"Um... no, no, not really." Adym replied.

"I still feel all right. No numbness." he told her.

"How about you?" he asked Callie.

"Any numbness?" he asked her.

As he spoke, they could see flashes of light penetrate the canopy... and the crashes of thunder sounded right overhead.

".........I was speaking generally." Adym responded.

"Whether or not the Prefect agrees, Callie and I are going there." he told her.

"I was merely informing Callie about what's in store." he continued.

"That is all." he said.

"I was not trying to imply or suggest anything."

"Thank you." Adym responded, as they continued to trudge through the rain, the ground below soft and muddy.

He looked around, and sighed heavily.

"...I barely recognise these woods anymore." he said.

"It's like this is a completely different place." he mumbled.

"..." he was then silent, before looking at Callie.

"Oh, and where we're going IS a shrine, but... there's a series of tunnels and catacombs underneath it." he informed her.

"Odds are the issue is... well... in THERE."

Adym nodded in response.

"If we can stop Vyran and his ambitions, the realm will heal." he told her.

"It may take a while, but... it should happen when he's gone." he reasoned.

"And Callie's return to this realm... as sudden and inexplicable as it is... may just be the sign we've been looking for, that it's time to finally try and put a stop to all this." he continued.

"...besides, Callie was going to go, with or without me." he then said.

"I'd never be able to forgive myself if I let her go alone."