Leaving the relative safety of the clearing, Tennebris led the invasion of the Shrouded Hollow. It was a place that made her hair stand on end. An unsettling urge to flee that overtook her every time she’d gaze into the threshold between the forest.

  The theatrics Tennebris’ fear were trying to play on her would need to wait. Havenreach was a wounded dog. Those insects were like circling coyotes, waiting for it to lose the strength to fight. Tennebris and Mheris were to become its pack, bearing their fangs at any who may seek to do it harm. As the threshold was crossed, the forest began again, to transform.

  “Mheris, I’m going to take to the trees. I should be able to hop from branch to branch and keep a lookout for us.”

  Mheris met Tennebris’ gaze as a flame of excitement danced across her eyes. With a slight smirk she called back to her. “Aye, Little Shadow. That would be wise, just be sure that you don’t get too far ahead of me. Try to maintain a 20 foot follow distance. That way you stay in lethal range against anything that wants to take a bite out of our hind-end”

  Tennebris was unaccustomed to tracking, much less in a group, but she understood it conceptually based on what Mheris was suggesting.

  So basically, I just need to stay within 20 feet of whoever or whatever I’m trying to protect. Good to know.

  “I can do that. You focus on tracking, and I’ll stay hidden while scouting ahead.”

  True to her word, Tennebris slowly climbed up the trunk of the nearest tree to a platform-like branch about ten feet up. Scouting around from her vantage point she began to take in her surroundings.

  Here, Tennebris could see that the tree branches either touched or intertwined with each other. It would be relatively easy to maintain balance using her tail as a counterweight. Coupled with her very lightweight frame, sticking to the treetops was going to be simple.

  With Mheris tracking the Apex Predator from the forest floor, they made good time. Mheris didn’t have to worry about any would-be aggressors, and Tennebris had something to keep her mind occupied.

  Tennebris had forgotten how foreboding the forest was. As the pair made their way deeper into the belly of the beast, the ambience only became more obfuscated.

  Tennebris strode from branch to branch, occasionally checking on Mheris. She noticed Mheris was crouched down. Examining something in between her fingers, rubbing them together while silently musing to herself. “That’s the goo I was telling you about.” Tennebris said to Mheris, dropping down from her vantage point. With a silent, practiced flourish, she landed beside her tracker. “It reacts with fire.”

  “Always with the dramatics. Let’s see it.” Mheris responded, smearing the goo on her pants while gesturing to a small puddle underneath her.That must mean Mheris can’t use innate magic.

  Snap.

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  With a snap of Tennebris’ fingers, Pyromancy’s flame took hold on the puddle, causing a sizzle reaction. The goo, as before, hardened and released a puff of acrid smoke.

  “Now that’s something. I can only imagine that whatever this is has a violent reaction to heat, not just fire. Why that is, or what that means I couldn’t tell you.” Mheris whistled in surprise.

  “What can you tell me about it? Any weaknesses?” Tennebris pushed inquisitively.

  “What I can tell you is this thing, whatever it is, is massive. These indentations aren’t just from weight, they’re from impact. It moves with incredible force. Those scorch marks you saw? They're concentrated in patches, as if it was either attacked by fire or sheds something volatile.”

  Mheris sighed before continuing, “And these tears and gashes on the trees and the ground, they’re not because of blunt force. They’re sharp. Weaknesses? Hard to say, but I'd wager it's tough as old boots. And whatever it is, it's not shy about leaving its mark. It's almost... aggressive."“Well that sounds terrifying. I still wanna do this, but let’s gather some of this goo up and keep moving. What do you think?”

  With a now familiar smile on Mheris’ lips, she met Tennebris’ eyes. Without saying a word, Tennebris understood her.

  After Mheris had gathered a couple phials of the goo, Tennebris took to the trees again, finding herself wrapped up in their shadowy embrace. Moving as silent as a whisper, the search continued for this creature’s lair. Deeper and deeper they went, the Shrouded Hollow growing denser.

  The ancient forest became a labyrinth, one that a less seasoned traveler would easily get lost in. It seemed that the forest was guiding them to the heart of the mystery. As if trying to evict an unwanted guest. With the only sound being the crunching of leaves under Mheris’ boots, the silence was deafening.

  Mheris and Tennebris continued their search. They had been tracking the creature’s movement inside of the Shrouded Hollow for a couple of hours. The path that Mheris was leading them on seemed to widen as overturned trees became commonplace.

  Soon after Tennebris took notice of this, Mheris froze examining ahead.

  “What do you see?” Tennebris called out to Mheris.

  Without saying a word, Mheris met her eyes, and pointed forward. Tennebris, turning in place to look ahead, was shocked by what she saw.

  The forest floor below was a scene of utter devastation. Trees splintered, earth gouged deeper than ever, creating a winding path. She sensed a shift in the air, a drop in the temperature, and the faint smell of decay. It was as if the Shrouded Hollow itself was recoiling from something terrible ahead, leaving only a vast, chilling emptiness in its wake. Every rustle of leaves, every snapped twig sounded like a thunderclap in the stifling vacuum

  Turning back to Mheris, who was still watching her, Tennebris used Syndicant to convey her message.

  Syndicant was a local language that people belonging to the criminal underbelly all used. They had several different words and interpretations, along with signs and symbols to go with it. It was a nebulous language as the entirety of its meaning was left up to both sides.

  Learning the language was less about fluency and was more about spending time in the criminal undergrounds. If the two individuals using it had some time working together to gather points of inflected meaning. Both people would eventually learn how to communicate effectively as meanings were understood, and signs became known.

  Subtly shifting her posture and making a quick, almost imperceptible gesture, Tennebris sent a silent message using the Syndicant to her tracker.

  The message was clear to Mheris, “Continue slowly ahead, watch for signs of life.” Hopping from tree to tree, Tennebris moved closer towards the heart of the destruction.

  There was a faint shimmer in the air. A sort of distortion that made the foliage waver, as if being viewed through the haze of heat. It was disorientating in comparison to the chilled air.

  A low, guttural rumble, too deep to be heard, vibrated through the very branch Tennebris stood on.

  There wasn’t a direct visual on the creature, but one thing was certain: these were undeniable signs of its immense, unsettling presence. It was very close and preparing for something.

  The forest floor here was a shattered landscape of colossal, splintered trees, and churned earth, revealing a tangle of roots and fallen giants.

  Tennebris once again dropped down to Mheris’ side, and without a word, crouched down as they both moved silently forward. With the practiced stride of a hunter, and the expertise of a thief, they moved toward the source of the unsettling vibrations.

  The thrumming here became more pronounced. The chill revealed the breath of the two monster slayers. Up ahead, there was a rock face, with a seemingly triangular opening. From there, the stench of rot and decay flooded out.

  They had found where the Apex Predator was hiding.