The earth beneath us splits in two.
Roots burst from the forest floor like serpents, gnarled and twisting. They shoot toward us in a blur, fast and vicious, aiming for Kael.
He leaps to the side, the jagged, grotesque root narrowly missing his torso.
In a heartbeat, Kael unsheathes his dual swords and steps closer to me. But it’s no use. The roots twist again, this time aiming to hook his ankles. With lethal efficiency, Kael slices through the roots.
The earth beneath us trembles, and the path ahead distorts, warping into a twisted tangle of roots and vines with no way through.
I chance a look at the compass, but the dial is spinning wildly. It is out of control and unable to combat The Grove's living intelligence.
“This way!” Kael calls, running toward the only open pathway.
I follow, my breath heavy with exertion.
I take five steps?—
“STOP!” Kael bellows.
I slide to a stop and look skyward as one of the dark trees creaks and groans before toppling with a crash.
BOOM!
The huge tree trunk lands mere inches from my face and is so vast I can’t see over it.
Are you okay?Kael’s distressed question tumbles down the tether.
Yes, I reply sharply.What now?
I need to find a way to you, he says.
Hold on, I’ve got an idea.I pause for a heartbeat before adding,Step back, Kael.
I can feel his unease through the tether, but I push him away.
I move towards the trunk and place my hands on its beautiful, starlit bark. I close my eyes, summoning my magic to my fingertipsagain, and let it seep slowly into the bark. It’s sentient—maybe it needs to feel me. Know me. Know we mean no harm.
For a moment, The Grove stills. The groaning ceases, and the gentle quivering from the ground dissipates.
Then, the roots revolt.
A deafening shriek pierces the air, and the ground beneath my feet bucks as if rejecting me.
Vines burst towards me from above, roots burst from below and the whole grove roars in outrage.
I can’t afford gentleness anymore.
I summon magic to my fingertips, and though I have no precision with my aim, I don’t need it—I blast Lightborne magic, hot and intense, towards the trunk.I need to get to Kael.
The onyx trunk splinters apart and disintegrates in front of me, and that’s when I see it?—
“KAEL!”
He’s ensnared by a tangle of roots that coil tightly around his torso, savagely yanking him off his feet and dragging him backward toward the gaping maw of a hollow tree.
I draw my Starforged Blade and command my magic to my hands again, desperately sprinting toward Kael.
Why aren’t the roots attacking me?
