Out of the Darkness

Now safely at the bottom of the barrier, the cohort looked around anxiously for the monster they had spotted from above.

Although they had seen it run, there was no guarantee that it was not lying in wait nearby. They could not underestimate the creature's power. It had torn apart a harpy and lived. What else was it capable of doing?

Even though they had gotten a good look at the white behemoth, his size and girth were still unknown due to their raised position.

Beyond being smaller than the trees, the had no reference point from which to draw. He could have been the size of a house or a human, though the latter seemed less likely.

Based on Bess's version of events he was significantly taller than her. Yet how reliable was she? Aurora was not sure.

The Empress scanned the area, looking for signs of where the furry creature could have passed. Gazing in every direction, Aurora even looked up toward the canopy overhead. It was a great place to hide to get a jump on someone.

Nothing stood out to her among the landscape. The monster's path was not clear to the naked eye. The creature had made a hasty exit but not a clumsy one.

'He must have at least some intelligence then.' It seemed that it would take some work to track the creature down.

With a deep frown, Aurora sighed. She wasn't sure what to make of the area they had entered. The fiery haired woman had been in many forests, but none quite like this.

The white trees looked different up close. Their triangular shape was actually more of a bell. And on the underside, their needles were a ghastly grey instead of a pure white.

A shiver ran down the Empress's spine. The thought of the trees moving as they had before made her anxious. Something about the whole forest set her on edge.

"This way!" Brinn lifted a tuft of hair from the ground. "The critter might be light on his feet but he cannot keep from shedding."

Zan took the hair and examined it closely; it was a mix of longer coarse hair and shorter soft fluff. The roots of the hairs were still in tact. "He didn't part with this willingly. Hopefully he has left more breadcrumbs for us to find…"

The Guardian sniffed at the hair. It had the same fetid smell of the wolf that had injured Hanna. His mind drifted to the Fates. What could be keeping them away? Was this problem so big that not even they could solve it. The thought made him shudder.

He held out tuft for Aurora to smell. "Your intuition was right, Your Majesty. This creature must be related to the wolves somehow."

The Empress reluctantly leaned her head over to Zan's hand. As the scent hit her nose, she was thrust suddenly into the night where she was attacked. Claws and teeth sprung out from her mind's eye to take hold of her.

Reeling back from the memory, Aurora tripped and began to fall. Thankfully Nurlan caught her in his arms. She stood quickly and reached into the pack which the General was carrying for her.

Pulling out two pieces of wood and a string, Aurora began assembling the parts into one. It had been a gift from the elves before leaving: a mighty weapon.

A combination of human ingenuity and magic had imbued the wood with the ability to converge and meld into one solid piece. Once strung, the formidable weapon was ready for action.

Nurlan retrieved the quiver, which had slid down the barrier separately from him but thankfully was not broken, and handed it to the Empress with a slight bow. Slinging the strap over her shoulder, Aurora nodded.

"When we find the creature, try not to kill it. If there is any chance that we can communicate with it, we need to have it alive to do so." Aurora watched as the others drew weapons or readied their hands for magic. Only the doctor stayed back, hoping to keep clear of any action.

"Can you smell him?" Alvar asked Brinn. He had been sniffing experimentally at the air while Aurora assembled her bow.

"I can only smell that hair right there. It is too strong. Overwhelmingly so. That creature needs a bath." Brinn wrinkled her nose.

"I am having the same problem. But I do pick up something else on the breeze as well. I think something else is out there..." The handsome elf was quite serious. There were many things out in the forest most likely. But one in particular had him nervous.

"You think there is more than one dangerous thing out there?" Nurlan flexed his hands on the hilt of his sword.

"I think we would be wise not to rule that out." Alvar, of course was right. Just because the 'Abominable' was listed by himself didn't mean he was actually alone. He could be going back to other animals of his kind or even the wolves or lizards. They needed to be extra cautious.

"Which of you will lead the way?" Aurora looked at the two elves, Guardian and General. She trusted them to pick the best candidate.

"Alvar senses another creature. I say he is the most sensitive to what is going on around us," Zan suggested.

"I'll take the rear. I don't want anything sneaking up on us." Brinn glanced over her shoulder at the ice barrier. She trusted her husband enough not to babysit him at the front of the group. Their wind magic was better used spread out.

Nurlan and Zan took either side of the group with Aurora behind the leader with her bow. Phineas, sandwiched himself in the middle with a knife that he knew would be useless but made him feel better, while Reyan guarded from overhead.

Their formation resembled a diamond with a point on top. It was an effective grouping which allowed for flexibility while moving through the trees. Only Reyan had difficulty as the branches were quite low. He often had to drop to the ground next to the doctor before lifting up again.

The trees were massive, their outstretched limbs forming an nearly impenetrable barrier of grey overhead. Only muted light filtered down through the densely packed needles, creating a dim outline of the world below.

The cohort moved as silently as possible. Now that they no longer had the safety of the barrier at their back, their level of exposure was much greater. If they were not careful, they could be surrounded with no way to retreat.

Aurora was tense, but she did not allow fear to overtake her. Her nerves were on edge, and allowing all that to heighten her senses was wise. Yet, fully giving into the terror that lurked in the back of her mind would only cause her to stumble and make mistakes. It was a fine line.

A few more wisps of hair were found by Alvar as he scanned the forest floor. These were not ripped away as the first had been, they were floating loosely in the air. Their smell, though was unmistakable.

"We are getting close." Alvar furrowed his brow and unsheathed his sword with a soft metallic ring. He had been debating whether to use his magic or his weapon, but now that the moment was upon him, he felt comfort in having something to hold in his hands. If it came down to it, he could always wield his magic one handed.

The unpleasant smell became more prominent as the group reached a mound of dirt. The recently disturbed ground seemed to be carved out of the earth with massive claws.

The pile was as tall as Aurora with a slightly arched shape over the hole. It was a burrow, but not like one a badger could ever make.

"Something is in there." Alvar said as he closed his eyes. "I am sure I can hear it breathing."

"The monster?" The Empress asked.

"I'm not sure." The elf shrugged. From this distance it was a small miracle he could hear anything at all. Only the silence of the forest had allowed him to stretch his abilities to such a length.

Aurora nodded briefly. "Nurlan?"

All eyes flew to the General. He was the most qualified to make tactical decisions. Waving his hands, the burly man motioned for the doctor to stay back and the others to surround the makeshift cave.

They moved slowly to create a circle, careful to avoid being seen from the opening. Closing in, Alvar and Nurlan put themselves in the line of danger by blocking the hole's exit.

"Come out!" Nurlan ordered forcefully.

"We know you are in there," Alvar added in the ancient tongue.

The group fell deathly quiet, holding their breath alongside the stillness of the forest. The silence was finally broken by a low rustling within the darkness of the mound.

All at once a creature leapt out of the darkness.