Survival or Death

Thane managed to carry Kayden on his bad while he lay passed out and unconscious, he ran as fast as he could, it was what he had thought was really happening then there was nothing he could do anymore, absolutely nothing the both of them could, even if Tharros was here, he wasn't sure they would make it out alive.

The building where they had been suddenly shuddered as though something was emerging from it, Thane turned around to confirm his suspicions, the building was slightly lifted up as though something was trying to emerge from the ground.

"Boys!"

Thane heard as the family chalky voice of the Blood Vine called out to the both of them.

"Come now, I need to thank you for pushing me this far" its voice rumbling through the entire village, he just kept running, he never turned back, not even once, his and Kayden's survival was more important than any stupid mission.

"You can't escape boys, I've surrounded the entire village with my roots" the voice called out once more.

Thane looked ahead and saw trees, roots, and mostly vines growing outwards to the sky, he stopped in disbelief and looked around, the same thing was happening on the east, west, north, and south of the village, he dropped to his knees as he realized the severity of the situation.

"It had mended itself with nature" Thane whispered under his breath, he couldn't believe such a feat was even possible, yet here it was happening before his eyes, he looked at his friend lying unconscious before him, and for the first time in his life, Thane considered leaving him here to survive but he shook his head.

He couldn't abandon Kayden, not now, not ever, it had been his sworn oath, and he couldn't break it at the expense of his own life, the memory of two men in robes forcing him to a covenant he wanted nothing to do with flashed through his mind, he gritted his teeth and pushed the memory away.

Now wasn't the time to remember useless memories, he. Was about to die and he mostly certainly would if he did nothing about it, he carried Kayden on his back once more and began running towards the lake, he had seen a harbor from the mountain before they had come here, if he bearings weren't wrong then they could be safe if he could carry them through that water.

Thane ran past trees at blinding speed, evading stones, branches, and twigs, if anything he was more impressed at the growth rate of Kayden, he had almost known the boy would be a monster if he had the chance to cultivate but now he was certain, Kayden was a genius.

The more he ran he noticed how some of the trees and roots in the ground had begun to wither and fall apart, now everything made sense to him, the Blood Vine without a source of blood to live on latched itself to the energy of nature, unending and powerful, the only danger was the Blood Vine sucking all the vitality from the land, it was forced to go against its nature of taking just blood to survive.

Thane smiled at himself, glad that he and Kayden had been able to accomplish such a feat, he ran with even more speed and urgency, he had to make it towards the lake, Thane was so focused on running that he hadn't seen a root change it's shape as shoot out at an awkward angle to grab at his feet.

He barely managed to dodge at the last moment but he had lost his balance, he tripped in the slippery snow and fell down to the ground, the snot cushioned his fall and that of Kayden's as he slid on the ground to a stop, Thane hurriedly rushed towards him.

"Found you"

The voice resonated through the woods, Thane looked up and about, trying to find the source of the voice but he could see nothing, just the echoes of the voice.

"What in damnation do you want with us?" Thane screamed in anger, he hated being used or played a fool, but more than anything, he hated being hunted down as right now, he felt more like a prey than anything.

"Hmmm" the voice sounded once more, this time it was closer, from the tree beside him, he turned sharply and saw a smiling face etched onto the surface of the tree, something he was sure had not been there, which meant the blood Vine could freely manipulate the plants.

He shuddered at the mere thought of it.

"Let's make a deal boy," the tree said to him once more, Thane slashed angrily at the tree, tearing the face of the tree in an instant.

"Hmmm Feisty" the monster chuckled.

"You can survive," the monster said calmly, something in Thane stirred, the chance of survival was given to him, he couldn't reject it, but he couldn't trust the words of a demonic monster.

"But in exchange for that boy's body," it said with finality.

"No" Thane whispered under his breath, he lowered his sword in doubt, he wanted to live, so desperately, so badly but it was at the expense of Kayden's life, he stood conflicted about the right choice to make before today Thane would have told himself there was no right and wrong in the battlefield but this wasn't a battlefield, this was something different.

"Choose wisely boy" 

"Save yourself and give the boy to me, you have no chance of escaping my forest and vines"

"Your foolish idea of going to the lake is completely useless, as I am now, my vines extend towards the reach of the mountains, you could never hope to defeat me" The blood vine's voice rumbled, Thane was glad for one thing, that he didn't have to see Lyda's face anymore.

"Fuck it all, I'm not giving this damned fool to you," he said the words to the forest, shocked at his own words, he remembered how conflicted Kayden had felt slaughtering the villagers, he couldn't understand him then, going against your nature for the sake of survival but now it was the complete opposite.

Thane stared at his hands, he had gone against his own nature for the sake of death, the thought seemed wrong and absurd to him but at the same time he accepted it, it felt welcome to him, and most importantly, he knew that's exact what Kayden would have chosen.

"Then I shall kill the both of you and have your bodies as mine" the forest responded to Thane, at the same time the sky rumbled greatly above them.