122 The other side of the forest
The group didn’t need any indication to realize that they had arrived at their destination. The man turned around and gave them a stern look. “The Vylkr vines in this area have already been cleared. However, the weaker ones were left behind for a reason – to train all of you,” he explained.
As the man spoke, Orion took the opportunity to observe his new surroundings. Everything, from the ground to the lifeless trees, was covered in an ashen black hue. Some of the trees were bent to the side, while others remained upright without a single leaf on their branches.
Orion felt Ursa’s hand clench tightly against his waist, so he gently rubbed her waist and thighs to soothe her. “I would have said more, but Warrior Tog and Grulm have already covered everything there is to say…” he trailed off.
The man suddenly frowned and his face twisted into a terrible scowl. His eyes became serious as he pierced them at each one of them. “They’re here,” he declared.
As soon as the man’s words registered with everyone, several loud gulping sounds could be heard emanating from the group.
Suddenly, the man shook his head and moved behind them. He stood at their backs and announced once again, “Prepare yourselves, the Vylkr vines are coming.” Still, no one moved as they tightly gripped their cutlasses and machetes. The ashen black earth beneath their feet began to vibrate, causing a wave of fear to wash over them.
Orion instinctively withdrew his hand from Ursa’s waist when he noticed her unconsciously activate her gift. Suddenly, she was floating several meters above him in the air, levitating effortlessly as the wind around her picked pace. But before he could say anything, his attention was caught by a strange phenomenon heading their way. It was a swarm of black roots and vines, with sharp protrusions all over its body. Even without being told, Orion knew that this was the infamous Vylkr vines, known for their deadly and destructive nature.
Initially, the group was frozen in place, their eyes glued to the monstrous Vylkr vine that stood before them. Orion, in particular, was stunned by the sight of their foe, but he quickly regained his composure. Unconsciously, he activated his gift, and arcs of lightning flowed down from his arm, illuminating their gloomy surroundings.
The bolts of fiery blue lightning danced around his machete, each one crackling like a swarm of entangled snakes as they leapt from his arm to his blade and back again.
“Come on, what are you all waiting for?” Warrior Jean bellowed, his impatience showing as he stood behind the rest of the group. But before he could even finish his sentence Thak’s daughter charged forward with her weapon aimed at the vines. Grim, on the other hand, transformed into his majestic golden-horned eagle form, clutching his cutlass with his sharp talons. In a flash, he appeared before the Vylkr vines, even before any of the others had a chance to react.
With the speed of a bird of prey, Grim transformed back into his human form, bringing his cutlass down with all his might, hacking against the body of one of the Vylkr vines. The vine split into two pieces, writhing in agony as it slowly died. As he caught his breath, Grim immediately moved on to the next vine, with the village chief’s messenger’s daughter and Gorg following close behind him.
Orion glanced up, checking on Ursa to make sure she was doing alright. But when he saw her gripping her cutlass tightly with both hands, bracing herself for what was to come, he shook his head and took a deep breath before charging forward.
As he ran, the sound of lightning crackled around his arm, adding to the already tense atmosphere. Within moments, he arrived beside the group, who were struggling to hold their ground against the relentless onslaught of the Vylkr vine.
Without hesitation, Orion swung his machete down with all his might, aiming to strike a powerful blow against their formidable opponent. The sound of metal clashing against the tough vine echoed around them, as Orion’s blade bit into the Vylkr’s thick skin.
With ease, he slashed through the dreaded Vylkr vine that stood menacingly before him, causing it to burn and drop lifelessly onto the ground. To Orion, this was just another day in the garden, where he had to prune stubborn weeds, no matter how formidable they might be.
But as he looked around, he saw that Grim and Gorg had been pushed back, and the village chief’s messenger’s daughter had finally unleashed her gift: a bright wave of deep green fire erupted from her palms, engulfing the remaining Vylkr vine in a scorching inferno that reduced it to ash.
However, as the smoke cleared, Orion realized that he was encircled by a swarm of Vylkr vines, their sinuous appendages slithering ever closer to him. With his machete crackling with electricity, he steeled himself for the imminent attack, his gaze ablaze with unyielding resolve.
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“Orion!” Ursa’s cry of alarm pierced the air as she caught sight of Orion’s perilous situation. With a fierce scowl etched on her face, she summoned all her strength to control the strange energy coursing within her and launched herself forward, swooping down to slice through the thicket of Vylkr vines blocking her path before soaring back up into the sky. At first, Ursa thought she could simply whisk Orion away by lifting him up into the air with her, but as more and more Vylkr vines snaked towards her, she began to realize the gravity of the situation. Her initial fear of the deadly vines now seemed all too justified.
“Orion!” Gorg bellowed, his voice also echoing across the clearing as he caught sight of his former best friend engaged in a deadly dance with the Vylkr vines. Orion’s limbs crackled with electricity as he hacked and slashed at the encroaching tendrils with savage intensity, a testament to the power of his gift.
Seething with frustration at being the only one who hasn’t yet awakened his gift, Gorg focused his anger on the vines directly in front of him and carved them apart with ruthless aggression.