This is foolhardy and dangerous! Amira said in exasperation. Even if you did manage to establish a connection, you’d just be throwing away the life that Zeldorth spared!

“I owe it to him to at least give it a shot,” Leo responded, hands held tight in determination.

Oh? And what happens when that monstrosity awakens famished and irritated? Amira retorted.

“Are you saying you can’t outrun it?” Leo asked with a teasing smile.

Of course I can outrun it. I’m a Thunder Roc, she replied in indignation.

“Great! Then there’s no problem with me trying!” He smiled back, trying to mask the unease. The truth was that even if the Creeping Horror was self-aware enough to communicate through his Beast Communication skill, and the monster didn’t try to kill them outright, he had nothing to offer in trade for one of its Radiant Hearts.

Leo wiped his sweaty palms on his already-filthy trousers, trying to contain his anxiety as he stared out at the mass of deadly vines protecting his goal. His body couldn’t help but shudder as his mind flashed back to the last time he had failed to secure a flower. The agonizing poison had slowly ruptured his veins, melted his organs and fried his nerves, all the while keeping his mind acutely awake for each unbearable second. The pain had been so all-consuming that he had pleaded for death to take him, begged for a release from the torment.

The idea of reliving that dreadful experience was almost enough to make him succumb to the thought of safety. It would be so much easier to just give Zeld a proper burial and carry on with his life, telling himself the old man would live on in his memory. Except, now he knew what awaited the souls of the departed. He had been to the abyss.

After going to the underworld, he could no longer romanticize Zeld’s afterlife, believing the old man had finally become reunited with his wife and son. No, death here only led to an eternity of suffering, in a place that made most religions’ hell look like heaven. He couldn’t condemn someone he cared about to such an existence, not while he had a chance to save them.

Climb up then, Amira sighed in defeat, lowering her body and extending a massive wing for him to scale up. Leo walked up and reached out to grab a handful of her feathers. It was surprising to find that unlike the classic feathers on Sparky, Amira’s yellow plumage was more akin to plasma given shape. He half-expected his hand to pass through the semi-transparent substance, or for his body to suddenly light up like a Christmas tree, but as his fingers curled around the soft matter, all he felt was the slightest tingle run up his arm.

He made the climb in seconds, the massive changes his body had undergone today allowing him to breeze up the awkward climb like a spider. He positioned himself at the base of her neck, the joints connecting to her wings forming a natural place for his legs to rest against.

As soon as he was in position, Amira rose to her full towering height, causing an unmanly yelp to escape his lips as he hurriedly grabbed two handfuls of feathers to keep from tumbling down her back.

You’re no dragon but I suppose you’ll do, Leo said with a large boyish grin after steadying himself, feeling the power and majesty that came with riding on such a fantastical creature. One of the bundles of feathers he was holding discharged a sudden shock, causing his hand to fling back in surprise. He flailed about for a desperate moment, heart hammering before he managed to resecure his grip.

You were saying? Amira questioned calmly.

“J-just how gorgeous your feathers are!” Leo hurriedly responded.

As I assumed. Now, order the hatchlings out of the cave. They will only be a hindrance if this comes to blows.

Pride practically bolted at the command. He could feel how terrified she was being so close to the horrific monster. Sparky fired off a bolt of lightning at Amira in a paltry attempt to prove her usefulness but was quickly dissuaded when the returning bolt fried even her feathers. The two would hunker down in the small entranceway he had first discovered to the garden.

As they disappeared, Amira let out a thundering cry before taking to the air with two billowing flaps of her wings. Leo let out a shout of delight as he clung to her neck, terrified at the prospect of falling but experiencing the adrenaline-filled rush of flying all the same. His Beast Communication skill had risen to level seven, which meant they had to get within seventy feet from the base of the tree to even attempt talking to it.

The cold, misty wind whipped against his body, plastering his clothes against his skin and tearing up his squinted eyes with the moisture as he soared on Amira’s back over the outlying field of vines. The light once more withdrew into its sinister red undertone as if the heavens themselves had averted their gaze from their plight. Leo was given the impression of a moth being drawn into a bloody red flame as they closed in on the monster’s ivy-wrapped trunk, the flowers sprouting from the slim green vines as mesmerizing as ever with their unique display.

The tree had yet to react to their presence as they drew near, leaving him with half a mind to try to swoop down and grab a flower before beating a hasty retreat. He rolled the idea in his head before discarding it—harvesting such a fragile ingredient was certainly not something that could be rushed.

The sight of the Creeping Horror blanketed his vision as they finally made it to the outskirts of his skill’s range. Amira began to circle the wooden skyscraper. Whenever you are ready, little one.

Leo took several deep breaths, trying to calm his rampant apprehension, then after a steadying moment, he activated Beast Communication. The mental line was cast out to the monster like a fisherman waiting for a bite. One fruitless minute went by, then two. It felt there was something stopping his efforts from getting through. He kept trying, hoping that persistence would be enough to overcome whatever stood in his way, until finally his connection went rigid as something on the other end picked up.

Well, hey there, Mr. private party, it’s been a while! The force of the sentence struck his head like one of Zyla’s punches. One of his hands immediately lost its grip, almost sending him toppling over into the deadly sea of thorns below. You’re still too weak, huh? Bit of a letdown with your traits, but I suppose I can patch you through to where you want to go in the meantime. Until next time, tata!

Leo felt the connection slacken from whatever invisible entity he was linked with. His head pounded with the worst migraine he’d ever had, and he could taste the coppery tang of blood mixed with the water dripping from his nose. Just as he was about to deactivate his skill, it grew taut once more.

The strength behind this entity was minuscule in comparison to the being he had just connected with, but its first few words still sent his head ringing. You dare…awaken…me. The voice was deep and rumbling, like the groaning of an ancient structure.

Just as he could sense the minds of his companions, so too could he sense the consciousness behind this one. It was as if he was standing before a sprawling forest, each tree its own sliver of awareness whose roots helped feed into the same collective. He could sense a thickening hostility brewing from them, angry that he had woken it up and already guessing at his reason for doing so.

Leo closed his eyes and let the scene in his mind’s eye unfold around him. He focused on the scene until he felt something slip away from him, and he found himself standing on a small grassy knoll before the very forest he had imagined.

Even more shocking was finding he was once again wearing his favorite jeans, shirt and sneakers from Earth. The only thing that had actually stayed with him from Asylum seemed to be the ring Zeld had given him. His form shimmered with a translucent blue glow and his body felt like it wasn’t all quite there.

Congratulations! Due to divine intervention, your skill Beast Communication has evolved into Soul Communication! Rarity: Rumored, Skill Level: Novice Level 8. Capability to mentally communicate and enter the soulspace of sentient beings up to 80 feet away.

He’s here…

How did he get here?

Why is he here?

Same reason all mortals come here, he’s after us.

There was a moment of shock as the flood of questions and answers erupted from the forest before him. Each tree seemed to have its own voice and personality, but all were as agitated and surprised as he was at his arrival.

What should we do?

Should we kill him?

The woods continued to quietly mutter after the question was voiced, debating which option they should take. Leo could practically feel the blatant hostility directed toward him from the trees, then the presence of something greater washed over him.

The uncomfortable sensation made him gasp. It was similar to what he felt when others cast Observation on him, but this felt more intrusive. It was as if the entirety of his being had been laid bare, every memory and fragment of him made visible for all to see. The sensation passed quickly, but the scrutinizing attention of the greater presence continued to bear down on him, as if waiting for him to speak before it decided to cast its heavenly judgment.

Leo stepped forward on the knoll, instinctively aware that any damage he might suffer in this plane would go well beyond the ability of his body to naturally heal. It was the same feeling of vulnerability he had felt in the abyss.

“I’m sorry for my intrusion!” he called out, his voice immediately silencing the overlap of voices echoing in the forest. “I’ve come before you to ask a favor: A close friend and mentor of mine was recently murdered. I don’t have much in the way of bargaining, but I will offer whatever I can for a Radiant Heart to bring him back!” As his proclamation ended, the forest erupted once more into an uproar.

I knew it!

He asks for one of our lives and offers nothing in return! How disgraceful!

Mortals are all the same! Greedy!

At least he’s asking on behalf of another—there is selflessness in that.

SILENCE!

The deep rumbling voice shook the woods, commanding them all to quiet. Leo took a shivering step back, terrified of whatever powerful being lay deep within the large grove.

I know of whom you speak. Tell me, seedling, why should we save the life of one who stole away one of our own?

Leo went slack-jawed as the meaning behind the whisperings finally dawned on him. Each tree here was a representation of one of the Radiant Hearts in the physical world. That meant those delicate flowers were alive in the truest sense of the word and harvesting one would be akin to slaughtering a sentient creature.

This new understanding made him look upon the Creeping Horror in a new light. Instead of the horrific monster he imagined, the massive tree began to look like a sanctuary for the valuable and sought-after flowers.

Your thoughts are as open to us as the endless sky. Thorns are meant to protect, are they not? It is you and your kind that bring dire intentions to us. Now speak or be gone.

Had Zeld known? Leo didn’t think he had, but regardless, ignorance couldn’t be used as an excuse to justify someone’s actions. What could he offer these souls in exchange for one of their lives? What did he possess that might be worth such a high price? The answer came to him as if it had drifted down upon a warm breeze, and he stepped forward filled with sudden confidence.

“I have no excuse for my friend’s actions, and I apologize on his behalf for the crimes committed.” He lowered into a bow. The action sending the trees murmuring amongst themselves once more.

The crimes of the oak do not fall with the acorn. You may continue.

Leo straightened himself with a smile at their generosity. Most humans would have sought out vengeance for the death of their comrade. “I wish to negotiate for the life of a flower, with understanding of what that costs. I have nothing more to offer you than the Garden of Erreth itself, under the small stipulation that the cabin and the graveyard behind it remain untouched.

An interesting offer…the graveyard we agree to, but the cabin shall be devoured. If this agreement shall come to pass, then no more humans shall reside within our territory. We tire of your greedy kind and any who find themselves within shall too be devoured.

Leo nodded. “Agreed.” He would have to find a new place to sleep, but that would be a small price to pay for bringing Zeld back.

However, this decision is not mine to make. Is there any among us who would give up their soul for the sake of the grove?

Silence blanketed the forest once more as the request was made. Leo was beginning to despair that his deal had not been tempting enough, until one of the trees spoke up. I will offer my root and soul for this endeavor. It was the same soft, feminine voice that had called his actions “selfless” when the others had been after his blood.

Then let it be so.