There are many realms, pocket dimensions, and other things of that ilk on Fracture and it's sister planets. Of course they places do not just exist there, it is just far easier to access them upon Fracture. A prime example of this is the ethereal realm. It exists like a blanket over the natural universe, the denser the magic is the easier it is to access the ethereal. So on Fracture many children and active dreamers find themselves slipping into the ether by accident when they go to bed.

The ether is a realm of creativity and imagination, it is far easier to use magic in the ether as well as bind new magic to yourself. The downside is that any harm that befalls you in the ether directly harms your soul. Similar to Stygian soul corruption, but worse as you can actually lose parts of yourself. The Lost Woods not limited by a physical form, has been able to craft a titanic form in ether. She exist purely in the ethereal realm and is the size of the woods she controls, in essence the entire forest is her body, but not at the same time. Killing the entire forest would only weaken her, not destroy her. Tekanis has been doing just that so he might be able to stand a chance against the forest.

Which is exactly what Tekanis was doing floating surrounded by thread, he was preparing himself in the ether to clash with the Woods. The time was right, and the iron was still hot after Leon's decimation of the last section. The Woods was down to three last strongholds of power. If everything went according to Tekanis plans, then this was the final day that the Woods would live.

Blissfully unaware of the soon to be epic struggle Stygian was hunting a rabbit. Well something that was very similar to a rabbit known as a dusk bunny. They are very fast and can blend in with shadows extremely well. They are also amazingly fluffy and soft. Stygian figured that it would be useful for its own gene pools, that is if Stygian could catch it. The bug knew that it was nearby thanks to parasitical growth, unfortunately in a forest for of bugs it was hard to stay focused on the bunny. Plus it didn't help that it was just a vague pressure in the general direction of the bunny.

Stygian was even using the host-worms sense field, but no luck. Well, it certainly help the bug find the bunny, but the dusk bunny was still to fast for Stygian to catch. So Stygian would get close, pounce on the bunny, the bunny would scurry away, hide, and then Stygian would go looking for it again. Our bug was honestly waiting for either the forest or Vaelin to help it out. Thinking of Vaelin Stygian felt odd, like there was something it was forgetting something important. It had been bothering Stygian ever since our bug escaped from Tekanis. Shouldn't Stygian have been more worried about its lady? The bug hadn't even looked for Vae in Tekanis' house. Even thinking about her now Stygian was still unworried, and that worried the bug. Something was wrong and it wasn't just that Stygian was very lost in the Lost Woods. Since the psyling couldn't use its psychic powers right now it had no way to contact the forest.

So Stygian kept hunting, in the loosest sense of the word, the dusk bunny. Getting more frustrated with each failure, objectively the bug knew that it was Wrath acting up, but that didn't mean that Stygian could counteract it. All three sins were currently shackled since they seemed to be acting up today, but some of their effects still seeped through. Preparing itself for yet more frustration Stygian pounced ready to chase after the fleeing dusk bunny, only to find it trapped in a cage sticks.

"Hello little Knight." Stygian look up to find something resembling a face on the side of the tree that captured the dusk bunny. "I believe you were chasing this rabbit, yes?"

Stygian form the faux pixie mouth and spoke aloud for the first time in a while, " Yees I was. Caan I have it?"

"Sure, don't see why not, just don't run off after I give it too you okay?"

"Okaay. Who are you"

"I am an elder tree of the Lost Woods." The cage shrank, and still was able to import the rabbit to its garden. It was official the bugs bunny now."Huh, well that was interesting. I thought you were just going to eat it."

"Noo, want to make it beetter before I eat it."

"Better how?"

"Want to combine it with soomething the Woods caalled a vorli. Want to maake chimera."

"Well, I'll be damned. I got a whole nest of them under me. They have been ripping up my roots and slowly killing me. If you'd like I can open a shaft down to the nest so you can get some."

"Okaay." It would seem that the Woods was watching the bug after all. Nothing was that convenient especially in the Lost Woods. The Woods most have been rewarding Stygian for surviving Tekanis and escaping back to her or maybe she was bribing the bug to stay.

Stygian would have deeply like to use magic against the vorli, but that weren't that tough. Using A Knight's Fork as swords Stygian managed to remain unscathed. If Stygian was human it would be considered a natural born prodigy in both the sword and the spear.

Congratulations, Dodge increased to level 10. Bonus attributes for reaching level 10 Agi +5, and Acr +5. Path of the sword has reached level 11

Seeing no evidence of eggs, Stygian just tamed and kidnapped ten of the younger vorli. Which didn't make the adults very happy so Stygian decided to gain some experience and eat. Stygian wanted more dusk bunnies before the bug tried to meld it with the vorli. A failure resulted in a bleeding corpse that looked nothing like the two animals it was made up of. Actually Stygian could probably just use match to find another dusk bunny and meld them now. Our psyling was awfully bored. Stygian saved some hair off the hare and some vorli blood for later just in case.

Stygian decided to tame the dusk bunny so it wouldn't move around so much. Then without further ado Stygian activated meld. A blinding light enveloped the vorli and the bunny, cocooning the two different animals. After thirty seconds the cocoon began pulsating and without warning split open to reveal... Something new.

Congratulations, you have successfully created a new species. This species is now 50% easier to create, and future success will make it even easier. Created from a dusk bunny and vorli, this creature is an omnivore and then some. With the ability to eat the minerals and small life in the dirt the creature can also eat larger plants and animals. The dusk bunny has given this creature the ability to hide in the shadows and the vorli has made it fond of the underground. Making it an above average predator. The vorli's locking joints have been adapted to the bunny's powerful back legs. This new creature can move explosively fast. The creature has also obtained the vorli's front legs, making it a good digger and suited for surprise attacks. Would you like to name this new chimera species?

Stygian was absolutely dumbfounded, of the one hundred times the bug had attempt meld it had only worked twice before, and that was on two bugs. This was, well it was incredibly lucky. Stygian hadn't thought about what it would do if the meld succeed. Naming it seemed to be a good place to start, Stygian hadn't name the wasp mosquito hybrid, since it was just trying to grind meld levels and have a subject for mutations. Yes the combination could one day be very useful, but the bug was more interested in the short term.

Bunnli? No. Vorbit? Sounds like a frog noise. Vusk? Hmm that is not terrible. Okay Vusk it is.

After contemplating a name, Stygian decided to import as much stone and dirt as it could. It wanted the new chimera to live with the vorli, and vorli like to dig and hate light. So dirt and stone. Killing about an hour messing around with the garden Stygian left to rejoin the outside world, and climbed out of the nest.

"Well that was certainly fast, did you get all of them?"

"I goot as many as I coould find."

The tree signed content, "I suppose that's all I can ask of you, from what I can tell the Woods would like you hurry along to see her."

"From what you can tell?" A curious Stygian asked.

"Well we trees can't hear her voice, but we have the vague impression of what she wants."

"Ooh, okay."

If Stygian just kept walking, the Woods would lead it to where she wanted it. Stygian had no reason to object, the psyling just wished it could be a psyling and talk to the Woods. Maybe let her know that it couldn't access its threads. If only there was a way...

"Oh! I'm aan idiot. Woods, Tekaanis did something to my threaads. So I caan't talk psychically with you. Soorry."

Stygian kept walking, sure that the Woods had heard. Stygian had never ventured to the heart of the Woods before, but it definitely seemed like that's where Stygian was going. The concentration of energy was getting stronger by the step. The trees were getting bigger and older. Nymph's were flying around and many were staring at the little bug. Most had long hair, curvy bodies and feminine faces, but all were obviously nymph's. They all were various shades of green, but aside from that most were oddly proportioned. Many having animal limbs instead of human ones, and all varied in side a few were even smaller than Stygian.

They were also more solid than Leon, being halfway between physical and ghost. They were like dense clouds of sentient nature. All exceedingly obnoxious, with the disposition of children mixed with overpowered, and overprotective parents. Hissing and preparing a magical barrage everytime Stygian got close to one of their trees made for an annoying walk. For the bugs part it tried to ignore them. Unfortunately, its sins made the wanted to fight, feast on something, and well not fuck, but it sounds better than wanting socialize with them.

Fortunately Stygian made it through without causing an incident. There was a ring of debris in the forest after the nymph's then there was a grove that Stygian assumed was the heart of the Lost Woods. Though Stygian didn't know it, the debris ring was the birthplace of the undergrowths. It was possibly the most dangerous part of the Lost Woods and Stygian past through without trouble. Finally reaching the heart grove.

The heart was where the woods had the strongest sway over the physical world, and Stygian was a bit nervous. The legendary entity that had lived for thousands of years and killed thousands more than that want a little black and purple bug to visit her where she was the strongest. That would be more than a little unsettling for most.

An eerie crimson light shine from the center grove as Stygian made its way through. Something felt very very wrong about this place. Just as Stygian's courage was beginning to waver, the bug saw the heart. Stygian had believed that when the Woods talked about her heart it had been metaphorical, as in the center of her power. Apparently that was not the case. Stygian was staring a mass of oozing flesh held up by a black sapling. The mass of flesh was easily larger than four or five people. That would have been bad enough, but it seemed to pull in some kind of red light. The mass of flesh would swell and then pump concentrate light into the black sapling. The sapling would then, separate the light into six and feed it into the six massive trees surrounded the heart. As Stygian stared transfixed the bug realised a few things about the macabre structure. Firstly it was made out of humans, and it seemed to be kept alive by force. There was an indecent amount of nature energy being poured into the structure. Enthralled and disgusted Stygian couldn't focus on anything else, that's partly why it took so long for the bug to hear the voice calling out to it.

"Styg... ygian... Stygian over here..." The voice was faint and towards the end faded away into nothing. The voice was reminiscent of a Summer's breeze warm, gentle, and barely there.

Finally breaking eye contact with with heart Stygian looked around and saw an open trap door hidden in the shadow of a large tree. Climbing down the ladder was difficult for the small bug, but Stygian managed finding itself in a chamber directly below the heart above. In the center of the room was a completely white tree with black leaves and vines hanging off of it. On the outskirts of the room were dozens of dusk bunnies and vorlies. Before Stygian could process the full oddity of the room.

"Hello little bug, I am sorry for the gory display above. It is not often that I get visitors, and if I have unwanted guests I like to make sure they don't find my actual heart. So the display above is a distraction, made specific to enthrall the eyes and suspend actions. I'm sorry for dragging you through it, but this is the only place where everyone can hear my voice. Please do not think too ill of me and if it is any consolation this white tree is closer to my actual heart though it is merely a vessel I use."

Stygian stayed silent, that display was nothing more than a distraction? The more Stygian learn of the Lost Woods the more vile it seemed. Wait, what else have I learned about the Woods. The feeling of something disconnect, as though something was forgotten overwhelmed Stygian and the Woods continued speaking. "That is why I brought you here. I'd like you to tell me what happened to your psychic ability, and what the wizard did to you."

"He suspended my threaads. I don't know how. I don't know whaat he did to me just that I woke up and escaaped thaanks to an oversight. Where is Vaae?"

"I am unsure of her whereabouts. I know that she too escaped from Tekanis, but I lost sight of her and I haven't been able to find her again. Hmm it seems that Tekanis put some kind of barrier around your center interfering with your threads. They are still there, but if left unattended then you will lose you connections. I can help, but I will need something from you first."

"Whaat is it?" Asked a wary Stygian. The bug wished it could say it was relieved about Vaelin's escape, but it felt like the bug already knew that. The feeling that something had been forgotten grew.

"I need you to pledge your undying loyalty and service to me. I can make you strong and with you by my side I will once again grow large."

Stygian paused to consider, it wasn't a terrible idea. The Woods was a good benefactor, as long as Stygian stayed interesting and strong, why should Stygian swear loyalty to an entity that would one day throw the bug aside? It seemed to one sided for the bug's liking. Before the bug could answer the Woods interjected.

"Before you make any decisions, these Vorlies and dusk bunnies are a gift. I hope you know that I will always have a need for someone who can hear me and relay my orders. If you swear to my I can promise that will have a long life."

Stygian didn't say anything just went around the room gathering up the vorli and dusk bunnies. The psyling had the strange feeling that the Woods could see into its head. Finally making an escape to the garden, Stygian was conflicted. The Woods would certainly betray the bug, but the offer was so very tempting. To distract itself Stygian began to merge vorlies and dusk bunnies after ten tries it got a prompt.

Congratulations, Meld has reached level 7. Splicer has reached level 2. You have earned a bonus skill for Splicer Mad Influence: All the best Splicers have a little voice in their head nudging them along, and six other scream that donkeys and monkeys should be fused into creature called a Keykey. This skill increase the chances that a Splicer skill will succeed by tenfold, at the price of your sanity. This is a bonus skill and can be picked up for no extra cost, you can devote a skill slot to it later. Do you want the bonus skill? Yes/No

This was odd, Stygian had already rejected this skill, if Stygian got offered this every level it would be harder and harder to reject it. Of course Stygian rejected it immediately not letting the idea take hold. Then Stygian formed a connection, this skill was like a deal with Woods. Lucrative, but insanely dangerous to ones well being. The bug wasn't ready to admit what it had decided to do yet, but like the bonus skill the deal would be rejected.

Not looking forward to rejecting the Woods Stygian used its new slot to upgrade meld, making it more likely to gain a favorable outcome. After all said and done Stygian had three Vusks two females and one male. Stygian distributed the failed chimera's to the carnivores of the garden, the left over vorlies would live with the Vusk's and hopefully live harmonious. Our psyling then decided that it was time to tell the Woods. It might be bad and Stygian was prepared to run, run far and fast. The worst case scenario she would overreact and try to kill the deväk, but Stygian had hopes that she might be reasonable.

"Stygian, tis good to see, I expect you have some things to tell me?" Her voice started out pleasant, but turned slightly threatening towards the end. This was going to be bad.

"Yees, I doo. I haave thought about this aand-"

"You bastard! I'll have your head this time." The Woods spoke and actually snarled. Stygian prepared to run, but the Woods spoke again, "Sorry little one, it not you Tekanis has attacked me in the ether. Please let me deal with this and try to change your mind when I get back."

Stygian nodded dumbly, feeling like it had just barely escaped alive. A pressure left the room as the Woods poured all her focus into the ether. Not wanting to stick around in the heart chamber, but not wanting to upset the Woods by leaving Stygian decided to go back into the garden and check on the rest of the occupants.

The desecrators were doing well, Stygian had most of the resources go towards laying eggs specific queens. The queens were more potent than normal desecrators so maybe Stygian would be offered better abilities and skills during the next metamorphosis. Moving on to the cytonics, the ones that were left seemed to be lazing around their cave. Since Stygian took care of them they didn't need to hunt at all. The mudlings and mudkings were growing nicely, the mudkings were growing faster and catching up to normal mudling. The margs had still yet to hatch, but the host-worms were by far flourishing the most. Becoming a more advanced and specialized creature. Finally the most recent addition the nymph treant.

As Stygian approached the treant something was off it seemed less glowing, Stygian commanded the treant to separate from the nymph, and nothing happened. Concern flashed through Stygian. This couldn't be the nymph had to be in there, it had to be... Gone. Stygian knew that it was gone, something had happened earlier before the escape, something important.

Then Stygian felt something unraveling, a memory. Vaelin and Stygian were in the glass enclosure, and Tekanis was speaking. He was telling the duo of the vast and brutal history of the Woods. Genocidal would be the only way to describe them. Then Vaelin was speaking with Tekanis. No that wasn't right she was negotiating, worried that the Woods would betray the duo, Vaelin had decided to betray first. Tekanis was the only one remotely strong enough to do, but he still needed help. There were three remaining places of power, Vaelin would drain one, the nymph Leon would fly to the other and drain it, and Stygian had the most dangerous part of all. Stygian had to journey to the heart of the Lost Woods and drain her there, but how to get there.

Tekanis gambled that after almost losing the bug the Lost Woods would want to bind Stygian to herself. What would she do if she couldn't contact Stygian? Probably bring the bug to her heart chamber, to speak directly to the deväk. Not knowing the full extent of the Woods abilities Tekanis took the safest route and blocked Stygian's memories, and set the bindings to only unwind after he began his assault.

For the trio's part in the plan, Tekanis would share his secret knowledge, and something unique for each of them. A good deal most certainly better than what the Woods had offered. As the memory rerooted itself Stygian felt the bindings Tekanis had used finally dispersed, for the most part. A faint binding was still suspending the potential threads in Stygian's center, a good faith gift.

The bug picked itself up off of the garden floor and sighed. The original deal with the Woods had lucrative and Stygian felt bad for betraying her. Then the bug remembered that she had set up the fight between it and Gwyndolin. If Stygian had lost the Woods wouldn't have cared. So despite some misgivings the bug decided to act against the Lost Woods. Before leaving the garden Stygian had a thought, the energy was so thick in the heart chamber maybe the bug could import it to the garden. Or maybe Stygian could import the white tree, it seemed important to the Woods.

First Stygian tried to import energy, but kept getting air. Frustrated Stygian couldn't think of another way to get the energy from the chamber to the garden. So the bug moved on to the white tree. Stygian couldn't select it for import and when the deväk tried to select the whole thing an odd prompt flashed up.

Warning! Your pocket dimension is too small to support a spatial distorting entity of this power and magnitude.

Stygian left the garden and walked up to the white tree. It was small like the size of sapling, but the branches filled the entire ceiling and beyond. It looked like they continued growing threw the dirt, but Stygian couldn't tell. The bug placed a tentacle on the bark of the tree, and felt the bark shifting and moving. Yet the tree was completely motionless. Whatever this tree was, it was probably the source of the Lost Woods reality warping powers.

Congratulations, you have begun to unravel the mystery of the Lost Woods. Many have wondered what gives the Lost Woods it's ability to warp reality. You have discovered a likely source, but lack the knowledge to know for sure. Continue researching the mystery and you may be rewarded with something more than just levels.

That sounded like a quest, a quest that may never be resolved unfortunately. Stygian sighed once again, the bug was just distracting itself at this point. Unshackling gluttony Stygian sent out one final thought to the Woods.

"Goodbye."

Without anymore hesitation, Stygian started pulling in with gluttony. A raging river began to fill the bugs stomach, in the ether the Woods staggered, as she began to lose energy. Tekanis had fought her to a stand still, demonstrating a control and array of magic that honestly made the forest jealous. She would have loved to go end whatever annoyance that had begun draining her, but Tekanis was trapping her in the ether. The lowly human was actually, containing her the Lost Woods, one of the oldest entities on Fracture. How could she let this happen? She had consumed some of the most feared parties, and yet one man was fighting her to a standstill. No that wasn't quite right, whatever was draining her was tipping the odds in Tekanis' favor. Not that it would matter, the drain would soon run dry.

Except it didn't, she felt a new spot begin to drain as well. Then another began draining. That meant someone or something was draining the energy from her heart. Meaning Stygian had betrayed her after all. The first being in a century it understand her. If the Woods could have cried she would have. Not because of the betrayal, but because she knew that this was the end, and she felt sorry for herself. She had such plans for the future, new horrors she wanted to enact, abominations she wanted Stygian to create.

Instead of crying she redoubled her efforts, she wouldn't go quietly into that good night. She would do everything in her power to destroy Tekanis, and the bug too if she could manage it.

Leon finished draining first, being the best at it. The energy went down the extra long temporary teether Tekanis had weaved for the nymph. Vaelin was next pulling all the life and magic out of her section ten minutes after Leon. Stygian however, had the hardest task. The energy of the heart felt near endless completely filling the deväk's stomach. Switching to whirlpool the drain slowed, and a new issue showed itself. What to do with the excess energy? The energy began to build up so Stygian used telekinesis to throw stones around the room. Occasionally using repulse to train both spells.

Congratulations, Valus has reached level 2. Whirlpool has reached level 2. Telekinesis has reached level 2.

Pausing for a moment to devote two slots to whirlpool and one slot to telekinesis, Stygian began to hear the faintest of screaming. Regret seeped into the deväk, but instead of stopping our bug continued. The regret only served to show the difference between the Woods and Stygian. Half and hour, then an hour passed and Stygian was still draining the Woods. The slot had made whirlpool more efficient and effective, but Stygian still had a throbbing headache. It had even leveled twice more, and the bug had been switching to gluttony every so often to keep the sin full.

The screaming only grew louder as the Woods approached death. As though wailing would saving her from Tekanis' wrath. Stygian began to feel physical ill, the amount of energy the bug was pulling in and expending was having adverse effects on the bugs body. In a sheet display of stubbornness, Stygian kept draining. Even physical conversion wasn't helping as much anymore. After the second hour had come and gone Stygian stopped, and fell to the floor barely able to much more than breath. It was a relief when the darkness came.

Waking to a loud shaking and a bright green light Stygian's eyes shot open. Jumping up and calling forth A Knight's Fork, Stygian watched as something crystalline was being expelled from the white tree. Finally, with a great last rumble the crystal was expelled and land almost right in front of the bug. Stygian with psychic abilities restored could feel the pure malice running off the small crystal. Feeling it was a bad idea to touch it, and less bad idea to touch it psychically, Stygian did so.

Savage and feral the mind was old, no it was ancient and cold. Unfortunately Stygian felt a glimmer of recognition in the mind. Despite the weakened state she was in Stygian knew that this crystal was all that remained of the Lost Woods. She was so pitiful now, a being that was once so proud brought so low. Thought of hiding the crystal of keeping it somewhere invaded Stygian's mind. Stygian could do it, it would be easy. Actually the deväk should eat it just to make sure it was safe.

Sighing with a sense of finality the bug lashed out at the crystal. Its final attempt at survival was, disgraceful. The first strike cracked the crystal, the second widened. The mind in the crystal grew frantic, almost begging without words. The last strike split the crystal in half, screaming as the consciousness of the Woods finally died.

Congratulations, your bound weapon A Knight's Fork has developed sentience. Only time will tell how your weapons consciousness will develop. Due to your weapons nature, it has split into two minds.

Of fucking course. Stygian tamed the new monstrous minds in A Knight's Fork and prepared for an all new shit storm.