Chapter 5 - Twisted Branches

A tall tower sat in the center of the city, the crystal windows reflecting countless amounts of torchlight from the Capitol below. The top window was occupied by the silhouette of the Magus looking down upon the twisted streets and tangled alleyways. All the result of many years of inelegant planning and capitalist greed for prime land, with no thought to the consequences now facing the city.

Many of the streets led to nowhere, congestion strangled small businesses, the slums had slowly grown, the once orderly and bright city had fallen to a state of disorder and chaos.

Pushing aside her melancholy for the city she had helped grow for many years, Vexxa woke herself from her reverie and returned to work. Objects springing up from their resting place on her desk, they began to dance around according to her will.

Several quills and rolls of parchment began working together to draft letters to craftsmen and fellow wizards, or to request equipment and old scrolls from the Royal Archives and Treasury.

Just some of the people and resources required for a proper expedition into such a mana-rich area. Especially with the news, they had received nearly a week after their return.

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Five days after the Royal ships had returned to the Capitol, a messenger, more of a boy, from the outlying villages near the forest had shown up. Clearly exhausted and distraught, he had apparently been traveling for more than three days, fleeing just two days after they had left.

He introduced himself as the son of a local forester, an out of luck farmer who looked for prime wood to sell back to the rich through merchants.

He told his story, of how he had been hidden while hunting his scent disguised. how he had seen his village be butchered by packs of giant wolves without fear and human-like intelligence.

How he had been unable to help and lain terrified in his foxhole, only several fields away from the monsters.

He spoke of how when he finally crept back into the hamlet everyone he knew was butchered and eaten.

As well as how, mere hours after he had buried what was left of his family, seeds from the nearby forest, which had fed him and his family for generations. Blew out on the wind, and landing in his home instantly began sprouting and growing.

To the point that by the time he left the crude houses looked as if they were ruins, dozens of years old, overgrown with ivy, and broken by tree roots.

Ending his plea for help, the boy-no, young man, stood quietly in the Great Hall, numb.

The hall was silent for several moments, the officials and the King taking in everything they had heard.

"We have a solution to this problem, as we speak the Magus is in the process of creating an expedition to curb back the forest and to find and destroy the cause."

The young man seemed slightly less depressed before he was led away by servants to receive a meal.

"Wait! I want to go on this expedition and take back my home!"

The young man stood tall with fiery passion and anger in his eyes, fists clenched. A Minister by the side of the king spoke out.

"You have no skills, no use for this expedition, and not enough time to train you, even if you were worth the expense."

A short wave of the King's hand cut of the Minister

"Very well boy, you may join the servants on the ships."

"Thank you, my lord, thank you"

The young man has led away, now to the servants quarters to receive his assignment and uniform.

"This is the fourth report of an attack in the past week, why has the army not been sent to quell these beasts?"

One of the Ministers asked once the boy had left.

"Because, we need to show strength, and that means keeping the army ready to respond to any attack. The Magus has assured me that an expedition led by her is more than enough to finish these creatures. Do you doubt the Magus?"

"No, no, I wouldn't dare, please forgive me."

Nodding his head, the King watched as the next topic was brought up, what the expected crop yields were for the coming months.

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It was the day the ships had returned to the Capitol. They all came down to land in a special landing field outside the city. Chains fell down from ports in the hull, quickly caught and tied down by laborers. Several minutes passed, the ships slowly lowering.

Finally, they all made landfall, servants rushing out to make preparations for travel back into the city. They were soon followed by groups of officials, not including the King or Magus, both of whom had special landing areas inside the Capitol.

One of the groups of officials split up, each going their own way. One individual, in particular, caught the eye. A short man hunched over in thick robes with gold jewelry, hurrying across the field to a horse-drawn carriage.

Opening it the balding man, told the driver to head for his mansion, and sent a burst of mana into a small array on the ceiling, effectively removing all chance of eavesdroppers. Quickly reaching into a small compartment, the man withdrew a small amulet, intricately carved with runes and shining symbols. Activating it, the man began speaking.

"This is #134, I have received important information for the Emperor. A creature has appeared in the Avasiud Kingdom, it took the form of a dragon but was revealed to be a strange creature, later the Magus said it was something called a Dreadworm. It was heavily wounded by Narid with the use of an artifact but managed to steal an important material from the Royal Treasury. The Magus listed it as extremely dangerous and seemed to be extremely afraid. The creatures last bearing was towards the Empire."

Cutting off the recording, the official threw the amulet out of the carriage, watching as it disappeared with a small pop. Relaxing noticeably, the official leaned back and waited for the journey to his house to be over.

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The Magus turned from her work as a sharp knock sounded on her door. A small twitch of her hands opened the door, allowing a messenger dressed in the palace livery* to come in.

"Sorry to disturb you, my lady, the King sends word that he and other members of his court are leaving for the meeting place of Daphis. he also wished to convey that the expedition is of utmost importance and that all resources are at your disposal even while he is gone."

"Very well, you may go now"

The servant left, Vexxa stood from her chair behind a large mahogany desk, walking over to a window overlooking the palace. Just in time to see several ships painted in the royal colors, lift off, and begin heading south-west.

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Several weeks passed.

Preparations for the expedition were complete, hundreds of researchers, wizards, craftsmen, and soldiers were gathered beneath several hulking cargo ships. Most of the combat ships having left with the King, only 4 were able to be spared to protect the cargo ships.

The ships lifted off, everything needed for the expedition into the forest. Over the last several weeks, the forest had advanced several dozen miles, watched by a scouting ship that had been torn down by flocks of giant bird-like creatures several days ago.

Due to this, the expedition had to alter their plans, and now would going to advance on foot to reach their objective.It took only two days now to reach the edge of the forest. The soldiers, as per their orders, set up a camp, before beginning to light fires and burn the forest back, assisted by the foresters.

Departing from the ship, Vexxa led the other researchers and wizards to collect samples and begin running tests.

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The tree stood, alone, the top swaying in the wind above the canopy. Nearly all of the bark was gone at this point, the few last remaining stubborn pieces hanging on, as if reluctant to leave the old form of a tree behind.

Its roots had spread through most of the forest, far below the rest, and far more special. The roots actively sought out new sources of energy, slithering like giant rough worms, forcing their way through the dirt and rocks, all to fuel the tree's unprecedented evolution.