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Chapter 6:

The Forest for the Trees

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She was awoken by cries and moans. Farah opened her eyes slowly, focusing her vision on blurry silhouettes. Something warm trickled down the side of her face. She brushed it away and stared at her hand.

Blood.

As she swiveled her gaze the scene became clearer. Parts of the chariot lay scattered across the ground. The largest part of the craft dangled dozens of feet of the ground, held in place by the arms of the forest. Weary and bloodied survivors carried the injured away from the wreckage. She counted seven bodies lying motionless around her. The Ahrman was neither among the living nor the dead. Neither was Aiden.

Farah fought against her unsteady legs and rose to her feet. “Aiden?” she called as she scanned the crash site. “Aiden!?” she said, louder this time, but there was no response.

She hobbled over to a passenger treating the wounds of another. “Have you seen an Ahrman around?”

“Ahrman? In these parts?” The man turned his attention to her, a look of concern filled his face. He stood up and fetched a handkerchief from his suit pocket. “You've got a nasty cut on your head, ma'am. Here, allow me to – ”

“Nevermind me.” Farah brushed his hand away. “Have you seen a young man then? Twelve, with silver hair?”

The man shook his head. “No ma'am. Some bodies are still in the trees..” the man paused and looked up. “..of Sarracen Forest.”

Farah couldn't believe it at first. Her gaze trailed up the tall trees, their branches intertwining and eclipsing the sun. Their branches locked together so, nothing but a leaf or two could pass between them. More leaves settled to the ground; more tears fell. In this forest, falling leaves meant the branches were moving, wrapping around helpless prey, and feeding. Aiden couldn't be up there. He couldn't be.

“You'd better start moving the injured,” Farah advised.

“In which direction?” the man asked. “These blasted trees aren't making it easy for us to tell east from west.”

Farah nodded to the trail of debris. “Follow the wreckage. We were traveling south, north should be that way.”

“You're staying with us aren't you?”

Farah dismissed the desperation in the man's voice. “No. I have to find someone.”

“But,” the man grabbed her passing arm and lowered his voice to a whisper. “I – I saw you on the chariot. You were manipulating a Rebirth. Now, it's none of my business where you got it or why, but you can help us get out of here. You know we can't survive on our own.”

The man was right and she knew it. As much as it pained her to accept it; dead or alive Aiden was on his own. “Can you have everyone ready to move in seven minutes?”

“Only if you lend a hand.”

Farah sheathed her weapons. “All right.”

“Thank you. Oh, I’m Casper.”

“Farah.”

“Once everyone is out of danger, I'll help you find the person you're looking for, Farah.”

Farah flashed a grin. Casper's business attire didn't reflect well with his chances of survival. “That won't be necessary. I'll scout ahead a little way. Call me when you're ready.”

Casper had good reason to seek aid. The carnivorous trees that covered over forty square miles weren't the only threat to their lives. Bloodthirsty, four-legged beasts would catch whatever slipped through the forest's grasp.

They trudged through the forest, hand-in-hand. The deafening silence was broken only by the sound of cracking above them. Whimpering and weary, no one dared to look up. There wasn’t a man or woman alive who didn’t fear this forsaken forest. The trees were restless and hungry. Farah swung her weapon, severing willowy branches. They were like fingers dangling from above and seeking to clutch anything in their path.

“Can we stop for a while..?” came an exhausted voice. A female passenger staggered to the ground weary and exhausted. Several others slowly joined her.

“We all could use a rest,” said Casper.

“If we stop now, the beasts in this forest will catch up with us,” Farah told the passengers.

“What beast?” a passenger moaned. “It’s these crazy trees that’re giving us a hard time.”

“I hope that flying snake doesn’t find us,” another passenger stated.

“What flying snake?” asked one passenger

“The one that attacked the chariot. Didn’t you see it? I saw it.”

Farah listened impatiently as the passengers conversed. It would be so easy to just leave them. Aiden needed her. What if the beasts got to him? What if the trees had strangled him? What if the Ahrman killed him?

“Farah,” called Casper, grabbing her attention. “We can make a fire and rest for a bit can’t we?”

“Have you a flint in that suit you wear?” Farah asked, knowing the answer.

“We both know you can do it with the Rebirth you possess.” Casper stepped closer and lowered his voice. “You could burn this entire forest down and get us out of here much faster if you wanted to, couldn’t you?”

“You know a lot about what I can do. Tell me, what was your business in Nabiil?”

“HELP!” someone screamed. Something had snagged one of the passengers by the leg and drugged her into the shadows.

Farah rushed to the woman’s side. Her blade cut through the darkness, piercing the flesh of a shrouded beast. The woman scurried to her feet as what remained of her attacker fell to the ground. The tangled mess of dark gray mane of the four-legged beast was repugnant. She rejoined the other startled passengers seeking safety in numbers. But hurried footsteps echoing from the shadows around them. “We’re surrounded!”

“Are you going to let us die here, Farah?” Casper insisted.

Some of the most powerful nations in the land fought to the death over Rebirths. Smaller kingdoms kept them a secret or else fell victim to a greedy empire. Rebirths equal power, even the less destructive ones. Using them in public could attract curious eyes; dangerous eyes. One of her orders were to never wield a Rebirth in a populated area, for her own sake. But the cat is already out of the bag, and at the mercy of hungry dogs.

Sparks crackled around Farah’s clenched fists. “I told you we should not have stopped moving.”

With a flick of her wrist waves of lightning crackled through the forest. Awestruck passengers huddled together, static flowing through their clothes. Casper watched as Farah directed bolts of lightning at targets unseen by his eyes. The air quickly turned foul with the smell of fried flesh. One bolt of lightning was enough to kill the aggressive menaces. Casper stopped counting the bolts at thirteen and turned away. He had to or lose his sight from the blinding bolts.

Tiny waves of energy curled around Farah’s exposed arms. Much of her sleeves were also victims of her relentless assault. But it was over. The forest was quiet again. Farah scanned her surroundings, listening carefully for any unwanted company.

“W-What..was all that?!” a passenger asked, breaking the silence.

“One of those runes, those Rebirths.” another passenger concluded.

“Let’s go now,” Farah insisted.

“Is it safe?” asked a frightened passenger.

“Farah’s right,” Casper said. “Let’s get out of here.”

“Casper,” Farah calls. She unsheathes one of her swords and energizes it with her Rebirth. She hands Casper the handle of the sword. “You cover the rest of the civilians from the rear.”

Casper stares at the weapon, hesitant to grasp it. “Do I look like someone who knows what to do with that?”

“No,” Farah smiles lightly. “But I’ve known looks to be deceiving.” After Casper took the sword Farah urged the others to follow her. “Let’s move!”

With steel and lightning, Farah charges forward. She cuts through an endless wall of twisted branches until the trees give away to a vast field of green. “We’ve made it!” a passenger exclaims. “I never thought I’d see a blue sky again!”

“I don’t see a search party,’ Casper observes. “In the sky or on foot. They should know that the chariot crashed by now.”

“You can wait here for them or walk back to the city,” Farah said, turning her attention back to the forest. “I have things to do.”

“You’re not going back in there, are you?” Casper asked.

“I have to find Aiden.”

“Is he your child?”

“He is not.”

“Then why not wait for the search party? It’s too risky to...” Before Casper could finish sharing his concern, Farah quietly darts into the forest. Casper watches as her graceful figure vanishes in the forest.

Must be an important young man.