Cleatus scowled. The deeper the party travelled within the Forest, the more black-ink corruption they saw. Oil-like ick was settled deep into the fur of every animal they passed. More than that, the ick soaked into soil and began climbing up into the trees.

The sweet smell of blooming spring flowers had become overpowered by an offensive smell of molten heat that had the entire party cringing when they noticed it.

“Hang on a minute!” Haagut yelled. Though he wore his hat of disguise he also wore his own face. Cleatus turned with a jerk back toward the goblin at the back of the party. He didn’t speak, only growled. Moving Shaynen and Odelia out of the way. Haagut didn’t notice Cleatus’ tone. Instead he was kneeling at the base of a tree.

The tree was unaffected by the ick that was bubbling up around the forest soil. The base of the ancient tree was surrounded by a ring of common enough looking mushrooms.

“This tree’s not covered in the ick,” Haagut fished about in his bag before bringing out a handful of miscellaneous junk. He rattled them together as he dropped to his knees. Muttering something to himself as he shook the beads and bobbles. Cleatus walked up to the tree, putting his hands on his hips as he looked up.

“It’s an awakened tree,” He said. “Sleeping.” Haagut didn’t break concentration. Odelia and Shaynen hovered behind looking up into the branches of the tree. A spring breeze danced through branches of the trees in the forest; rustling their leaves, but not the ones belonging to the awakened tree. There were more of the strange trees around. Dotting about the forest road.

“Looks like the mushrooms are what’s keeping the ick back.” Shaynen observed.

“Maybe… Does anyone speak tree?” Cleatus looked around the group. Odelia and Shaynen paused to look at each other and shook their heads no. “Then I suppose we let it sleep.”

“Speaking of sleep,” Odelia looked up at the shadows creeping through the leaves. “Should we camp or chance walking all night?”

“I don’t want to walk all night,” Shaynen mumbled tiredly.

“Camp then.” Cleatus said shortly. “Right here.” He dropped his bag to the ground and began building a firepit. Odelia tossed out her bag against a tree and collapsed into it.

“I’ll take her watch,” Shaynen volunteered. “Let’s make ‘em the first two.”

“Whatever.” Cleatus threw an armful of various branches into the hole he dug. Haagut looked up from the tree.

“This tree is…” Haagut trailed off. “Alive. It’s filled with-”

“We know.” Cleatus snapped. Haagut turned to Shaynen, who shrugged.

“Maybe he didn’t get enough sleep last night?” Shaynen whispered.

“Who did?” Haagut said.

Shaynen’s eyes weren’t staying open. He felt his stomach twisting from how hard and often he yawned. Unconsciously nodding along to the sounds of the forest.

A sudden snap from the forest had Shaynen on his feet. He turned about frantically. Looking around for the source of the noise. A second snap of a branch swung his head around to look into the forest. Instantly he saw the swarm of animals circling the camp. Getting ever closer but not entering the circle of mushrooms around the awakened trees.

Shaynen slowly got to his feet. Creeping slowly to not spook anything into attacking. He shook Haagut awake first.

“What is it?” Haagut asked. GRoggy but ready to fight.

“Climb the awakened tree, it’s safe there.” Shaynen whispered. He turned and crept to Odelia. Haagut crawled into the circle of mushrooms as Shaynen woke Odelia and directed her toward the tree.

She stumbled half-awake to the tree. But was stopped at the mushrooms. Finding an invisible wall stopping her from entering it. Shaynen looked over his shoulder worriedly. The shadow animals started getting closer.

Shaynen shook Cleatus quickly. Cleatus opened an eye. He shoved Shaynen back and got up to his knees. He drew in a breath that squared up his shoulders and rose his fur to make him look twice his size.

Cleatus let out a roar that echoed like thunder through the trees. The hair on the back of Shaynen’s neck stood on end. The shadow animals scattered back into the woods and it was silent.

Cleatus scoffed and rolled over, going back to sleep. Shaynen got to his feet and went back to the fire.

“Right. I’m’o’inn back’t’bed.” ODelia muttered. GOing back to her bag and falling asleep.

“Are we near the next watch?” Haagut asked. Shaynen shook his head no. “Then I’m going back to sleep as well.”

The night was peaceful through the other watches leading to Cleatus. He didn’t want to be woken up and nearly took Haagut’s head off during the switch.

Cleatus watched the fire with a snarl. Occasionally poking at the embers with a stick. As he rummaged about the fire, the little forest spirits in his bag slipped out and started jogging into the forest. Cleatus looked around at the party, then quickly got to his feet and ran off after his sprites.

They led him down the trail and into the treeline. All the way to a giant old oak. IT’s branches drooped and it’s bark was withered and dry. All around the base of the elder awakened tree the little forest sprites crowded. Dancing and chittering together. They all backed up and created a circle around the tree and invited Cleatus to come into the circle.

Cleatus stepped into the circle without hesitation. Instantly the ground began to glow and a shiver slipped up his spine. The shiver turned to a churning in his stomach. Something began to crawl under his furred skin. Every muscle and nerve cringed.

A slow tickle in the back of his throat made him choke. The itch became something sharp that forced him to his knees, gagging. The taste of blood and something foul flooded his mouth. The glow only became brighter and with it the shifting thing in his throat became more restless. Finally Cleatus purged a black tar along with most of the contents of his stomach. His throat burned from the stomach acid, the smoking tar like pile had torn up his throat.

Cleatus wiped his muzzle and shakily got to his feet. His stomach was still churning and his head was pounding. He leaned onto the old oak’s bark as his vision cleared.

The bubbling tar shifted. Cleatus’ looked sharply at the mass, It shifted around more. Then lunged at him.

Cleatus fumbled out his rapier and stumbled to the side. His attack slid right through the ick with no resistance whatsoever. He fell to the ground and rolled back onto his feet with a spring. Again the ick charged at him. One of the forest sprites jumped up to his shoulder running along his arm as he held it out to try and block the ick.

The sprite vanished into his blade, making it glow. The ick smacked into his blade with a wet sucking sound. Cleatus took the blade with both hands and smashed it against the ground as hard as he could. The ick melted back to a black puddle. Then soaked into the ground. Cleatus sighed. A weight lifted off his shoulders, he felt more awake and alert than he had all day.

He barked out a hoarse laugh and flexed proudly. Swinging the quickly dimming rapier around nimbly. Beneath him, the circle of sprites closed in around the tree. Leaving Cleatus out. The sprites began to glow again, the light travelling up through the tree.

Cleatus somberly drifted down to his knee. Quietly, the tree faded away until there was nothing left. It’s life sacrificed to purge the ick from him.