A small lizard lazily sunbathed on a flat rock enjoying the warm sunlight poking through the forest canopy, it was rare to find such a perfect spot! Faint roaring, probably from a dumb bear, resounded through the air but this lizard didn’t care since it was too small for anything that loud to consider them prey.

This was truly the life. At least until the lizard leaped into a nearby bush to avoid being narrowly crushed by some weird ape dodging the attacks of that dumb noisy bear!

Vance cursed his luck running into a mist-crazed bear right as he was about to enter the Gloamwood proper. The raging bear was quite large and strong, their swipes enough to create craters into any tree unlucky enough to get in the way, its right eye was pierced by an arrow which only made it angrier. It roared again leaping forward paws out ready to tear Vance into bloody ribbons, he narrowly dodged behind a tree and fired another arrow aiming for the other eye but was off the mark slightly instead ripping through the left ear.

“Tch.”

Annoyed he held his bow close, arrow nocked ready, ran further away to put more distance between himself and the bear. Pulling back the drawstring he aimed for the bear’s mouth as it roared again but it bit down crushing the flying arrow before it could do any damage then began to charge at Vance. This wasn’t really an emergency, he felt, but one failed dodge and all he worked for would be reduced to nothing so grimacing he unhooked his lantern holding it up towards the charging bear whose head suddenly combusted in brilliant blue flames as it rammed into a tree almost felling it, the bear collapsed into a heap it’s head a melted mess of gore and charred bone.

Going around the battlefield Vance checked to see if he could salvage any arrows, ‘Was the lantern supposed to do that much damage?’ he thought as he pulled his arrow from the bear’s eye but the arrow crumbled as it did burnt from the fire. Sighing he looked around reequipping his bow keeping an arrow nocked then once more headed towards the Gloamwood.

Mists clung low to the ground, some trees were bare and gnarled, visibility was poor as the mists thickened considerably deeper inside the Gloamwood. Vance crouched around the trees his steps silent as he scoured the area, heightening his senses to their limits for any change in temperature a sign of a nearby Wraithchill plant.

The mists around him swirled and thickened, the air around him seemed to whisper faintly. Cursing Vance quickly put away his bow and held out his Soul Lantern to repel the mist that threatened to surround him then backed up his eyes focusing on the mist as it slowly condensed forming into the long thin claws of a wraith reaching out at Vance who held out his lantern willing it to pulse outward pushing back the grasping claws. A terrible screech filled the air as the wraith solidified itself further its face torn with flaps of flayed skin their eye sockets a black void and jaws stretched wide, hanging by strings of exposed muscle, lined with crooked sharp fangs. It flew forward with supernatural speed screaming as it swung both wicked claws at Vance’s neck who barely managed to blast it in the face with soulfire from his lantern throwing the wraith off course slashing at his shoulder instead.

With the wraith stunned Vance ran away careful not to let it sneak up on his fleeing back, he thought of the near perfect kill shot on the bear confused ‘Soulfire from my lantern can only stun a wraith?’ Looking backwards the wraith was dispersing unwilling to chase after him likely only because the mist here in the outskirts was too thin to sustain its form for too long.

Entering the Gloamwood from a different direction he began his search again wary of the surrounding mist. After a minute he found himself in a clearing with no trees only rocks and boulders dotted the area but the mist here gave him a bad feeling so Vance headed back where he came from, another minute later he found himself in the same clearing he had left.

Vance glared at the area in front of him hoping to uncover what the mists had in store for him without risking his life, aside from the rocks he couldn’t see what was here so he decided to test an idea he had and pulled out his bow tying a strip of dried jerky to an arrow then fired it into the clearing scratching a boulder before embedding itself in the ground. Seconds passed by the air was still Vance thought he might’ve been overly cautious until the jerky arrow he had fired started to corrode breaking apart like it had been dipped in acid.

Frowning he shook his head and looked around before leaving. A minute later he arrived in the clearing again, ‘Whatever is here doesn’t want me to leave and I only have enough energy for one more soulfire using my lantern… Better than dying here.’ Pointing his lantern towards the clearing he focused aiming for the largest boulder which then ignited in brilliant blue flames charring it and even melted parts of the rock. The clearing in front of him faded from view with the sound of a monstrous groan revealing that Vance had inadvertently stepped further inside the forest lured here by the illusion, he cursed as his lantern dimmed trying to repel the thick mists that surrounded him. Looking around he spotted a familiar tree in the distance, one that he knew he marked earlier, running towards it. As he ran he heard the sound of a child giggling seeing ghostly figures in his peripheral vision, unnerved he steeled himself continuing to run and willed as much energy he could provide into his lantern.

Leaping forward past the tree he sighed in relief when the strange sounds and sights faded with the thinner mists he was in.

“That was too close…” his breath quick almost gasping as he regained his stamina, “No wonder most people don’t come here, even being in a group might be more dangerous as the mist turn them against each other with illusions and wraiths.”

After a minute to catch his breath he grit his teeth leaving the Gloamwood, not willing to risk staying with a dim lantern and no energy left for soulfires, making his way back to the camp.