Records of the Forest (Completed)

Running Faster Might Help

Anne leaned precariously over the edge of the ravine. "I'm kinda worried that I can't see a bottom."

"Shouldn't be," Haider replied. "It's a bottomless pit."

"How can it be bottomless?"

"Oh, I mean, it has a bottom, sure, just that you'll never reach it before the shadows get to you."

BOOM!!

The air vibrated as something massive moved. It ringed heavily off the crevice walls and down into Welder's drop where it bounced back up. It sent chills though the air as the group struggled to stay on solid footing. Anne toppled forward, only caught by Jack an instant before she would have been over the edge. She scrambled back. "What the crap was that?! Was that that thunder?!"

"Great. Rain would be just awesome right now." Rowan backed a ways off, leaning on a nearby bolder. "Bottomless pit plus rain...I guess this is a bad time to tell you guys I'm not fond of heights."

Haider grunted. "Well, you're the one that said we should get moving." Slowly, he began walking toward one of the rope bridges.

"Umm!" Anne called. "Shouldn't we test it out first?"

"The best way to test it is for me to get on it," he called back, eyeing the bridge as he took his first step. "I'm the heaviest, so if it holds for me it wi-" With a terrible crack, Haider dropped through the old wood panels. He broke several in his scramble to catch himself.  A moment before he would have fallen too, Haider managed to catch himself by the armpits with the two supporting ropes. "I'm alright!"

"Ya know," Rowan said with fake enthusiasm. "I think I've just decided to not do this."

"This plan was your idea." Anne said back.

"Not really, if ya want to be technical about."

"It's not all bad!" Haider kept saying, completely unaware he just made the two girls nearly faint in fright. "You just have to avoid the rotten ones! Here, you three go check out the other bridges. We'll meet up at that big platform in the middle!" He stood shakily and quickly started across the rest of the bridge.

Jack, Anne and Rowan moved around the ledge, finding several more bridges each in varying stages of rot. Jack looked around. "This one here doesn't look as bad the others."

"Not exactly a ringing endorsement there, Jack," Anne sighed. She looked around for any other ways across. But, looking over her shoulder, she stiffened up and began tapping Rowan on the shoulder. "Where's that fake key you picked up at Zasdow?"

Rowan took it out of her pocket. "Here, why?"

"Give it to me." Anne took the key an suddenly began to bolt across the bridge. "Run, Shifters, now!" She yelled back over her shoulder.

Rowan turned around and looked up at the top of the cliff. Dozens of Shifters, riding on dogs, all looked back down at her. Each had a bow and arrow in their hands. Several more Shifters, in human form with full sized weapons, were also running up.

Haider, already on another bridge, jumped up, beckoning. "Cut the ropes behind you! Come on! Get out of range!"   

"Rowan! Run faster dammit!" Jack yelled, pulling her along. Behind them, arrows began to fly, slamming into the bridge and ground right behind them.

One lucky arrow hit the left rope of the bridge. Under the strain, the entire thing snapped into Rowan, one foot on solid ground, screamed as her platform vanished right as she stepped off it. "Whoa!" She reeled, trying to regain her balance. And in what she considered a miracle, she shot her hand out behind her and caught Jack by the front of his shirt.

"Ro?!" Anne screamed in fear. But Rowan regained her balance, albeit in an uncomfortable position. "Are you alright?!"

"I'm fine!" She called back. Looking down at Jack, she was thankful to see she had a firm grip on his shirt. "Jack, are you alright?"

"...Shaken, but I'll be fine," he replied after a moment. "Here, I'll climb up your arm."

Rowan adjusted as Jack began to climb. But something caught her attention in the corner of her eye. And when she turned to look it made her heart race. "Jack...!" She called loudly. "Please hurry up!"

Everyone followed her gaze. And there, in the dead center of the ravine, stood Dieserair. Unmoving. Breathing. His hollow gaze locked onto Anne. "yYou."

She looked around nervously. "Why is he just looking at me?" She whispered to a nearby Haider.

"It's that fake key you have," He whispered back. "Your thinking about it. Concentrate on it. We need him closer."

Dieserair growled loudly, looking around at the swarms of Shifters around him on dog. He pointed one massive limb at Anne. "tHe REd one haS tHe KEY. Kkill tHe rESt!!"

BOOM!! BOOM!!

Before anyone could move, the thunder-like sound came much closer. Everyone, person and Shifter alike, turned to look at it's origin. In the entrance to the ravine, a massive hand grabbed the cliff, pulling the rest of it's massive, stone body out with it. Several more followed in suit, lining the stone walkway around the cliffs. Jack stared in awe. "The Standmen...."

Anne, who had made it to the stone platform next to Haider, looked back with fear. "What are they doing? Are they here for us?"

Haider shook his head. "No... They're here if we fail."

Dieserair screeched loudly, and, as if one cue, everyone began running. Anne rushed from platform to bridge back and forth, while Rowan used her hunters knife to cut the bridges behind her. She winced as some dogs were unable to stop before they toppled over the edge.

Up on the ridge, Emerald Ash arrived to a scene he hadn't expected. And that was vexing. He quickly ran up and swatted at the arrow of the officer nearest to him. "What do you think you're doing?! You're hitting our own men!"

"Sorry sir," the locust replied back bluntly. "Direct orders."

"From who?!"

"Orders are from Dieserair, sir."

Emerald Ash scowled heavily. "I'll just go have a word with him real quick then, if you'll excuse me-" He moved to stand, but the locust shifted into human form, matching his height.

"You've been commanded to stay back and observe, sir."

"Observe? Oh-ho! That sounds serious. The Standmen seem to think the same..." Emerald Ash smiled cockily. "I presume this means I'm under arrest again?"

"Afraid so."

"Pity." Emerald looked down at the scene in front of him with a nasty expression. "Tell me," he asked deliberately. "When Dieserair has finished his plan, gotten his revenge, what do you think will follow, Private? What will be the next course?"

"I... I don't quite know, sir."

"And that's why you're supporting the wrong si- well, the wrong player in this fight." Emerald Ash watched as the locust shifted back into his bug form and mounted his ride: a small red-tailed hawk. "Watch your ride. The birds are fond of the ugly one." The private glared at him and remain silent. Emerald Ash returned his attention to the scene. Watching.

Waiting.