Dragon Realm 2 : The Ebonforge (Lesbian Story)

Chapter 4

Mari pointed to the large map, sticking a pin in the middle of the dense forest north of Krate. She then drew a large circle around that area and shaded it in with pencil. "This is where she was in my vision."

"What's all the darkness?" Jurgen asked.

"The foliage in a huge radius around her spire was decaying. I don't know if it's spreading but we should expect that it is." Mari explained. "I don't know if it's a disease or if it's draining the life out of the world either, so we should prepare for both."

"Your connections to Itzal's bloodline should prevent you from aquiring any sort of diseases." Artemis explained. "It would be Ariadne and Camelia we have to worry about."

"As a nature spirit I possess just enough divinity to prevent any illness." Ariadne explained, tracing her fingers over the shaded forest with a solumn expression like she was distressed that the forest was damaged in any way.

"Since I'm a Sword I should also be immune. I'm not actually a living being after all." Camelia shrugged.

"You say that like you're dead." Akiya narrowed her eyes at the sword.

"I was. But I got better."

Nokiya rolled her eyes at their odd courting rituals before looking back at the map. "This is still a days travel, even if we fly. We shouldn't fly over the forest because I'm certain she would have scouts watching the skies for anything. And we'd have to be careful on foot because there would certainly have placed wards throughout the forest for the same purpose."

Camelia pointed to the map, noting a road that nearly cut through the center of the circle. "I would suggest the road, but if she's warded it like you said then it's probably trapped as well."

"She would have to get supplies from somewhere." Mari added. "She would have had to drag most of it through the forest. She probably used the road originally."

"We just have to find the path she took." Akiya added.

"Unless she no longer uses it and trapped it as a precaution." Nokiya continued. "I think we should avoid the road and make our way through the forest."

"I suppose I should also mention that there were large beasts inside the forest, but I couldn't see what they were." Mari explained. "All I could see were the trees parting and large dark forms moving about."

"They could be anything really." Artemis sighed. "They could be Nagas, Lamias, Basilisks or any kind of insectoid creature Arachne would summon. Hell, it could literally be anything if Medea is the one calling it forth."

"So we fly up to the edge of the dead landscape." Akiya said, holding up one finger. "Then we just hope and pray we make it through without getting attacked by whatever's inside, and manage to avoid any traps?"

"I should be able to find my way through the forest and avoid any traps, even if the landscape is dead." Ariadne explained. "Any kind of blight would still leave behind traces of life, however small. And if she's sucking the life out I can call it back."

"You think you're stronger than she is when it comes to that?"

"I think my attunement to nature outweighs her raw brutality." Ariadne correction. "The world listens when I speak because I show it kindness. It will resist her at all costs."

"Well that solves another problem. But if we get into a fight with one of those creatures and it ends up turning us to stone or something that's not going to end well." Akiya glanced around at everyone in the room as if to make sure everyone was paying attention.

"You do realize you are immune to such petrifications?" Ariadne questioned with a raised eyebrow. "It was why I chose such a form."

Camelia leaned past Akiya to look towards the Nymph curiously as Akiya too looked at her. Even Nokiya seemed a little confused by the realization, though she attempted to hide it. "You mean to tell me this whole time that we can't be turned to stone by Basilisks?"