God's Tree-Chapter 54: The Beast in the Mist

Argolaith and Kaelred tensed, their hands immediately moving to their weapons.

A slow, deliberate voice echoed from the darkness beyond the fire’s glow.

"You continue to surprise me."

The flames wavered, and from the edge of the cave, the lich stepped forward.

Kaelred exhaled sharply, his grip tightening on his sword. "Seriously? Again?"

Argolaith’s eyes remained locked on the undead sorcerer. "What do you want now?"

The lich tilted his head, his glowing violet eyes studying them. "You intrigue me. Few mortals fight as you do."

Kaelred scoffed. "You mean without magic?"

The lich chuckled. "Precisely."

Argolaith kept his stance firm. "So what, you’re here to watch us eat dinner?"

The lich ignored the remark, his gaze drifting toward the weapons resting beside them. "You have taken the remnants of a forgotten age. Yet, you do not understand them."

Kaelred crossed his arms. "And you do?"

The lich’s skeletal grin widened. "I have studied the magic of this world for centuries. Those weapons carry echoes of a power long lost."

Argolaith frowned. "Then why didn’t you take them?"

The lich’s gaze flickered, something unreadable passing through his expression. "I take only what is useful to me."

Kaelred rolled his eyes. "And you just happen to show up every time we find something valuable?"

The lich chuckled. "You are quick to assume. I am merely observing… for now."

Argolaith didn’t lower his guard, but he also didn’t attack. Something about the lich’s demeanor had changed—he was still dangerous, but there was no immediate hostility in his stance.

Kaelred, however, wasn’t convinced. "Look, if you’re going to kill us, just do it already. If not, leave."

The lich exhaled a sound that might have been a sigh. "You misunderstand, boy. I have already seen your strength. Now, I wish to see how much further you can go."

Silence stretched between them.

Argolaith finally spoke. "You want to test us."

The lich nodded. "You seek the Five Trees. Power beyond a normal mortals reach. I am curious—can you attain it?"

Kaelred scoffed. "And what do you get out of this?"

The lich’s skeletal grin remained fixed. "Knowledge."

Another long pause.

Then, without another word, the lich turned and vanished into the darkness, leaving only his chilling presence behind.

Kaelred let out a breath. "I hate that guy."

Argolaith shook his head. "He’s testing us. Watching us."

Kaelred sheathed his sword. "Then we’ll prove him wrong."

The fire crackled as they sat in silence, the weight of the lich’s presence lingering.

Argolaith’s grip tightened around his blade, Whatever lay ahead, they would be ready.

The fire crackled softly, its embers glowing against the cave walls as Argolaith and Kaelred sat in silence, still processing the lich’s latest visit. His words lingered in their minds.

"You seek the Five Trees. Power beyond a normal mortals reach. I am curious—can you attain it?"

Kaelred exhaled sharply, running a hand through his hair. "He’s playing a game with us."

Argolaith nodded, tightening his grip on the hilt of his sword. "And we don’t know the rules."

Kaelred scoffed. "Well, if he wants to watch us get stronger, I say we give him a show."

Argolaith smirked. "Agreed."

They finished their meal in silence, the magical energy from the Duskroot still pulsing in their limbs.

The warmth of the fire kept the night’s chill at bay, but neither of them truly relaxed. They knew the lich was out there—watching, waiting.

But whatever he had planned, they would face it head-on.

Morning came with a pale, misty light filtering through the trees. The Forsaken Forest stretched endlessly ahead, its dense canopy blocking most of the sky.

A heavy fog clung to the ground, swirling around their boots as they moved forward.

Kaelred yawned as he adjusted his satchel. "So, what’s on today’s agenda? More fighting? More running for our lives?"

Argolaith chuckled. "Hopefully not the second one."

They continued their journey, collecting magical herbs along the way. Argolaith found a cluster of Sagefern, a rare plant known for its healing properties, and carefully stored it in his ring.

Kaelred gathered a few Flamevine leaves, their vibrant red veins pulsing faintly with residual fire energy.

"You think these will be useful for cooking?" Kaelred asked, inspecting the leaves.

Argolaith nodded. "They enhance heat-based effects in food. Could be useful if we need a boost in combat."

Kaelred grinned. "Then I’m keeping them."

The forest was eerily quiet as they walked. The usual rustling of unseen creatures was absent, replaced by an oppressive stillness.

Even the mist seemed unnatural, thick and heavy with latent magic, making it difficult to see more than a few feet ahead.

Argolaith stopped suddenly, his eyes narrowing. "Something’s wrong."

Kaelred tensed, hand on his sword. "You feel it too?"

A low, rumbling growl echoed through the mist.

Both warriors turned toward the sound, their senses on high alert. The growl was deep, primal, and impossibly close.

Then, from the thick fog, a massive shape emerged.

A towering beast, its black fur shimmering with an eerie silver sheen, stepped into view.

Its muscles rippled beneath its thick hide, and its eyes—burning gold—locked onto them with an almost intelligent malice.

Kaelred inhaled sharply. "That… is not a normal beast."

Argolaith’s jaw tightened. "No. That’s a primordial."

The creature lowered its head, nostrils flaring as it took in their scent. Then, without warning, it charged.

Argolaith and Kaelred barely had time to react. They dove aside as the beast’s massive claws tore into the ground where they had stood, sending dirt and stone flying.

Kaelred rolled to his feet, sword drawn. "Well, so much for an easy day."

Argolaith gritted his teeth. "Stay sharp. It’s fast."

The primordial whipped around with unnatural speed, its claws slicing through the mist. Argolaith sidestepped the blow, narrowly avoiding being torn apart.

Kaelred lunged, aiming for the creature’s flank. His blade bit into its hide, but barely—it was like striking stone. The beast roared in fury, swiping at him with a backhanded strike.

Kaelred barely managed to block, but the force sent him skidding backward, boots digging into the dirt.

Argolaith moved in, aiming for the creature’s exposed leg. His sword found its mark, slashing into the muscle, and the beast staggered.

But it did not fall.

Instead, it whirled around, its golden eyes flashing, and slammed into Argolaith with the full force of its body.

Argolaith was sent flying, crashing hard into a tree. Pain exploded through his ribs, but he gritted his teeth and pushed himself up.

Kaelred rushed in, keeping the beast’s attention. He feinted left, then rolled under its swinging claws, slicing along its underside.

This time, the blade struck true—a thin line of black blood oozed from the wound.

The beast let out a furious howl, shaking the very air around them.

Argolaith staggered back into the fight, blade ready. "It’s bleeding. We can kill it."

Kaelred exhaled sharply. "Then let’s finish this."

The battle raged on.

They fought with everything they had, dodging, striking, countering every move. Their bodies ached, their breaths came ragged, but they did not falter.

Then, finally, Argolaith saw his opening.

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The beast lunged at Kaelred, claws outstretched for the kill.

Kaelred twisted away at the last second, leaving the beast momentarily exposed.

Argolaith seized his chance.

With a powerful leap, he drove his sword into the creature’s throat, twisting the blade deep.

The primordial beast let out a choked snarl, its massive frame tensing, then falling still.

For a moment, the only sound was their heavy breathing.

Then, finally, the beast collapsed, its massive body crashing to the ground.

Kaelred stumbled back, wiping sweat from his brow. "Holy hell, that thing was tough."

Argolaith pulled his sword free, exhaling sharply. "Yeah. But it’s dead."

They both stood over the fallen primordial beast, the adrenaline slowly fading from their veins.

Kaelred let out a breathless laugh. "We’re really good at pissing off the strongest things in this forest."

Argolaith chuckled. "We do have a habit of finding trouble."

Kaelred smirked. "Well, at least we get something out of it."

They set to work, quickly butchering the beast, collecting its meat, bones, and hide—resources that would be invaluable for both sustenance and trade.

Kaelred held up a thick chunk of its meat, grinning. "I say we cook this up tonight."

Argolaith raised an eyebrow. "And if it tastes like that wyvern?"

Kaelred made a face. "Then we never speak of it again."

They stored their supplies and continued onward, deeper into the Forsaken Forest.

The battle had left them battered, but they had survived.

And as they walked, a familiar presence watched from the shadows.

The lich had seen it all.

And his curiosity only grew.

The forest felt different after their battle with the primordial beast.

The air seemed lighter, and the oppressive mist that had clung to the trees had thinned, revealing patches of sunlight that filtered through the canopy.

Argolaith and Kaelred moved slowly, their bodies still weary from the fight but their spirits lifted by their victory.

After a few hours, they reached a small clearing surrounded by tall, ancient trees. The ground was covered in soft moss, and a nearby stream trickled quietly through the underbrush.

"This looks like a good spot to rest," Argolaith said, setting down his pack. "We need to recover properly before we push any further."

Kaelred nodded in agreement, rubbing his shoulder. "I’m not going to argue with that. My whole body feels like it got trampled by a herd of war beasts."

Argolaith chuckled. "I’d say that’s about right. Let’s set up a fire, and I’ll work on some elixirs to speed up our recovery."